Corkscrew: The highly improbable, but occasionally true, tale of a professional wine buyer: 1 (The Felix Hart Novels) - Softcover

Stafford-Bow, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1911079352 ISBN 13: 9781911079354

Publisher: I_AM Self-Publishing, 2016

Synopsis

Nominated for The People's Book Prize 2018 "One of the funniest novels I've ever read. I honestly didn't want this book to end." The Wine Stalker Part thriller, part self-help manual, and part drinking companion, Corkscrew is a coruscating critique of neo-liberal capitalism, religious intolerance and the perils of blind tasting. Felix Hart, a tragic orphan, is expelled from school, cast onto the British high street, and forced to make his way in the cut-throat world of wine retailing. Thanks to a positive mental attitude, he is soon forging a promising career, his sensual adventures taking him to the vineyards of Italy, South Africa, Bulgaria and Kent. His path to the summit is littered with obstacles, however. Petty office politics, psychotic managers and the British Board of Wine & Liquor prove challenging enough. But when Felix negotiates the world’s biggest Asti Spumante deal, he bites off more than he can chew and is plunged into a terrifying world of Mafiosi, people smuggling and ruthless multinationals. "Boasting casual storytelling mastery and the sharp-tongued wit of Tom Robbins, Peter Stafford-Bow presents an incredibly amusing and unpredictable tale. For wine lovers or those who simply love a great story, this is a mad ramble through the tangled world of wine, taking readers across two continents and countless adventures of one exceptional character, Felix Hart. Corkscrew is a strange cross between a thriller and a farce, but Stafford-Bow pulls it off with panache – and a self-aware smirk on his face." John Staughton "This book gets a big thumbs up from me... this is not for youngsters." Vino-Sphere.com

About this title

About the Author:

Peter Stafford-Bow is a novelist and wine consultant, based in Blois, France. His debut novel Corkscrew: the highly improbable, but occasionally true, tale of a professional wine buyer, is a satirical novel drawing on his experiences working as an international wine buyer for some of the world's largest retailers. He is currently working on a second novel, again featuring Felix Hart, the bawdy and cheerfully amoral wine executive, intended for release in 2017. Stafford-Bow's favourite authors include John le Carre, Hilary Mantel and George MacDonald Fraser.

About this edition

• Publisher: I_AM Self-Publishing
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1911079352
• ISBN 13: 9781911079354
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 388