Vienna 1903. An operatic diva, Ida Rosenkrantz, is found dead. It appears that she has taken an overdose, but a broken rib suggests more sinister possibilities. Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt seeks the assistance of his young friend, the psychoanalyst Dr. Max Liebermann, and they begin their inquiries. As the mystery unravels, the investigators are placed in great personal danger, and corruption is exposed at the very highest levels.