The volatile marriage of a wealthy American man and his Parisian wife disintegrates under the weight of his pathological jealousy. The protagonist, Alan, attempts to exert total control over his wife, Josée, through psychological manipulation and surveillance. Josée, initially passive, begins to navigate the constraints of her husband's possessiveness, eventually seeking a path toward autonomy. The narrative follows their movements between Paris and the United States, utilizing a third-person perspective that maintains a clinical distance from the characters' internal turmoil.

Readers and critics often note the author's ability to capture the cold, detached nature of toxic relationships. Discussion frequently centers on the stark, precise prose that avoids sentimentality while dissecting the characters' flaws. Many highlight the effective use of setting to mirror the emotional distance between the couple. The book is recognized for its unflinching look at the mechanics of control and the inevitable collapse of a union built on insecurity.