This collection opens with a first story that sets the scene for the other short stories. In fact, the work is presented as a single short story composed of multiple embedded narratives. The narrator, in the guise of Alexandre Dumas himself, is confronted with a mysterious murder case based on the story of a man who murdered his wife. The man claims that his wife spoke to him after having her head cut off by his hands. The narrator finds himself involved in the case, which leads to a dinner party where some of the strangest stories are told.