A blazing, soaring debut in the vein of The Virgin Suicides that deploys teen intrigue to bring to life a cast of fascinating characters.

In the beginning, there four of them, three girls and a boy: Dolorès, Zineb, Bianca, and Hannibal. Four best friends who grew up together, sharing the joys of childhood and the torment of first love, swearing to never part. Life began to open up before them: once high school ended, they were to leave their provincial southern village for Paris. But the night of their final dance, Hannibal disappears, and his darling friends are left alone.
Eight years later his body is found, buried on the property of Auguste Meyer, a renowned local sculptor and former pottery teacher to the four children. Officer Léo Casez is tasked with investigating.
In re-opening the archives of the past, he forces secrets out into the open and draws us deep into the memories of one scorching summer and the joys and torments of four adolescents who grew up too soon.