Van Veeteren finds retiring from the police force is easier said than done when two decapitated bodies are found in quick succession. The matching MO in the two grisly murders brings the investigation teams of Maardam and Kaalbringen together - a collaboration that is not without its problems.
Staffan returns to Svalöv, his childhood town. The visit becomes an odyssey of his memories with his friends Maria and Janne when they grew up in the 1940s. They spent their childhood reading about Indians, building a time machine with the crazy inventor Jöns and they learned how to kiss.
Hans-Christian is a middle-aged priest who in the shadow of World War II decides to form a geographic association aiming at increased understanding between countries and people.
