Following a mental breakdown, Detective Peter Wendel is tasked with creating an elite team of investigators to crack cold cases. When the police find a note on a dead body that claims Sweden's most notorious serial killer is a fraud, Wendel gets a chance to redeem himself, but only the dregs of the force are available to work the case. Under pressure to mobilize quickly, Wendel is forced to hire two cops who hate each other, plus a forthright woman who isn't even a police officer.