Finn Kiesewetter’s return to Lübeck is complicated from the very first day. The head of the police station is Lars Englen, Finn’s former classmate who was always a thorn in his side. To make matters even more awkward, Lars is also the ex-husband of Elke, which Finn only discovers once he is back on the job. Lacking money, Finn moves into his old childhood room with his aunts Ria and Toni, who run a cozy tea shop in the historic old town.

Physiotherapist Klara Wellmann stumbles upon a grim discovery in the early morning hours. On a bench in Lübeck’s old town lies the body of a young man. He is soon identified as student Gunnar Fuchs, who appears to have been bludgeoned to death. Klara calls the police, and Finn Kiesewetter responds to the scene. He quickly realizes that solving the case will be easier than knowing how to behave around Klara herself.

Life at the tea shop celebrates Lübeck’s cultural heritage. One evening, Finn Kiesewetter is reading aloud from Thomas Mann’s "Buddenbrooks" when a sudden phone call cuts the gathering short. A suspicious death has been reported. Philip Ahrens, a member of a wealthy industrial family, has collapsed outside his brother Viktor’s home, killed by a javelin. The shocking circumstances leave Finn and his colleagues searching for answers.

A dead man is found in a forest parking lot. The victim is Halvard Donner, known as a brutal debt collector and contract killer nicknamed "Hulk." His violent reputation makes his presence in Lübeck especially puzzling. To uncover what brought Donner to the city, Finn Kiesewetter and Sandra Schwartenbeck follow multiple leads. The investigation reveals unexpected connections between Donner’s criminal activities and local affairs.

Marie Guteson makes a dramatic return to her hometown of Lübeck after half a century in New York. During an excursion on a steamer, Finn’s aunts Ria and Toni strike up a conversation with the wealthy woman and are stunned to recognize her as their old school friend. When pressed about her reasons for coming back, Marie tells them she has returned to Lübeck to close a circle, though her true motives remain mysterious.

Young apprentice Orkun, who often crosses paths with Finn Kiesewetter in Lübeck, makes a gruesome discovery while playing football in the park. He stumbles upon the body of Ilona Stamm, a local eccentric who became known for her forty-centimeter-long fingernails. In a grotesque twist, she was killed by a stab to the ear with a pair of nail scissors. The bizarre case unsettles the city and draws widespread attention.