The inner circle at Hillcrest University, a small and exclusive group of students and professors, exerts an irresistible attraction on Matthew, a German student of literature who spends an academic year at one of the top universities of the United States. But Marian Candall-Carruthers, the famous professor whose seminars he wanted to attend, does not admit him to her courses. She does not even receive him. However, there is Janine, the girlfriend of Marian's brilliant assistant David Lavell, who feels attracted to Matthew. The flirt between Matthew and Janine soon turns into a serious love affair. David's reaction is strange: he starts to show an acute interest in the young German and - against Janine´s will - even draws his competitor into the inner circle, luring him into a labyrinth of academic intrigue, intellectual corruption and dangerous secrets. The rising tension between David, Janine, and Matthew and David's increasingly erratic behaviour culminate in a deadly catastrophe. And Matthias faces a tough decision between literature and life, ethics and intellect, his love for a woman and his search for the truth.