Benjamin Malauss ne is a true 20th century saint. As the elder brother in a large family of young siblings, he is the breadwinner, troubleshooter, and spinner of bedtime stories. He is employed at the Store, where his title is Quality Controller but his real function is scapegoat for the fury of dissatisfied customers. His mistress is a journalist and when he confides in her the details of his job, she writes an expose of the Store s practices. Benjamin is sacked. Bombs start exploding at the Store and Benjamin is chief suspect. In the first of Pennac s comic crime novels set in the Parisian suburb of Belleville, it requires the combined talents of Benjamin s sisters Ther se and Clara to make the connection between the elderly victims of the explosions and uncover a sinister conspiracy that has left children dead and Benjamin in danger of facing murder charges.