Do Not Touch

A classic dime-store plot involving a trio destined for tragedy gets a stagy, gilded treatment by French novelist Laurrent, in English translation for the first time. At age 40, Clovis Baccara is a successful Parisian financial wheeler-dealer and lothario love struck by the sight of his longtime business partner's young intended, Veronica. Oscar, the would-be groom, has gotten increasingly paranoid about their life of white-collar crime, and the marriage marks his resolve to “get out of the business and start a family.” That plan goes awry when the police apprehend Oscar on his wedding day. Of course, he's left instructions for Clovis, the only man he can trust, to take his bride to the couple's honeymoon suite in Malibu and wait for his release. Clovis makes himself miserable trying to ignore Veronica's charms, and the animosity builds between them over the next several days, leading to the inevitable détente. Driven more by baroque description than actual plot, this over-the-top performance is a titillating comic romance with a heavy accent. (Jan.)