Les amours d'une empoisonneuse

Set against the glittering backdrop of Louis XIV’s Paris, the novel opens in a bustling 1665 bathing house where the city’s elite retreat for health, pleasure, and secrecy. The establishment, run by the enigmatic La Vienne, blends the roles of barber, esthetician and sanctuary, offering scented baths, discreet rooms and a veil of anonymity for nobles, lovers and daring courtesans alike. Within these opulent walls, genteel society mingles with whispers of scandal, creating a fertile ground for intrigue and forbidden desire.

Through vivid detail, the story follows a striking young woman who navigates this world of luxury while concealing a lethal skill—her talent for crafting poisons. As she becomes entangled in the tangled romances of the court and the shadowy dealings of La Vienne’s clientele, the narrative weaves together romance, danger, and the moral ambiguities of a woman who must balance love with a deadly art. The first act promises a richly textured portrait of 17th‑century Parisian life, where every whispered promise could be both a balm and a poison.