Set in Avignon France, Piers' Desire is a literary thriller. A 44-year-old failed monk from Montreal is living in exile, writing pulp thrillers under a penname (Piers Le Gris), when his landlady's luscious young niece moves in, shattering their quiet routines. Magali's youthful sensuality and her tormented affair with a young Arab poet sets in motion events which expose hidden secrets, driving both Piers and Nelly (who is 70) to surprising actions.