Ad Amburgo vengono ritrovati i cadaveri di due donne in posizione "ad ali spiegate": come in un antico rituale vichingo, le costole sono aperte e sollevate, i polmoni estratti e disposti a forma di aquila. Un terzo omicidio fa sospettare a Jan Fabel, il commissario incaricato delle indagini, di non trovarsi davanti a un singolo individuo, ma a un gruppo ben organizzato di persone, gente potente con forti interessi politici ed economici.
It was meant to be a harmless stag night prank. A few hours later four of his best friends are dead and Michael Harrison has disappeared. With only three days to the wedding, Detective Superintendent Roy Gracea man haunted by the shadow of his own missing wifeis contacted by Michaels beautiful, distraught fiance, Ashley Harper. Grace discovers that the one man who ought to know Michael Harrisons whereabouts is saying nothing. But then he has a lot to gainmore than anyone realizes. For one mans disaster is another mans fortune