Through the mist, burning swans rise from the lake. What first appears to be a cruel prank soon takes on frightening proportions, with a murder linked to the mutilated birds. Kurt Wallander's only clue is a Bible in English.

When a man walks into a bank with what looks like a bomb around his neck, he demands that a precise sum of money be transferred to an account. Kurt Wallander and his colleagues face a long and complicated investigation.

Olof and Carolina Wrangel are found murdered during a military exercise. Kurt Wallander is under pressure from his superiors in Stockholm to find out what happened to them and why.

Kurt's failing health sees Linda take the lead in their case. Linda has never been so committed to solving a case. She has her lover and colleague Stefan to help her, but even Kurt is drawn in, unknowingly and against his will.

A train rolls into the railway station in Gdansk, with a dead black man on board. It appears he was murdered in Ystad, making this a case for Kurt. Most of the evidence points to a race crime, but the investigation takes an unexpected turn.

Someone infiltrated the Ystad police station, closing it for several critical hours. At the same time, Kurt is trying to comprehend the connection between his colleague Martinson's daughter and a woman found hanged.