The narrator, a Canadian woman, hopes to change her life by moving to Biarritz. Having escaped a devastating relationship with the mentally unstable Dominique, she is determined to make new friends and find the perfect mate. But in this summer resort frequented by couples and families, available singles are lonely people, too often embittered by romantic failure. And if the young artist, Vinnie, has promised entry into local society, he remains an illusive figure.
When Vinnie's body surfaces at the Pointe des Fous, new rumors circulate. Had he really been a fortune hunter, a seducer, and blackmailer, or just a gentle, over-sensitive man, a loser in love and friendship? The police have concluded his death was accidental, but doesn't everything point to murder? Or is the narrator over-reacting? Perhaps loneliness and isolation have made her suspicious, for love is as unattainable as ever, and threatening letters from Dominique are arriving with increasing frequency.
Sad Summer in Biarritz is a mystery, a story of the desperately lonely search for love, and a satirical portrait of French nouveau riche society in the 1980s.