The Cliff

In the middle of the night and elderly woman witnesses a strange light cross the landscape and fall to earth. A man, Snorri, goes to the site in his truck and climbs into an excavator, which suddenly plunges down a steep incline injuring him An officer, Helgi, is called from Reykjavik to aid the investigation with local policewoman, Inga. Sabotage is suspected from protestors who wish to stop construction in the area of the cliff, traditionally a sacred area, where the older people believe the 'hidden people' dwell. They begin their rounds of investigations - with the protestors including a young couple Ulfur and Una, Snorri's family who are in conflict with another family over the construction contract and Dora, one of his friends. Helgi finds oily mud on the step of Snorri's truck which did not come from his shoe. Inga thinks she sees someone on the top of the cliff and after finding no-one, she souvenirs a rock, after told not to. On her way home she sees the apparition of a man in the road and nearly crashes. Rattled she throws the rock out after which it is retrieves by a mysterious young boy. At the hospital, someone enters at night and gives the comatose Snorri a lethal injection.

Helgi learns of Snorri's death. In the hospital room a half necklace is found but the verdict is that he died of cardiac arrest. At Snorri's house Helgi finds a letter which indicates that he and Anna, a nurse, used to be a couple. He and Inga meet the two young protesters. There has been talk of using explosives. At a town meeting there is discussion of using a medium to consult regarding the use of the sacred site. There is another protest at the base of the Cliff site. A worker finds his car radio operating strangely, flipping through stations. The boy, who has returned Inga's rock to the site warns him to get away from the area, before a boulder falls on the car.

At the cliff collapse site, the boy tells Helgi that he saw a man with a bandaged head push the boulder, which seems impossible. The boy also asks Helgi is another boy is with him today. Helgi is disturbed that this boy might be referring to his own son who has died in a tragic accident. Helgi learns that Snorri and Anna are half-siblings, the discovery of which had caused the break in their earlier relationship. They also had an uncle who had had an accident and become disabled. There is some mounting circumstantial evidence that Snorri's rival Laurus might be responsible for the excavator accident and he is arrested. Helgi is not convinced. A hooded man steaks some explosives and is seen by Inga. She pursues him and in a struggle he hits her with a rock. Larus and Anna are both questioned but Larus has an alibi for the night of the cliff accident - he was with Dora with his phone on silent. Dora is found in her flat with a bloody head wound.

Investigating the attack on Dora the 2 detectives find a gynecological clinic wristband which they surmise may be from an abortion appointment, however Dora later confirms that her child is Snorri's. Inga finds out that her superior Guojon has been recalled to take over her investigation. While Inga searches Dora's flat, another man .Veigar, enters and starts talking, admitting he was the one who assaulted Dora. There is a séance called in the town hall, where Helgi is upset by the mediums references to his son Rumar. After, Helgi describes the death of his son to Inga. After inga is taken off the case, Helgi finds her stopped by the side of the road and they have a conference to finish the case themselves nonetheless. They theorise that Snorri's death in hospital was from an injection of potassium and that Anna had access to this. She will later confess that both she and her half0brother would not want to suffer the longlasting fate of their uncle. One of the protesters, Ulfur, has attached the stolen explosives to a power pylon and climbed up. Helgi also climbs up to negotiate. Ulfur drops the detonating device but then pints his gun to his head. Helgi talks him down after Guojon arrives with snipers. After Anna confesses the euthanasia of Snorri, Inga and Helgi listen to the missing messages from Dora's answerphone, then the action of that night is seen from a new perspective.

At an isolated mansion, a young man, Raggi, hiding outside witnesses a man being shot during what looks like a home invasion. Detective Helgi interrogates a ships captain suspect in a smuggling case. The Captain needles Helgi about his daughter. Helgi retaliates with violence and is sent to a counsellor. At the mansion, the murdered man is seen dead in his office chair, blood spattered behind him on the window and floor. A woman , Audur, looks through thr window and makes a phone call. After visiting his son's grave Helgi is called to the scene where it is confirmed that the victim is Bjorn Sveinson, a banker. Another detective, Greta, inexperienced with much local knowledge is assigned to the case too. Audur takes a tour group into a lava field location. Raggi slips away with his young daughter Vera and is later run into by a car Bjorn's brother-in-law Ari arrives and also implicates Audur in a growing list of suspects and motivations, as their investigation begins.

The search for the missing Vera continues in the lava field. Her mother Helena thnks the possible kidnapping is linked to the death of Bjorn, as he had compromising photos of her. Helena's father confirms he is missing a shotgun, the possible murder weapon. Greta is suspicious of Audur's untruths and possible alibi and discovers Raggi has been threatening Bjorn over the Helena photos as well. Vera is seen with a slightly bloodied face sleeping in a small boat. Although the inside surveillance at Bjorn's home was disabled, Greta tells Ari that they have it all and can identify the murderer. He is unconcerned. Audur and her ex-husband Gisli meet and end up in a violent argument. Helgi gets new that Vera has been seen in a car with a man. He realises it is a car he has just passed and pursues. The man has taken Vera to a house, where Helgi tracks him and after a fight rescues the child.