Truly, there is something magical in the first snow. It not only brings lovers together, muffles sounds, lengthens shadows, hides traces. For years in Norway, on the day the first snow falls, married women disappear without a trace. This time, Harry Hole faces a serial killer in his homeland, and gradually their confrontation becomes personal. The criminal, whom the newspapers gave the nickname Snowman, seems to be teasing the chief inspector, step by step approaching his loved ones...