The chief engineer of a large chemical company disappears without a trace. Private detective Varg Veum is involved in the case and he is soon drawn into an international conspiracy.

Varg Veum is given the task of finding 16-year-old Lisa and her boyfriend Peter who have run away from home. He finds Lisa in Copenhagen's brothel and Peter is found murdered in a hotel room.

Varg Veum is looking for his client's stolen car, which turns out to have been used in a robbery. The client Jonas is found murdered and the police suspect the ex-wife.

Two young women are found murdered. One of the victims is an old girlfriend of Varg Veum and the current wife of his friend Jacob. Varg is now thrown out in search of a serial killer.

Varg Veum is commissioned to find Arne, a missing employee from an oil company. In Arne's apartment, Veum discovers a dead woman without a head in the refrigerator.

Varg Veum refuses to help politician Marit Holm. Only after a failed assassination attempt on her party colleague Einar Bergene, does Veum decide to help Marit.