Translation sample available

‘An innovative and unmistakable highpoint in the landscape of noir fiction.’ L’Humanité

This dark psychological thriller takes place in a small town in Brittany. A stranger arrives in town and checks into a hotel. We don’t know anything about him except that his name is Gabriel. He seems to be there for no particular purpose, and spends his time befriending and helping those whose paths he crosses: Madeleine, the receptionist who feels lonely and bored with life; Jose, the owner of a Portuguese restaurant, who is left alone with his two young children while his wife is in a coma at the hospital; and Rita and Marco, a couple of junkies waiting for the man’s father to die to get the inheritance.

Gabriel proves to be a pleasant addition to the town, thoughtful and open. He knows how to listen and cheer people up. He’s the friend everyone can count on, and as his name suggests he’s like a guardian angel.

Yet from the beginning, no one knows where Gabriel came from and why he’s so secretive. The identity of this angelic man becomes more intriguing and unsettling as hints of a darker past emerge. The story then becomes more somber and disturbing.