The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

The story unfolds in Rome, with action centered on galleries, antique shops, and a city zoo. The Italian capital provides a cosmopolitan backdrop for a serial killer mystery. Key scenes move between stylish quarters, cultural venues, and the pressure of the urban night.

🔍 Perception

Sam’s struggle to distinguish reality from illusion drives the narrative. The killer exploits misperceptions, turning a feared attack into a mistaken assumption about the victim. A painting, a phone call, and a bird clue pull the investigation toward a truth that only careful interpretation reveals.

🧠 Trauma

Trauma and psychosis shape key characters: Monica suffers a decade-old assault that triggers dissociative responses and identifies with the attacker. Alberto's induced psychosis mirrors her pathology, enabling a hidden murder cover-up. The unraveling of their mental states explains the killings and the apparent randomness of the crimes.

🖼️ Art Crime

Art fuels the killer's motive, with a painting reflecting the attack that inspired the murders. The painting becomes a prop that ties past trauma to present violence, illustrating how art can haunt and distort reality. The pivotal clue—an image in a gallery—and the bird motif links the violence to the world of art rather than pure chance.