Stuttgart, early June 2015: The early summer vacation of Chief Inspector Anna Benz is abruptly cut short on a Monday morning just after five o'clock. Apparently, hikers have found a dead body in a wooded area near Stuttgart, and the condition of the body raises questions. "If such a thing were possible, I would say someone tried to kill him more than once," the forensic expert concludes after a first look at the corpse. Shortly thereafter, the autopsy reveals that the man has been injured by numerous weapons. The depth and severity of the wounds also suggest that there were obviously multiple - partly indecisive - perpetrators involved. Anna Benz and her colleague Markus Hauer begin their investigation. What lies behind the brutal murder? Was the deceased a victim of a macabre ritual? Did a dare go horribly wrong? Or is a pack of bloodthirsty lunatics on the loose?.