"Now it had really happened, she was the whore of the heir to the throne. The courtiers would not dare to say this to her face, but they would think it. This is how the author begins his tale of Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of the future King Henry II, who is still considered one of the most beautiful women in French history. Self-confident and enterprising, she achieved great wealth and almost unlimited power. But the other ladies in this volume, the most famous of which is Madame Pompadour, also knew how to use their skills in bed and at court. Surrounded by splendour, mostly intelligent and cunning, the Entragues, the Montespan, the Du Barry enraptured their ruler and then led him on the corridor ribbon. Of course, their path was dangerous. Opposed by many a courtier and threatened by underhandedness, they could never lose the favour of their beloved - that would have meant their downfall.

This book is a painting of customs, depicting four centuries of French history. Exciting in every detail, adventurous and full of humour, it shows the reader a world that captivates him or her with its intrigues that reach to murder, with its cunning and violence, but also with its charm and vivacity from beginning to end.

"As a lover of good historical novels, I can learn from this book... rave about this book. Klaus Möckel, novelist, poet and crime novelist, uses all these 'qualifications' for magnificent novels in shorthand" (from "L, the magazine for mature people", Cottbus).