Harry can't trust his own memory. A man is caught on CCTV, shooting dead a cashier at a bank. Detective Harry Hole begins his investigation, but after dinner with an old flame wakes up with no memory of the past 12 hours.

Someone wants him out of this picture. Then the girl is found dead in mysterious circumstances and he begins to receive threatening emails: is someone trying to frame him for her death? And they'll stop at nothing to fulfil their bloodlust... As Harry fights to clear his name, the bank robberies continue with unparalleled savagery...