Harry Hole, an inspector with the Oslo PD, is suffering from emotional issues which has led to insomnia and drinking to cope. Although Harry is no longer in a relationship with Rakel Fauke, she wants him to remain in her son Oleg's life - Harry the closest thing Oleg has ever had to a father in Rakel not knowing who his biological father is - despite she being in another serious relationship with plastic surgeon Dr. Mathias Lund-Helgessen, who tries to be that positive adult male role model as Oleg has begun acting out. Harry's emotional issues and his focus on work often results in he not being there for Oleg when Oleg relies on him. At work, Harry has just started teaming with Katrine Bratt, a new recruit from the Bergen PD, as their cases start to mesh. A missing woman case that Katrine is investigating seems to be related to a personal note Harry received marking itself with a figure of a snowman. Although Harry is slow to be convinced, he and Katrine begin to believe that the missing woman is just the latest in serial murders, all the female victims mothers and wives seemingly in unhappy marriages, with the killer's calling card snowmen, meaning that he kills only in winter. The investigation is only complicated by Katrine's unspoken ulterior motive in moving from Bergen to Oslo which takes her on a path to businessman Arve Støp, the high profile lead for Oslo's current World Cup bid, and why the killer seemingly has chosen Harry as his "confidante" in that initial note and other subsequent measures.
Silvia Busuioc standing in front of a guy as another guy to her side lowers her dress straps to expose her left breast as she goes topless and the first guy snaps a picture with a cell phone camera. From The Snowman.
