It's Christmas Eve and an unidentified corpse is discovered in the Bois de Boulogne gardens and Inspector Antoine Jouin investigates the murder. Or was it a suicide? It's a case that takes him deep into Paris' secret underbelly and into the heavily-wooded park on the outskirts of Paris, a place where people go to surreptitiously seek out and satisfy their darkest desires. This time, Jouin must venture off the beaten track, but at what cost? Under pressure from journalists and politicians, Police Chief Lepine is forced to clean up the streets, a dirty job for the Parisian Vice Squad. Bereaved and worn out by his years in power, Lepine is considering resigning, while rumours are rife that he's having an affair. Despite her fading charms, Marguerite Deadly Lips Steinheil has continued to build her fortune with the help of her mysterious protectors. She now runs the city's most upscale gambling ring and highly secretive soirees under the guise of her husband's art shows. His latest work? A wintery, gothic series depicting the notorious. Bois de Boulogne.