The best-selling novel by Paul Catmur is a glorious satire of the advertising world.
Ben Putney should be thrilled. He's a Prince of London advertising and has just been made President of the Cannes Lions jury - the highest honour in the business.
Unfortunately, his marriage is wobbling, his father regards him as a lifelong disappointment, and his bosses don't remotely share Ben's opinion of his own importance.
Cannes is supposed to be paradise: Mediterranean heat, endless ros , hotels that look like an Elton John video.
Instead, Ben finds himself knee-deep in jury-room politics, a medically dubious yoghurt campaign, over-sexed Australians, and a philosophical vagrant who seems to understand advertising better than anyone wearing a lanyard.
As the week unravels and the stakes rise, Ben is forced to confront the only question that really matters:
how far would you cheat to win?
Fast and funny, The Gutter Bar skewers the absurdities of corporate life, the egos that drive it, and the lies we tell ourselves to get through the day.
Perfect for fans of John Niven, Douglas Adams, Ben Elton - and anyone who enjoys laughing at the rituals and vanities of work.
Like it or not, you will meet someone you know in The Gutter Bar.
"The best book about advertising since e by Matt Beaumont."