Late 1950s, Spain. A Dublin pathologist Quirk— a man with a turbulent past and a sharp, yet fierce mind— is resting at the idyllic resort of San Sebastián with his beautiful wife. A grouchy homebody, Quirk is bored by new sensations, but one day, during dinner at a café, he notices a familiar face and realizes he has met a person who should not be alive. He’s overwhelmed by an incredible curiosity about a new case that could bring down an entire dynasty of Irish politicians. A brief meeting reverberates through the highest echelons of power, and an investigative inspector Strafford arrives in Spain with a mission: to learn all the details. But he isn’t the only one who comes here—and soon blood will spill along the coast.