The novel is a haunting exploration of fate, guilt, and identity, centered around a Russian émigré living in Paris who stumbles upon a short story that recounts a murder he committed during the Russian Civil War. This discovery propels him on a quest to find the author, who seems to know the true details of the incident, leading to an obsession with the mysterious writer and the specter of a man he believed he had killed. As the protagonist delves deeper into the enigma, the boundaries between his own life and the story begin to blur, culminating in a confrontation with the elusive Alexander Wolf and a profound reckoning with his past.

In this detective novel, the protagonist, a renowned French police inspector, finds himself under the watchful eye of a Scotland Yard official who has come to observe his methods. The story unfolds on the sun-drenched island of Porquerolles, where a small-time crook who claimed to be a friend of the inspector has been murdered. As the inspector delves into the case, he navigates through a colorful cast of characters and local intrigue, all while grappling with the pressure of being scrutinized by his English counterpart. The investigation leads him through a web of lies and secrets, challenging him to solve the crime while maintaining his professional composure under the unaccustomed scrutiny.