Helsinki, February 1953. An unusually cold winter. Everywhere frozen sea and ice covered lakes. Police detective Hella Mauzer, whip-smart but much misunderstood, has just been fired from the police force and is now a reluctant private investigator. When a prostitute if found floating face-down in Helsinki Harbor it's not exactly a high priority case for homicide chief Jokela-- so he passes the job to his former colleague Hella. Soon another call-girl narrowly escapes being driven into the harbor, handcuffed to the car by her client. In a port city flooded with refugees, who cares if a few young women go missing? Police inspector Mustonen, who views this as an opportunity to advance his career. A heartbroken Hella with a score to settle. They have yet to discover on thing: the most dangerous lies are those we tell ourselves.