In post-war Flanders Adelais de Wolf's family is slowly inexplicably falling apart: her mother evermore lost to religious devotion her father to alcohol. But with the death of a beloved uncle Adelais finds herself in receipt of an unexpected legacy: a shuttered house in a rundown district and its contents - contents that hold the promise of independence and wealth. All that is required is application nerve and a willingness to break the law. Adelais stifles her doubts and her fortunes are transformed. But with her rise comes complications: her victimless crimes may not be as victimless as she supposed. Nor has she counted on the singular fanaticism of Major de Smet of the Federal Gendarmerie a brutal detective who never forgives and never forgets. Caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse will Adelais find that her new life comes at too high a price?
