The volcanic ash of Etna covers the city of Catania and the deputy commissioner of the Judicial Police, Giovanna Garrasi, known as Vanina, faces a new case: to discover what is hidden in the body of a woman who appeared in a villa in Sciara. The circumstances could not be more extraordinary: the house, with a stately air and practically abandoned since 1959, is in ruins and her body is mummified. Identifying the body and determining the cause of death will be like going through a time tunnel. Decades ago, the town was already the scene of a famous crime.

In her efforts to solve her mystery, the deputy commissioner will find an unexpected ally: commissioner Biagio Patanè, who, bored by her retirement, will be happy to search through her memories to help her. The tenacious deputy commissioner will bring to light a surprising story of greed and rancor that everyone believed buried, but that will drag on until the present, leaving behind a trail of blood.