When taxidermist Felicitas Booth discovers a box of her father's memorabilia, her world begins to crumble. Wasn't he just the innocent victim of a murder she thought he was for decades? What happened on that Africa expedition where only half the participants survived? Felicitas decides to find out the truth, without knowing that her undertaking could have serious consequences for her own life.

Andreas Wagner – born in Mainz, winegrower, historian and author – succeeded in creating a novel, that is so diverse and multi-faceted that it resists any classification. What begins as a carefully told and touchingly cozy story drastically changes into a genuine investigative thriller. Throughout the novel, the narrator recalls memory fragments which capture the experiences of Felicitas' father in Africa. Caught up in a dangerous maelstrom of events, the protagonist Felicitas has to wrestle with these memories of her childhood and demons of her past. Wagner manages in a remarkable way to awaken a fascination for the processes and effects of taxidermy and to provide insights into a profession that tries to demistify death. The initial unease the reader perceives from the protagonist’s profession and family history develops into a dynamic and gripping plot – and a fascinating novel.