François-Marie Banier’s fifth novel examines the false sentiments and selfish manipulations that develop between two couples. The focal point is Guillaume, a photographer obsessed with his girlfriend Marie. The product of unloving parents, he naïvely seeks emotional solace from the painter, Juan Mendoza, and his wife, Gi. Marie is lured by their glamorous lifestyle, and she submits to the dominating Gi, who is intent on separating her from Guillaume. When Gi persuades her to have an abortion, Guillaume’s fury is unleashed. But Marie vanishes, along with the support of his friends. Abandoned, he stalks a terrain once festive but now unsettling and ambiguous. Throughout this work, Banier portrays the mysterious forces that unite and alienate people.