Tumba, Sweden. A triple homicide--all the victims from the same family--captivates Detective Joona Linna. It appears the elder sister escaped the carnage, but it seems only a matter of time until she too is murdered. The only surviving witness is the boy whose family was slaughtered. He has suffered over one hundred knife wounds and lapsed into shock. Desperate for information, Linna sees one mode of recourse: hypnotism. He enlists Dr. Erik Maria Bark to mesmerize the boy, unleashing a long and terrifying chain of events.