In seaside Bosque del Mar, Argentina, guests at the Hotel Central are struck by a double misfortune: the mysterious death of one of their party and an investigation headed by pedant, physician, writer and insufferable busybody Dr Humberto Huberman.The translator, Mary, is found dead on the first night of Huberman's stay. Huberman quickly appoints himself leader of an inquiry that will see blame apportioned in turn to each and every guest, culminating in a wild, wind-blown reconnaissance mission nearby shipwreck, the Joseph K.