If you're a fan of noir fiction this book certainly won't disappoint you. This stylish and deeply readable story takes Raymond's nameless detective to a remote village to investigate the disappearance of a local doctor's wife. While certainly not your typical 'who dunnit' novel (in fact the mystery itself often seems to be of secondary importance to the protagonist's philosophical deliberations), it still makes an extremely exciting read. This is by far my favourite instalment of the Factory series.