Danish Homicide Detective Carl Morck has never been on the
best of terms with his superior, even though Morck is one
of Copenhagen's best cops. Now, he's recovering from a
bullet wound gotten in his last case. But he's luckier than
his two partners; one is dead, and the other paralyzed from
the neck down. Carl is dealing with a load of guilt, since
he didn't even pull his weapon.
Expecting to be reprimanded harshly, Carl is shocked to
actually receive a promotion. He's to head up a new
division, titled Department Q, which is being funded by the
government to look into cold cases. His excitement is short-
lived, however, when he finds that he's the only detective
and his new office is in the grubby basement. His desk is
soon loaded down with stacks of folders of unsolved cases.
Insisting there is too much to do by himself, that he needs
an assistant who can take care of paperwork and cleaning,
he is sent Assad, a Syrian immigrant with some very unique
and useful talents.
Figuring he's been set up to fail, Carl isn't too
enthusiastic about getting started on the case files.
Casually leafing through them, one does catch his
attention -- that of politician Merete Lynggaard, who
vanished five years ago. Presumed dead, her disappearance
still intrigues Carl enough to start looking into aspects
of the incident and interviewing witnesses. With Assad by
his side, as well as running errands for him, Carl starts
building an unusual case. Could Merete still be alive
somewhere after all this time? And, if so, will Carl and
Assad be able to locate and rescue her?
Set in 2007, this first book of a series originally
published in Danish is an outstanding police procedural
thriller. With flashbacks to the victim's circumstances and
her thoughts, it made for an excellent reading experience.
Penguin has just released the next book in this series, THE
ABSENT ONE, in hardcover. I've finished reading it and
am even more impressed with this chapter in the life of
cold-case investigator Morck and his assistant Assad.
Carl Mørck used to be one of Copenhagen’s best homicide
detectives. Then a hail of bullets destroyed the lives of
two fellow cops, and Carl — who didn’t draw his weapon —
blames himself. So a promotion is the last thing he
expects. But Department Q is a department of one, and
Carl’s got only a stack of Copenhagen’s coldest cases for
company.
His colleagues snicker, but Carl may have the last laugh,
because one file keeps nagging at him: a liberal
politician vanished five years earlier and is presumed
dead. But she isn’t dead … yet.
Darkly humorous, propulsive, and atmospheric, The Keeper
of Lost Causes introduces American readers to the mega-
bestselling series fast becoming an international
sensation.
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