July 1932. The Berlin Police are faced with a puzzle: A man is found dead in a freight elevator at the House of the Fatherland, the legendary entertainment temple in Potsdamer Platz, and everything indicates that his death was due to drowning. Inspector Gereon Rath already has enough troubles on his mind. His investigations into a mysterious paid assassin terrorizing Berlin are at a dead end. At the same time, his beloved Charlotte "Charlie" Ritter returns after two semesters of studying in Paris and starts working at headquarters as a probationary police officer - and even temporarily collaborates with the Homicide Department, which further complicates things. Volker Kutscher composes another fascinating, intricate story with a historical background. While the clashes between the Nazis and the Communists become increasingly bloody, Chancellor von Papen, with a coup-like move, overthrows the democratic government of Prussia and dismisses the leadership of the Berlin Police. Thus, things become more intense for Gereon Rath, who until now felt safe under the protection of Deputy Police Chief Bernhard Weiss. The series of books featuring Inspector Gereon Rath served as inspiration for the popular Babylon Berlin series. Kutscher not only creates excellent crime literature, but his historical perspective skillfully transports us to Berlin in the early days of the devastating World War II.