There is something spellbinding about the very first snow. It not only brings lovers together, deadens sounds, lengthens shadows, and hides tracks. For years in Norway, on the day when the first snow falls, married women vanish without a trace. This time, Harry Hole encounters a serial killer on his home ground, and their confrontation gradually turns personal. The criminal the newspapers have nicknamed the Snowman seems to be toying with the senior inspector—step by step edging closer to his loved ones…