Once again, something has happened. A man by the name of Horvath has vanished, and the only clue leads to the Löschenkohl Restaurant, a well-known country inn which specialises in roast chicken. And it would be most unlike Brenner if the bone-grinding machine in the cellar of the restaurant didn’t present him with a few additional mysteries. For him, minor transgressions and other human frailties are of moist interest here – but Brenner realises almost too late that he is in great danger. The attractive young landlady has turned his head to such an extent that he should be glad to find it still attached to his body at the end of the day.

Fear and hatred are two shadows of love. There wouldn’t be so many dead bodies in this story if there were not so much passion. Everything is unmasked at the village masked ball. Love, violence and plenty of black humour.