'Fräulein von Scuderi' Summary

In 17th-century Paris, a series of murders targeting wealthy noblemen has the city on edge. The victims are all found with a single stab wound to the heart, and their valuable possessions are stolen. One night, a mysterious stranger delivers a box to the doorstep of Fräulein von Scuderi, an elderly but respected writer and confidante of King Louis XIV. Inside the box is a priceless necklace that can only have been crafted by the renowned goldsmith René Cardillac. Intrigued, Fräulein von Scuderi sets out to return the necklace to Cardillac, but she arrives at his workshop only to find him murdered in the same manner as the noblemen. The police arrest Cardillac's apprentice, Ollivier Brusson, who is engaged to Cardillac's daughter, Madelon. However, Fräulein von Scuderi believes in Ollivier's innocence and takes Madelon under her wing. As she investigates the case, Fräulein von Scuderi uncovers a complex web of secrets and relationships, and begins to suspect that the true killer may be someone much closer to home.