The beginning of the new thriller series by bestselling author Alexander Hartung. After an initially steep rise in the criminal police, the personnel file of Nik Pohl currently reads like a nightmare for any supervisor: disobedience, violation of internal security protocols, and even physical violence against other state officials. It is he who is blackmailed by a stranger to take on the case of a missing woman, which was actually already closed and filed away. At first, Nik finds no inconsistencies, but as he delves deeper into his private investigations, he is lured into a brutal trap from which he can only escape at the last moment. Barely recovered, Nik is suspended from duty. Signs are mounting that the reopening of the case is to be prevented by all means. Nik continues to investigate, but with each lead, he puts himself in greater danger.