Joe Prohaska, a former chief criminal inspector from Stuttgart with German-Croatian roots, has been living in Istria since his early retirement and is a passionate photographer. During a photo tour, he finds himself in a picturesque town where he meets the nearly eighty-year-old Bartolo Monti, along with his wife and stepson, in the town's only konoba. Bartolo Monti had emigrated to the USA and has now returned as a wealthy but ill man. He wants to renovate his hometown to save it from decay and to exploit it for tourism. However, Monti's plans come to nothing when he is found dead in the basement of an abandoned house the next day. The local police suspect an accident, but Joe Prohaska has his doubts. Instead of continuing his journey, he begins to ask questions. Locations include Rovinj and its surroundings, as well as several places in central Istria.