A British judge and a naked corpse put French inspector Henri Castang on delicate, dangerous ground in this mystery from the Edgar Award-winning author. When a local businessman's car is stolen, he's more concerned about what's inside--the body of his just-deceased grandmother. Then Parisian police Insp. Henri Castang is called to investigate the mysterious appearance of a woman's body found in a car. But just when it seems like his latest case is about to solve itself, Henri discovers a baffling murder wrapped up in a simmering crisis of international relations. On holiday with his family in France, a British high court judge found a naked corpse in the boot of his Rolls Royce. Having made the discovery upon arriving for dinner at a three-star Michelin restaurant, more than a few reputations are on the line. Now Castang must unravel a web of grim coincidences, lies, and political intrigue before another victim gets the boot.

This mystery from the author of the popular Inspector Van Der Valk novels combines "solid police work" with "the ever-surprising Freeling prose" for a cunning tale of crime detection set in the City of Light ( Kirkus Reviews ). "Freeling writes like no one else." -- Los Angeles Times "A joy to read." -- The Times Literary Supplement.