The plot of this novel is woven around the mysterious death of Canadian magnate Boy Staunton. The narration is carried out by Dunstan Ramsay, Staunton's childhood friend, who, when trying to clarify the circumstances of his death, will have no choice but to face the story of his own life. From the beginning of the story, Ramsay exerts a mystical and not entirely innocuous influence on those around him: apparently innocent actions - a fight with snowballs or learning card tricks - will reveal themselves as decisive events in the lives of others.