Books in the Inspector Hunkeler Investigates series

It all begins with two murders, an old man and a prostitute, both strangled and left with their earlobes slit. Inspector Hunkeler of the Basel police investigates and is soon faced with the consequences of certain recent events in Swiss history that everyone wants to keep buried.

A Lebanese drug courier flushes the diamonds he is transporting down the Basel train station toilet before the police can seize him. The gems are found by a sewer maintenance worker determined to keep his lucky find. For the courier, finding the stones is a matter of life and death. His employers are on their way to "tidy things up".