Set in the late 1980s, just before the fall of the Wall that divided Germany — as the world into two distinct civilizations, the crime novel Beyond the Smoke unfolds the story of Bruno Fischer, a quiet taxi driver in West Berlin, who becames entangled in a plot involving obscure international organizations. His life takes a dramatic turn when he picks up a charming and mysterious brazilian passenger, Ingrid Bergunson, eager to cross the border and retrieve contraband from the Soviet-dominated eastern part of the city. The situation escalates when Ingrid disappears, prompting her daughter, Amanda Tavares, to embark on a quest to uncover the truth about her mother's disappearance. This quest leads Amanda straight to Bruno, initiating a perilous adventure through the underworlds of Germany, Brazil and South America.