The 1963-set drama centres around Sam Spade, the iconic fictional private detective from author Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel, The Maltese Falcon. The action takes place in the quiet town of Bozouls in the South of France, where Detective Sam Spade (Clive Owen) is enjoying a peaceful life of retirement. But when six nuns are found brutally murdered, Sam is drawn back into a world of mystery and danger.