Louison Veik, the youngest daughter of the district court president Veik, is murdered and robbed of her precious jewelry. The search for the murderer yields no results, and the case must be filed away. It remains dormant for seven years until the day Conrad Castiletz marries the sister of the murdered woman. For the first time, he sees a picture of the deceased, and he is overcome by a deep and inexplicable affection for her. Driven by a strange compulsion, he attempts to solve the crime, neglecting his wife and jeopardizing his existence in the process. However, he is already so deeply entranced by the dead woman that the meaning of his life can only be fulfilled if he finds the murderer. The eventual discovery is horrifying...