The Bentheims of Berlin take in Till Anschütz, an orphan on the run, who quickly befriends twelve-year-old Max. The boys are intrigued by the office where Max’s cold, distant father, Xavier Bentheim, writes his horror novels. And when they get up the nerve to explore, Max and Till are truly horrified by what they discover behind a hidden door.

…Till awakens strapped to a gurney. His belly is burning, and a young woman with dead eyes flicks her forked tongue against his face. “We’ve modified you—you’ll like it,” a familiar voice purrs…

…Inspector Konstantin Butz discovers the mutilated corpse of a woman; beside her lies a power drill freshly wrenched from her stomach. This latest in a series of connected murders launches Butz on an obsessive search for the killer, but the key could lie hidden with his own girlfriend…Claire Bentheim.