The country estate of Rödbergshyttan is surrounded by heavily fragrant roses in every color. There lives the beautiful Gabriella, who Christer loves, and an invitation to their engagement party is the reason for Puck and Einar to travel there. But the rose-scented idyll soon turn into a stifling background when Puck finds Gabriella's grandfather poisoned in his bed. Little by little we learn that the relations between the people living at the estate is everything but uncomplicated, and that there is a sexual frustration behind every well polished marriage. The question is to what extent beautiful Gabriella is involved in the intrigues and how much of a coincidence it is that her grandfather is killed just when Christer is in the house.