Living in a picturesque Norwegian town, secretive Liv becomes obsessed with having a python, finally acquiring one named Nero. Thirteen years later, in the nearby town of Kristiansund, Mariam Lind goes on a shopping trip with her 11-year-old daughter, Iben, and angrily abandons her at a shop. Aging detective Roe Olsvik is assigned to the case of Iben's disappearance, and as he interrogates Mariam, he instantly suspects her. But in this dazzling debut, there is much more to these individuals—and this snake—than their outer appearances would suggest.