After Henny's father loses his job at her ex-fiancee's shipyard because of Henny's affair with Sigi, he begins to panic about how to make a living and tries to find new quarters. His sister, Henny's aunt Marlene, suffers as a result of his chaotic efforts.
The path to his new life requires that Henny get married, as the aunt is a strict puritan. But whoever knows Henny can be sure that things will take a few unexpected turns...
It all starts when she runs away from the altar in a church in Hamburg. Easygoing Henny Schönberg has qualms about marrying in the very last second and runs off to leave her stunned would-be husband Martin von Platt. Still dressed in her wedding gown, she takes the next best flight, not caring about its destination.
Hamburg, Germany, 1944, during World War II. A serial killer terrorizes the city. When it seems clear that the local police are unable to catch him, forces as dark and terrible as the criminal himself become involved in the case.