This gripping novel begins in what seems to be a conventional manner following a romantic encounter and subsequent relationship between a beautiful 40-year-old woman and a younger man who exudes an irresistible charm. Their brief time together sparks an intense love affair despite the necessity of their parting temporarily with pledges to reunite in Paris at an apartment rented on the internet. They meet again, as promised at the appointed time and place and resume their steamy romance.

Then begins a sequence of events told as interviews with Paris police which cause the reader to believe they are hearing the story from what can only be described as an unreliable narrator. The belief that it may all be a fantasy concocted by an unhinged and frustrated mind grows chapter by chapter. The sense of not knowing what to accept as fact and what is fantasy builds and becomes frantic. The suspense is sustained as the protagonist encounters denizens of the apartment, the concierge and a local merchant who all have peculiarities which add to the disorientation felt by both character and reader. The lack of credibility by the police and doubts by friends and acquaintances cause a burgeoning disquiet. For those who identify readily with a fictional character, the tension is palpable.

Skillfully and delicately couched prose keeps the narrative flowing quickly, as does the unfolding plot which becomes increasingly baffling as the book progresses. A carefully crafted denouement will satisfy the most discerning devotee of mysteries but will please readers of literary fiction as well.