This collection of excerpts from Bernhard Schlink's novel "Self's Punishment" follows the investigations of private detective Gerhard Self. The narrative begins with Self being hired by an old acquaintance from high school, Korten, to solve a data breach at the large industrial company RCW, where Korten holds a high position. Self's inquiry expands to include an explosion at the RCW plant and the suspicious death of Peter Mischkey, a young man who seemed to be investigating something related to RCW and the company's history. As Self pursues these intertwined cases, he confronts personal demons and the uncomfortable realities of Germany's past, particularly the role of RCW during the Nazi era and the fates of individuals involved in war crimes trials. Ultimately, Self unravels a conspiracy involving individuals connected to RCW, leading to a dramatic confrontation with Korten and a reckoning with his own complicity.