Der falsche Preusse

Munich at the turn of the century. It is the era of horse-drawn trams, massive beer halls, and roasted capons. And it marks the beginning of a young science called criminalistics. Wilhelm Freiherr von Gryszinski moves from Prussia to Bavaria to work as a special investigator for the Royal Bavarian Police Directorate, introducing officers to innovations such as fingerprinting and crime scene preservation. His first case: a well-known beer inspector is found dead by the Isar River—wrapped in a precious feather cloak, with the imprint of an elephant's foot beside him. Gryszinski soon uncovers a conspiracy of national proportions that presents him with an unspeakable choice: is he more willing to compromise his honor as a Bavarian official or as a Prussian officer?.