Tales that come to life, a madman who collects corpses in his basement, a man drowning at his desk in his study, a gruesome discovery among the ruins of an old house, an explosive Christmas goose, and a death that also needs a break. Alfons Friedrichsberg, a retired gentleman and amateur detective, is old, highly intelligent, enjoys drinking, loves eating even more, and delights in everything absurd and murderous that piques his curiosity and stimulates his great mind. Thus, he gazes into the abysses of his fellow humans. For nothing is closer than a treacherous murder. The absurdly witty, pitch-black humor, and linguistic finesse of these quirky crime stories send chills down your spine while simultaneously making you laugh heartily.