A young student reports her mother missing. The next day, the mother's body is found buried in the sand close to the family's house.
A fanatical sect is suspected to be behind some horrific violent crimes in Ystad. Henning Mankell's sharp-eyed commissioner receives assistance from her daughter Linda, a newly-graduated police officer, and criminal inspector Stefan Lindman. The first of 32 films with Krister Henriksson as the popular commissioner Kurt Wallander.