"Z. Markas" is a novel by the outstanding French writer Honore de Balzac, in which he reveals the theme of financial and political corruption. The main character, the mysterious figure Z. Markas, becomes the object of interest of heroes who are part of a pocket of French society. Through cunning petitions, ingenious tricks in salons, and skill in playing the field and behind closed doors, Markas opens the way of his integration into elite society. The book is not only a fascinating detective story, but also a look at the moral world of high society of the nineteenth century.