Guillermo Martinez (b. 1962) is an Argentine writer, a mathematician by training and a writer by vocation, a classic of the modern intellectual detective story. Tennis instructor Merton, once a brilliant literary critic, known for his impartiality, originality and honesty of judgment, receives an unexpected and a very flattering offer. He must arrive in Barcelona, at the estate of the famous writer, to read and evaluate his latest book. He is convinced that critics and the public were able to appreciate only the superficial layer of his works. The writer's literary agent offers Merton a fantastic fee just for reading the book, and promises to double it if Merton can unravel its true meaning. Merton flies to Barcelona, settles in a beautiful villa where the writer lives with his young wife and daughter, and starts working on the book. He is determined to solve this literary puzzle, but the luxurious atmosphere of the estate is fraught with many temptations and temptations...