During an interrogation of an entitled, arrogant man suspected of giving a lethal dose of drugs to a young girl, Guido Brunetti acts rashly, doing something he will quickly come to regret. Realizing that he needs a break from his work, Brunetti takes his wife, Paola's suggestion that he stay at the villa of a relative on the island of Sant'Erasmo, spending his days rowing and reading. The sabbatical goes according to plan until Davide Casati, the caretaker of the house, goes missing following a sudden storm. Brunetti's 26th investigation (following The Waters of Eternal Youth) is one he truly does not want to make, but he feels compelled to set aside his leave of absence and understand what happened to the man who had become his friend.