In a prestigious hotel in Reykjavík, the porter is found stabbed to death while dressed as Santa Claus. A mysterious murder that Erlendur and his colleagues from the Reykjavík police are tasked with solving, all while avoiding alarming the international guests. Iceland must not be too exciting or adventurous. In fact, no one seems to care about the man's death; no one wants to have had anything to do with him. But who has an interest in removing a reclusive porter from the picture? Erlendur decides to check into the hotel to uncover the motives behind the crime. Once again, the threads reach far back into the past. Commissioner Erlendur Sveinsson investigates in his fifth case.