An unforgettable, imaginative and darkly comic debut novel about food, ghosts and the New York culinary scene

‘A fun romp through New York’s restaurant scene and the world of the undead’ Sunday Times

Kostya is haunted. Still reeling from the loss of his father, he’s working as a dishwasher when he discovers something extraordinary. The tastes that have flooded his mouth without warning since childhood – thin-skinned dumplings bursting with lightly sugared sour cherries – are being sent by spirits seeking closure and, by cooking their food, Kostya can bring them back for one last meal to find it.

Maura is moonlighting as a psychic when a man with curious talents enters her booth. She’s the only one who understands what Kostya is really capable of – as well as the consequences of messing with the afterlife. And as Kostya and Maura fall deeply, irresistibly in love, the line between supporting his dreams and keeping her own ghosts at bay begins to blur.

While Kostya and his best friend, Frankie, work towards opening a New York restaurant with a unique menu and unprecedented clientele, Maura senses a supernatural catastrophe looming that could see them losing everything…

"Debut author Daria Lavelle has distilled the tension of The Bear with the descriptive floweriness of Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer … A fun, thoughtful exploration of grief, love and the nature of hunger. Feast upon its pages" - SFX

"Part ghost story, part gastro romance" - Mail on Sunday

"I savoured every minute reading this epic story about life, death, love and loss ... Original and addictive" - Daily Mail

"A heart-warming read – a fascinating mix of food, romance and the supernatural" - Take a Break

"Food lovers will find a huge amount to enjoy here, as will anyone who enjoys ghost stories with a twist" - Crack

"Aftertaste is simply one of those books everyone's going to be talking about" - Radio Times

"A highly original, entertaining tour-de-force ... It had me in mind of The Ministry of Time, whose readers I think will love this" - The Bookseller

"[A] much anticipated darkly comic debut ... about food, ghosts and the New York culinary scene" - Vogue

"A fun romp through New York’s restaurant scene and the world of the undead" - Sunday Times