There was a time when Italian morals reigned in France. Masks were worn not only at the carnival, duels took place not only in daylight in compliance with the rules, and not only wine, but also poison was served on the table. The chicken in soup promised by Henry IV was still a long way off. In the Parisian capital, people were plucked like chickens and drowned in the Seine, and in the provinces one neighbor could easily visit another, bringing with him a squad of thugs. In Henri de Kock's novel, the era of treachery comes to life - the era of Catherine de' Medici and the last kings of the Valois dynasty.