Daria Lavelle is a speculative fiction writer. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and raised in the New York metro area, her work explores themes of identity and belonging through magic and the uncanny. Her short stories have appeared in The Deadlands, Dread Machine, and elsewhere, and she holds degrees in writing from Princeton University and Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, children, and goldendoodle, all of whom love a great meal almost as much as she does.
A heart-warming read – a fascinating mix of food, romance and the supernatural * Take a Break * Aftertaste is practically exploding with love, life and flavour. I relished every word -- Louise Kennedy, author of TRESPASSES A wondrous work where the culinary transcends the ordinary. Lavelle's debut of grief, memory and loss is deftly and satisfyingly layered -- Kevin Jared Hosein, author of HUNGRY GHOSTS 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 raucously witty and entertaining novel. This expertly crafted, suspenseful tale is seasoned with a perfectly judged amount of the supernatural. The genuinely heartfelt, touching moments elevate Lavelle’s writing to a level that is nigh on impossible to put down. Meanwhile, the lavish culinary descriptions are a real danger – do not read on an empty stomach! -- Leo Vardiashvili, author of HARD BY A GREAT FOREST Brilliantly constructed and wholly original, Aftertaste is like no novel you’ve ever tried before. It’s much more than your usual dish – it’s a whole literary tasting menu. Packed with ghosts, romance, fine dining and the mob, it will leave you stunned, thrilled and totally satiated -- Julia Phillips, author of BEAR A hauntingly evocative journey through the realms of pain, pleasure and the power of food -- Nigella Lawson [A] much anticipated darkly comic debut ... about food, ghosts and the New York culinary scene * Vogue * A decadent debut that marks the arrival of a sparkling new voice. Dark and delicious, sincerely moving and at times laugh out loud funny, a heady, bittersweet, beautiful novel about life and death, grief and closure, passion and hunger. A must-read -- Rachel Harrison, author of SO THIRSTY and BLACK SHEEP A breathtaking novel. Combining the grit of the restaurant world with the magic of the afterlife, Daria Lavelle perfectly blends unexpected ingredients into a book you’ll want to savour. It's a story about grief that's filled with humour, warmth and astounding creativity -- Laura Hankin, author of ONE-STAR ROMANCE and THE DAYDREAMS This is a terrific book. Aftertaste offers the glories of food and cooking – all the yes-chef details we now love – in a cool, brilliant and suspenseful novel whose spec-fic plot wants to talk about the mysteries of sense-memory and death. I could not put it down -- Joan Silber, author of SECRETS OF HAPPINESS AND IMPROVEMENT Deliciously evocative, bitingly inventive, written with humour and heart -- Elizabeth Day, author of THE PARTY and MAGPIE