The women are young, beautiful, and dead. A series of murders has instilled fear in the Hannover region. The perpetrator clearly selects his victims deliberately before overpowering, binding, and subsequently strangling them. Next to each victim, he leaves a candle and a playing card. The murdered women are connected to a renowned private psychiatric clinic, where there have been dramatic incidents recently. What lies behind the murders, executed with precise uniformity? A profound mental disorder, wounded pride, revenge? Chief Inspector Thomas Stelter is under pressure to succeed. To gain further insights into the murderer’s motive, Stelter turns to Dr. Mark Seifert, the highly experienced head of the Social Psychiatric Service in forensic assessment. The Hannover psychiatrist conducts his own investigations.