On a cruise ship from Helsinki to Stockholm, an American singer assaults a fellow passenger. When Marianna Hermansson of Stockholm Police arrives, he has escaped. 10 years earlier, in Ohio, a man murders the Governor's daughter.

On death row in Ohio, John's time is running out. When prison guard Vernon is suspended, a doctor friend approaches him with a plan. In Stockholm, Mariana discovers John supposedly died ten years ago on Ohio's death row.

Before John can be executed, Vernon helps fake his death. In present-day Stockholm, John is freed from the assault charges, but the Foreign Ministry decide to extradite him. Convinced of his innocence, Mariana helps him.

With John back on death row, Mariana travels to Ohio to help prove his innocence. Mariana's determination not only opens up some leads in the case, but also she gains an ally, as the clock ticks down to John's execution.

Refusing to drop John's case, Mariana pursues leads even back in Sweden and finds the killer. As the killer is revealed to Finnigan, the vengeful man does the unthinkable. Now, the hunter has become the game.