The Miniaturist is set in 1686, when 18-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. Full of hopes and dreams, she has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt. Instead, she's met by his cold sister Marin and their servants and quickly realizes that nothing is as it seems. When Brandt finally appears, he presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet that is a miniature replica of their home which is to be furnished by an elusive Miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror what is happening within the house in unexpected ways and Nella soon realizes the escalating dangers that await them all.