On vacation in a city that may or may not be Venice, Mary and Colin are growing weary of each other, lost among the city's ancient, endlessly winding streets. Then one night, on their way to a late dinner, they meet an enigmatic stranger named Robert. Forceful, insistent, perhaps a little too forthcoming, Robert leads them through the city--and away from their ordinary lives forever.

Writing with masterly precision and mesmerizing inevitability, Ian McEwan creates a classic tale of suspense and erotic menace.