The story of a young poet who became a symbol for Finnish optimism and was subsequently forced underground during Tsar Nicholas II's oppressive dictatorship.
Asko Mertanen is a waiter who is very interested in shooting. He gets fed up how the things are run in Finland, so he thinks that the best way to change them is to shoot the Finnish president.
A well-known Finnish man is found murdered in a popular Sicilian resort, and a Finnish police officer who happens to be there begins to investigate the case on his own.