Martin Beck found himself reluctantly pulled back from the quiet life he'd sought, summoned by a case: a young girl had vanished in Stockholm.

The murder of a suburban junior hockey team's coach draws the attention of the police. Meanwhile, Martin finds himself adrift, grappling with the unfamiliar demands of his new role.

The girl discovered her mother at the bottom of the stairs, still and lifeless. Was it a tragic accident, or something far more sinister? Simultaneously, Steinar found himself in direct conflict with the firm's newly appointed supervisor.

Detective Martin Beck is called upon to solve the killing of a restaurant owner. The attorney representing a key suspect harbors a close familial connection to a member of Beck’s own investigative team.