France 1761. Beyond the glittering court of Louis XV at Versailles, lies Paris, a capital in the grip of crime and immorality. . . . A police officer disappears and Nicolas Le Floch, a young recruit to the force, is instructed to find him. When unidentified human remains suddenly come to light, he seems to have a murder investigation on his hands. Le Floch will need all his skill, courage, and integrity to unravel a mystery which threatens to implicate the King and Madame de Pompadour. Jean-François Parot is a diplomat and historian.