The past is clear as a mirror, the future dark as varnish. Don't blame the river if you fall in the water! A series of murders shakes the city of Marseille. The nature of the killings point to a man well trained in martial arts. The young inspector Shina de Sanciere finds herself in a completely alien world, in a time period that she believes no longer exists today. Deadly intrigues, paired with old traditions of the Far East, ice-cold contempt for death, shocking human studies of unrestrained indomitability and merciless dictatorship meet. Centuries-old customs still have an influence on some people today. Far Eastern mentalities compete with European thinking and ways of life. In this thriller, European thinking and Far Eastern mentality meet, two cultures collide; modern ways of life culminate in millennia-old traditions. This novel is a mixture of adventure, love and intrigue set against the backdrop of the mysterious world of the Far East. It takes us from tranquil France to the deceptive metropolis of Tokyo and describes a woman's struggle against nameless opponents, her own husband, and the past.