The events of the novel take place in 1898. Lyokov’s friend, the Livonian Yaan Titus, went to Riga for the funeral of his older brother Yazep. And he found out that his brother was murdered. The police doesn’t want to search for the guilty. Yazep Titus was a thief and a dealer; if he was killed, then he deserved it… When Jan begins his own investigation, he is advised to leave the city.
Learning this, a outraged Lyokov comes to Riga to help his comrade. And together they start looking for the murderers themselves. During their investigation, they stumble upon someone’s spy network; the friends also encounter numerous tough criminals from Riga’s forestates. In Riga, German dominance reigns, and Russian detectives have a hard time. The war between gangs that has begun makes the search even more difficult…