Potboiler

Arthur Pfefferkorn teaches at a college and once hoped to write serious fiction, but those hopes faded years ago. His closest friend from youth, William de Vallèe, was a commercially successful writer of thrillers. When de Vallèe disappears at sea and is presumed dead, Pfefferkorn feels both mourning and resentment. De Vallèe had outpaced him in his career and had also won the woman Pfefferkorn cared for.

Wanting to make sense of his feelings, Pfefferkorn seeks out de Vallèe's widow. The decision draws him into a bizarre run of events and a murky underworld of betrayals and schemes. In this world, Pfefferkorn cannot rely on anyone, and nothing can be treated with complete seriousness.