First published in 1953, and winner of the Fénéon Prize, Robbe-Grillet's astonishing debut novel is a sinister, singular mystery centered around a series of eight murders in eight days. After the ninth murder, the investigation turns over to a police agent--but it soon looks like the agent has been crooked from the start. With deft sleight-of-hand, Robbe-Grillet conjures an unsteady reality where fact mixes with fantasy, producing an intriguing and unnerving puzzle.