The pungent odour of cheese will waft off the page in what for me is the debut novel of the year so far. Well I know it’s only mid January but I’ve read quite a few books scheduled for later in the year as well. This is a deliciously written comic novel that brings together three quite disparate ingredients – history, cheese and mystery. The head of the Trencom family has, through history been unique in as much as their nose provided each of them with talent unsurpassed and admired in the cheese world, but clearly it has also led to catastrophe for each one. It’s the 1960s and Edward Trencom, the latest head of the family stumbles across some family papers and is drawn unstoppably towards finding out more about his family past to the detriment of his cheese business and possibly his life. Just be sure you have some mouth-wateringly smelly cheeses and a glass of wine to hand when you read this book – it can’t be read without them. Please also have a look at Nathaniel's Nutmegby the same author, which is also highly recommended.
Edward Trencom has bumbled through life, relying on his trusty nose to turn the family cheese shop into the most celebrated fromagerie in England. But his world is turned upside down when he stumbles across a crate of family papers. To his horror, Edward discovers that nine previous generations of his family have come to sticky ends because of their noses.
When he investigates further, Edward finds himself caught up in a Byzantine riddle to which there is no obvious answer. Like his ancestors, he is hunted down by rival forces whose identity and purpose remain a total mystery. Trapped between the mad, the bad and a cheese to die for, Edward Trencom’s nose must make a choice – and for the last nine generations it has made the catastrophically wrong decision.
Giles Milton is a writer and journalist. He has contributed articles for most of the British national newspapers as well as many foreign publications and specialises in the history of travel and exploration. In the course of his researches, he has travelled extensively in Europe and the Middle East.
