In this gruesome case, the likeable village policeman, Franz Gasperlmaier, needs particularly strong nerves. The tranquil Aussee summer idyll is disturbed by a terrible discovery in Lake Toplitz. A diver pulls a sawed-off hock from the water. But whose? Luckily, Gasperlmaier's mother-in-law knows the Aussee people very well and already has an idea who's up. The mother-in-law is proven right. The murdered man was last seen at the Altaussee Ski Club's fish dinner. Gasperlmaier and his new wife, Doctor Jolante Roth, suspect the murderer is among the guests. Time is running out, because a second terrible murder follows.

The latest Gasperlmaier case has almost ended in Ausseerland. On the day of the Pfeiffer's Day, of all days, a young musician is found dead on the Weißenbachalm pasture, and Gasperlmaier must once again embark on a criminal hunt. This time, too, the likeable police officer, Franz Gasperlmaier, can't rest. Not only is his beloved wife, Christine, traveling the world, leaving him alone with the household, but a new murder case is keeping Gasperlmaier on his toes. At the annual Pfeiffer's Day, where he is about to enjoy a fine schnapps with station commander Friedrich Kahlß, a scream shatters the peaceful atmosphere.