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It was thanks to her long-standing close relationship with François Hollande that Cécile Amar was able, with both subtlety and discretion, to observe the metamorphosis of a First Secretary of the Socialist Party into President of the Republic. She followed him, gathered his confidences, noted his witty remarks, and gauged his (increasingly frequent) outbursts of anger and his ever-present sense of humor. The result is a nuanced, highly detailed portrait, alternating between cruelty and indulgence.

Where can we find meaning in existence? By believing in eternal life won at the price of a well-ordered hope? By exploring the whole map of different spiritual traditions? Alexis Jenni suggests instead that we realize that everything is already there, beneath our feet, in the fluid walk of a body in motion carried by its desire, guided by its taste.
In this vibrant essay, nourished by a late-life rediscovery of Christian faith, Alexis Jenni blends profound reflection with accounts of experiences where meaning emerges from a detail. He seeks the beyond on the firm ground of our senses. For such is the meaning of the verb "to believe," such is its effect, when it is combined with our five senses. To believe is not to know, it is to feel (to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, and to touch). It is also to experience each moment more intensely, it is also to love. The beloved face will thus be the place where he grasps this vivid presence, when the path that leads to oneself is the one that connects to another.

A post office in Glasgow, a week before Christmas. Martin Pavel lies on the floor, his eyes fixed on those of a terrified little boy. Above them, a masked man, Kalashnikov in hand, watches the boy's grandfather, who has volunteered to collect the money. Once the collection is complete, the old man stands motionless, waiting to be blown to bits by a hail of bullets.
Having recently returned from maternity leave, Detective Inspector Alex Morrow takes charge of the investigation. Why did the grandfather help the killer?
Was it a moment of madness, an act of sacrifice, or did the killer know him?
Her investigation leads her to the door of Kenny Gallagher, a politician on the ropes who is fighting to save his political future – and his marriage – after being accused of sleeping with a party staffer.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Morrow, two of his young colleagues find themselves at the mercy of a blackmailer after succumbing to temptation…
One city, three crimes, and tenuous links between the world of crime and the international sphere of the ultra-rich.