Set in a remote mountain town in New Zealand, "Top of the Lake" centers on the disappearance of 12-year-old Tui, who is five months pregnant. She is last seen standing chest deep in a freezing lake, and now all attention is focused on inexperienced detective Robin Griffin, who leads the investigation in the same town where she endured traumatic events years earlier.
Not only must she find Tui, but Robin also embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Her limits are tested amid clashes with Matt, the missing girl's father and local drug lord, and GJ, a guru at a local women's camp.