Before the war they were the best of friends. Five brilliant young historians debated origins, ideas and the place of history in modern times under the guidance of the charismatic Professor Lindahl. When war broke out the five disbanded, ending up on different sides. Now one of them has been found tortured and killed... It is 1943 and Sweden's neutrality in the war is under pressure. Laura Dahlgren, a bright young historian who is the right hand of the chief negotiator with Germany, is privy to ongoing discussions about the transport of German soldiers to occupied Norway and German access to Swedish iron ore. When her former best friend and fellow classmate, Britta, is discovered tortured and murdered, Laura is determined to find her killer.