A Romany witch, a French Count and an English author entangled in a lie told centuries ago… 1598 : When Oskar, Comte de Tréville asks the witch Ombrine to save the life of his son, she demands a high price. Oskar must leave his family and his lands and travel with her, as a servant, to Barbaria. On his return to France five years later Oskar finds he is wanted for the murder of his wife. Unable to prove his innocence he allies himself with Ombrine who persuades him to take the Jouance – a life-prolonging drug. Three centuries later, Oskar, now wealthy and leisured uncovers the truth about the fate of his family. 2013 : Debut author Richard Pease suffers from writer's block. He is also broke and bedevilled by fears of his own inadequacy. A chance encounter takes Richard to the Nonesuch Club, a writer's retreat in France run by Oskar and Ombrine. As he finds the block to finishing his book lifts he also begins to uncover the secrets within the club. He finds himself trapped in a centuries-old tangled web of deceit which leaves him not only fighting for his career but also for his life.