The Place Where It All Began

The drab Munich suburb where Alex, Sven, Leo and Lukas live doesn't have much going for it, but that changes overnight when the four of them break into an derelict house and discover a fully furnished apartment inside the old building. There's an envelope full of cash lying on the kitchen table. It doesn't cross their minds to inform the police or bother to find out where the money comes from. This is their secret and they're not about to share it with anyone.

The strategy pays off, because every time the boys return to the old house and search further, they find even more money apparently hidden away by the deceased owners. But with the world at their feet, the youngsters increasingly lose touch with reality. They don't seem to notice how the money is changing them - and before long the situation starts to spiral out of control.  

In his debut, novel Philipp Mattheis decribes the true events which had a deep impact on his and his friend's lives.