On Saturday evening, January 8, 1993, Dr. Jean-Claude Roman killed his wife, the next morning he shot two children, 7 and 5 years old, and went to his beloved parents. After their murder, he went to Paris, tried to kill his mistress, failed... He returned home, swallowed barbiturates and set the house on fire, but he was saved. This is not a retelling of the plot, but only the beginning of the story. The book is based on materials from a real case, but the narrative goes far beyond the scope of a psychological detective story. Emmanuel Carrère is a famous French writer, winner of many prestigious awards. His novels “Winter Camp” and “Mustache” were published in Russian. The novel “The Fiend” was filmed in 2002, directed by Nicole Garcia, starring Daniel Auteuil.