Antoine Laurain

Dining alone in an elegant Parisian brasserie, accountant Daniel Mercier can hardly believe his eyes when President François Mitterrand sits down to eat at the table next to him. Once the presidential party has gone, Daniel discovers that Mitterrand's black felt hat has been left behind. After a few moments' soul-searching, Daniel decides to keep the hat as a souvenir...

In 1760, Guillaume le Gentil, astronomer to King Louis XV, sets sail for India. He hopes to record the transit of Venus, but rough seas—and war with the British—make his quest more complicated than he could have imagined. Two hundred and fifty years later, anxious, lonely Xavier Lemercier chances upon Guillaume's telescope. As he looks out across the rooftops of...

When Hubert Larnaudie invites the fellow residents of his Parisian apartment building to drink a bottle of 1954 Beaujolais, he has no idea of its special properties. The next morning, Hubert finds himself waking up in 1950s Paris, as do antique restorer Magalie, mixologist Julien, and Bob, an American on his first trip to Europe. After their initial shock, the...

Discontented middle-aged doctor Alain Massoulier has received a life-changing letter—thirty-three years too late. Lost in the Paris postal system for decades, it offers a recording contract to Alain's old band The Holograms, which split up long ago. Now, overcome by nostalgia, Alain decides to track down his old bandmates—including the alluring singer he secretly loved. But in a world where...

French Windows by Antoine Laurain is a captivating novel that delves into the complexities of human psychology and intrigue. Nathalia Guitry is an enigma that psychotherapist Doctor Faber can't solve. A photographer who can't take photographs since witnessing a murder, she is self-assured, self-aware, and seemingly impervious to his usually effective techniques. He hasn't been able to stop thinking about...

While wandering through a Paris auction house, avid collector Pierre-Francois Chaumont is stunned to discover the eighteenth-century portrait of an unknown man who looks just like him. Much to his delight, Chaumont's bid for the work is successful, but back at home his jaded wife and circle of friends are unable to see the resemblance. Chaumont remains convinced of it,...

How can you mend a broken heart? Do you write a letter to the woman who left you—and post it to an imaginary address? Buy a new watch, to reset your life? Or get rid of the jacket you wore every time you argued, because it was in some way ... responsible? Combining the wry musings of a rejected lover...

How far would you go to enjoy a cigarette? When headhunter Fabrice Valantine faces a smoking ban at work, he decides to undertake a course of hypnotherapy to rid himself of the habit. At first, the treatment works, but his stress levels begin to rise when he is passed over for an important promotion, and he finds himself lighting up...

From the bestselling author of The Red Notebook When the manuscript of a debut crime novel arrives at a Parisian publishing house, everyone in the readers' room is convinced it's something special. And the committee for France's highest literary honour, the Prix Goncourt, agrees. But when the shortlist is announced, there's a problem for editor Violaine Lepage: she has no...

Bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street and feels compelled to return it to its owner. The bag contains no money, phone, or contact information. But it does hold a small red notebook, full of handwritten thoughts and jottings that reveal someone Laurent would very much like to meet. Without even a name to go...