After the body of a young German student – with his eyes cut out and strange symbols carved into his chest – is discovered at a university in Reykjavík, the police waste no time in making an arrest. The victim's family isn't convinced they have the right man, however, so they ask Thóra Gudmundsdóttir, attorney and single mother of two, to investigate. The fee is considerable – more than enough to make things a bit easier for the struggling lawyer and her children.