Bernard Samson is surrounded by puzzles and none more complex than Fiona, his wife. But as a mystery, she is by no means alone. Can a man love two women at the same time? Tessa Kosinski, Bernard's socialite sister-in-law, is not the 'other woman'. She is as faithful to Bernard and Fiona as she is unfaithful to her doting husband. But she is vulnerable, and slowly she is drawn from the bright lights of London to the murkiest corners of Berlin.