In a small Icelandic fishing port, a ferry docks. That same day a dismembered body is found in the river, sparking an investigation and a call to Reykjavik for detective reinforcements to assist the small local police force. With the ferry held in dock and a bad snowstorm threatening to cut off the town, chief of police Andri is under pressure to deliver results quickly.

With no police support able to arrive from Reykjavik until the snowstorm clears, Andri and his colleagues need to work fast. It seems a hopeless situation, but with a suspect in custody awaiting questioning and a body awaiting forensic tests Andri is desperate for them to prove themselves and make a breakthrough in the case.

With the murderer still at large, unrest is beginning to grow among the still-trapped townspeople and tourists. The police's list of potential suspects is becoming larger, but with discontent growing and the looming threat of an avalanche above the town, they face a race against time to unravel the mystery.

The avalanche has caused a total blackout. Plunged into darkness, the town's inhabitants are anxious and afraid. Meanwhile, the mayor has a surprise visitor.

Amid general disquiet, the town's inhabitants gather in the church, where they demand answers. Police chief Andri Olafsson is tasked with speaking to them and he must tell the truth.

The weather is finally improving and the investigation team from Reykjavik arrives. It seems as though real progress is going to be made. But are some things just too good to be true?

Captain Carlsen agrees to work with the police. On the ferry, it transpires that one crew member has something to hide.

Having found the key to the padlock of Hrafn's shed, Andri has a definitive clue to the identity of the murderer - but it's not who he was expecting. The identity of the killer will send shockwaves through the town and Andri faces some very difficult decisions.

After an exhausting and traumatic search, at some personal cost, the local police are finally close to solving the murder that set off the string of terrible events in their little town.