In a quiet seaside town near Genoa, experts are gathering for a linguistics conference. One speaker, Philipp Perlmann, recently widowed &, struggling to contend with his grief, is unable to complete his keynote address. As the hour approaches, an increasingly desperate Perlmann decides to plagiarize the work of Leskov, a Russian colleague who cannot attend, & pass it off as his own. But when word reaches Perlmann that Leskov has arrived unexpectedly in Genoa, Perlmann must protect himself from exposure by constructing a maelstrom of lies & deceit, which will lead him to the brink of murder.