slow and but intensely fascinating and erotic story about a typical female english ( if there be such a thing . ) crime novelist . bore with her usual crime fiction character and jealous of the upcoming new writer her publisher offer her a vacation in his peaceful french summer vacation cottage in the idyllic french countryside ( close to the ruin of the house of marquis de sade . ) . the publisher very free spirit ( some would say nymphomaniac ) daughter also visit at the same time ( or do she . ) and the two slowly begin to merge lead to the inspiration of a new kind of crime novel which be eventually publish by another firm . exquisitely acted french film noir with layer that increase at the second viewing while ) .