A place in France - Nigel Farrell

Charting the adventures of affable yet bumbling Nigel, looking for a place to renovate in the deepest Ardeche, this compelling, original and slightly bonkers tale sees him first foray to France with the common-sensical Nippy, and later take up partnership with the truly eccentric Reza, as the pair decide to open up an Indian restaurant. Perfectly capturing the cultural and emotional wrangles of moving abroad, the book is bursting with character; featuring mad estate agents, a love triangle between Nigel, a pretty French girl - and her boyfriend - the trials of persuading people that Indian cuisine is what is needed in the French countryside, a chef that pulls out of the project a week before the grand opening, and of course Reza's recipes, this is a great stand alone read that also enjoys television support with the transmission of the new peak-time series.