A social novel and a noir that pulls the curtain back on history and the secrets of an underprivileged area and its inhabitants.

When Franck is found unconscious at the wheel of his car, left running in a locked garage, everyone thinks he's tried to kill himself—even his Zakia. Unable to remember the moments before his near death from carbon monoxide poisoning, Franck is convinced someone tried to kill him. Especially since rescue workers found a piece of paper stuffed into his mouth, bearing the words: "North African Brigade." In their search for answers, Franck and Zakia will confront the history of France and Seine-Saint-Denis, a département marked by poverty, immigration, and colonial legacy. But they will also be forced to face the secrets of their own families and loved ones.