There is truly something magical about the first snow. It brings lovers together, muffles sounds, lengthens shadows, and hides traces. Searching for the missing Birta Bekker, Harry Hole comes to the conclusion that for years in Norway, on the day the first snow falls, married women disappear without a trace.
For the first time, Harry encounters a serial killer on his own native land. The criminal whom the newspapers dubbed the Snowman seems to taunt the senior inspector, pushing him to the very edge of madness…