A British police detective looks into sinister doings in the South of France in a crime thriller with "more than a little excitement" (Kirkus Reviews).

Inspector Roderick Alleyn has decamped for the South of France on a family vacation--though for him, the vacation will involve some official poking around. Unfortunately, the object of his poking--the cultish denizens of a sinister and luxurious chateau--are not fond of being poked, and they have a particularly unpleasant way of getting their point across . . .

"Charming, cultivated, witty--and none the less terrifying . . .a pure thriller . . .you're not apt to find a better evening's entertainment." --The New York Times