In 1750, Bruno Lenoir and Jean Diot were strangled and burned to death in Place de Grève, Paris – the last people to be sentenced to death for homosexuality in France. Delving into the legal documents that led to the execution allows Pauline Valade to reconstruct Paris in the 1750s and its secret homosexual milieu. I’m a big fan of historical literature and I was impressed by Valade’s archival research. The novel gives life and substance to these two men whose tragic story reflects both the judicial errors of a complex society and the timeless fight for tolerance.  — Jacques Audiard, The Guardian

Paris, 6 July 1750. Bruno Lenoir and Jean Diot are garrotted then burnt on the Place de Grève – the last two men to be put to death for homosexuality in France. An immersion in the judicial archives reveals not only the background to their execution but also conjures up the Paris of 1750s and the “gay scene”, which was kept secret despite how common homosexuality was. Blending real events with fiction, this novel brings to life these two men, whose tragic story illustrates not only the judicial vagaries of a complex society but also the timeless nature of the battle against intolerance.