Lucienne and Pierre are having a dangerous affair; her husband, Paul, is the mayor of the town and Pierre is his vice-mayor. When Pierre's wife dies suddenly in an apparent suicide, the town gossips believe there may be more to it than meets the eye.

In the meantime, Paul proposes a shady land deal to "benefit the town", and wants Pierre's support. But then he discovers proof of his wife's affair...

From Chabrol's most revered period of work between 1968 and 1974, this moving tale of adultery and political skulduggery was banned due to the similarities with a genuine murder case that shocked France.