Carl, Nora, Pauline, and their cousin become spies in their families. While others leaf through photo albums that remind them of parents and grandparents and tell family history, they uncover secrets, things left unsaid, and hidden truths. The love story of their grandfather, who said goodbye to his fiancée in November 1936 to join the Legion Condor, the secret mission of the German Air Force during the Spanish Civil War. The rumor surrounding their grandmother, the opera singer with Italian eyes. The children try to form a picture, inventing their version of the family history. As in his novels "Flughunde" and "Kaltenburg," Marcel Beyer embarks on a literary quest through German history. In "Spione," Marcel Beyer proves to be a cunning storyteller, using brief hints and sensually painted sketches.