Philippe Claudel is one of the most famous contemporary writers in France. The novel was named the best novel of 2003. In his work, the writer successfully develops the traditions of famous masters of psychological detective work - Sebastien Japrisot, Boileau-Narcejac. The main character of the novel is a policeman - not only an interrogator in the investigation of the brutal murder of a girl, but an unwitting victim and accomplice in the ominous events that took place in a small French town. The death of three wonderful women of different generations, different social status, different ages was a real shock for the young policeman and predetermined his future fate.

“There is no need to give hints about the solution to the mystery underlying this masterfully twisted plot... F Claudel keeps us in suspense until the very end. In each of his phrases one can feel a genuine love for the Word... Lively, amazingly relief, and sometimes poetic images, with all the meager means of expression, create a rich palette." "Literary Figaro", September 4, 2003