In the small town of Crozon in Brittany, a library houses manuscripts that were rejected for publication: the faded dreams of aspiring writers. Visiting while on holiday, young editor Delphine Despero is thrilled to discover a novel so powerful that she feels compelled to bring it back to Paris to publish it. The book is a sensation, prompting fevered interest in the identity of its author - apparently one Henri Pick, a now-deceased pizza chef from Crozon. Sceptics cry that the whole thing is a hoax: how could this man have written such a masterpiece? An obstinate journalist, Jean-Michel Rouche, heads to Brittany to investigate. By turns farcical and moving, The Mystery of Henri Pick is a fast-paced comic mystery enriched by a deep love of books - and of the authors who write them.

"This book is light, funny and erudite: a delight" - Guardian

"The Mystery of Henri Pick is so ridiculously French that if it started smoking Gitanes while you read it, you wouldn't be entirely surprised" - Sunday Times Culture

"A charming, quirky addition to the whimsical subgenre of books about book lovers, done with a light Gallic touch" - Guardian, Top 50 Books to Read this Summer

"A dull pizza chef becomes the author of an unlikely bestseller in this charming novel about the literary life" - Sunday Times, 100 Best Summer Reads

"A charming literary caper... A playfully droll satire of the French publishing scene and a completely delightful jeu d'esprit" - Daily Mail

"An elegant, irresistibly farcical comic mystery based around a library of rejected manuscripts, Foenkinos's playful satire is the perfect feelgood read. An ideal novel for bibliophiles everywhere, The Mystery of Henri Pick abounds with Gallic wit and charm" - Waterstones

"Just the ticket" - Sunday Times

"A sparkling comedy. A novel to be devoured, which also examines the curious relationship between readers and books" - Elle

"The Mystery of Henri Pick manages the great gap between levity and profundity, between humour and seriousness. A beautiful farce" - Le Figaro littéraire

"Mischievous, spirited and entertaining... David Foenkinos's new novel is a triumph" - L'Express

"A satirical comedy constructed like a literary thriller. David Foenkinos celebrates book lovers and the power of words" - Lire