TheattractiveSandraVenturi,studyingtobeasingerattheconservatoryofmusicintheItaliantownofLucca,hasapromisingcareerinoperaaheadofher;untilthattime,however,she`scontenttogivepublicperformancesinhernativetown.Ontheeveofhernineteenthbirthday,duringathunderstorm,theyoungsingerleavestheapartmentsheshareswithhermotherNicoleVenturi,acorrespondentforamajorRomannewspaper.Sandraisonherwaytoasecretrendezvouswithamarriedman:MarcoPierboni,agood-lookingindustrialist.Thelatteriskilledbygunfire,however,shortlybeforeSandraarrivesatthedesertedvillaoutsidethetownwhichtheyhadchosenastheirmeeting-point.Nicolehasnoinklingofherdaughter`saffair.ShethinksthatSandrahasgonetostaythenightwithagirlfriend.WhenMarco`scorpseisdiscoveredthenextmorning,ambitiousjournalistNicolesensesthatreportingthissensationalmurdercasewillmakeherfamousoutsideherlocalregion.