The violent death of a book collector leads Commissario Brunetti to the venerable Merula Library. In precious folios pages are missing. They were ruthlessly cut out. Was the victim a collector and art thief who got involved with the wrong people on the black market? But who murders for antiquarian book pages? And don't books stand for ideal values in addition to material ones? Brunetti suspects this and pushes the investigation further. Against the will of the traditional and influential Doge family Morosini-Albini, whose proud progenitor is currently running for Venice's mayor's office and who therefore wants to hide a centuries-old secret.

Der ehemalige Venezianer Priester Enrico Franchini, der das Sammeln kostbarer historischer Schriften zu seiner Leidenschaft machte, wird tot in seiner Wohnung aufgefunden. Erste Auswertungen seines Computers führen auf die Biblioteca Merula.