Shetland is so far north, there are nights where it is never completely dark. On one such endless day, a teenage girl is murdered and it is up to DI Jimmy Perez to shed light on the killing. Only recently returned to his native island, Perez finds it hard to break through the suspicion and fear of a community not used to locking its doors but who are now facing the reality of a killer in their midst. This is the first in a series of crimes Jimmy is committed to solving. Helping Jimmy is DS McIntosh, an outsider from Glasgow, and TDC Wilson, a life-long Shetlander. Lacking the resources of a mainland police force, Jimmy and his team must navigate the traditions and unspoken rules of the close knit community.