On the evening of August 21, 2001, the police in Ystad receive a strange call. A man has seen burning swans over Lake Marebo. A few days later, a horrified farmer discovers one of his young bulls dead in the barn - burned. Everything points to a sadist behind these acts who tortures animals. Linda, a police trainee in Ystad, is initially only allowed to accompany her father, Kurt Wallander, in his investigations. However, when her friend Anna disappears without a trace, she begins to investigate on her own. The trail leads directly into the jungle of Guyana and to Christian doomsday prophets.