After the release party for her debut novel, 19-year-old author Luise Nathan (Jana McKinnon) is found dead. Everything looks like a suicide at first. Publishing boss Roland Häbler (Clemens Schick) and editor Marvin Gess (Thomas Prenn) blame themselves: Could Luise not withstand the high pressure of expectations? Luise's book, which is about the socially disadvantaged teenager Luna, is a sensation in her eyes. Luise's mother, Friederike (Nicole Marischka), city councilor for social affairs, cannot imagine that her strong daughter would commit suicide. Frankfurt chief inspectors Anna Janneke (Margarita Broich) and Paul Brix (Wolfram Koch) soon realize that massive external influences have led to the young woman's death.
Outside of the publishing house, her investigations lead her to Luise's friend Nellie (Lena Urzendowsky), who is growing up in less middle-class circumstances with her mother Jessie (Tinka Fürst) and her little sister. Luise's novel increasingly comes into focus: while Brix and Janneke initially devote themselves to the victim's novel out of thoroughness, they realize when investigating that it is based on the reality of the two girls and provides crucial clues...