Followsthe police investigation of the murder of a young girl, tying togetherthree interlocking stories as investigators chase a variety of leads.

Follows the police investigation of the murder of a young girl, tying together three interlocking stories as investigators chase a variety of leads.

Parisianmurder detective commissioner Pierre Niemans is called to Gueron, aself-sufficient, prestigious university in a mountain valley, toinvestigate the murder on 32-year old professor and librarian RemyCaillois, whose corps was found 50 meters high on a steep mountain side,naked, horribly covered in bruises and bleeding wounds, the result ofsome five hours of bestial torture including quasi-surgical amputationof hands cauterized to prevent bleeding to death- and eyes. Guernon is aclosed society of virtually incestuous scientists, de facto succeedingto their parents posts; the eye-doctor, formerly on the staff, sayshereditary genetic diseases are the price of such elitism, but in recentyears spread to the simple farming families. Inspector Max Kerkerianexamines two crimes in the town: a school break-in with theft of oldphotos and archive papers as well as a graveyard desecration of JudithHerault...

Desperateto cure her near catatonic sister, intrepid authoress Adele Blanc-Secbraves ancient Egyptian tombs and modern Egyptian lowlife to locate amummified doctor and get him back to Paris. Her hope is that oddballProfessor Esperandieu will then use his unusual powers to bring thedoctor back to life so he, in turn, can use his centuries-old skills onthe unfortunate sister. In Paris however Esperandieu is already causingmayhem, having brought to life what was a safe museum egg but is now avery active pterodactyl. Paris 1911 may not be the healthiest place tobe.