A Monster Behind The Mask

Dragnelle Étoile is no stranger to secrets. A sharp-witted private investigator with a shadowed past, she navigates life with a limp, a cane adorned with a beast’s head, and a determination as unyielding as the pain in her leg. When Mickaël Rakoto, a man she hasn’t seen in decades, steps back into her life with a desperate plea, she is thrust into a world she thought she’d left behind—a world of wealth, power, and dangerous family secrets.

Mickaël’s sister-in-law, Myrha Rakoto, has died under mysterious circumstances while climbing. Officially ruled as an accident, her death doesn’t sit well with Mickaël, who suspects foul play. But in a city where his wife’s powerful family—the Rakoto shipping dynasty—controls everything from the local police to the narrative of Myrha’s death, Mickaël needs someone fearless enough to uncover the truth.

Dragnelle takes the case, but each clue she uncovers pulls her deeper into the Rakoto family’s web of lies, privilege, and betrayal. As she pieces together the circumstances of Myrha’s death, Dragnelle must confront ghosts from her own past, including her complicated history with Mickaël. With her sharp mind and sharper tongue, she maneuvers through bribes, betrayals, and old memories, searching for answers no one wants found.

Set against the vibrant streets of Antananarivo and the shadowy world of high society, this is a gripping tale of ambition, justice, and the price of uncovering the truth. Secrets, after all, always have a way of coming to light—even when buried at the top of the climb.