When a group of international activists arrive on the Faroe Islands, intent on stopping the traditional whale hunts, tensions between islanders and protestors run high. And when a woman is found viciously murdered only hours after a violent confrontation, the circumstances seem purposely designed to increase animosity between the two sides.

As English DI Jan Reyna and local detective Hjalti Hentze investigate, it becomes increasingly clear that the murder has other, more sinister aspects to it, and that crucial evidence is being hidden. Neither policeman knows who to trust, or how far some people might go to defend their beliefs.