Department Q, Copenhagen's cold-case division, consists of
the ill-tempered leader Carol Morck and his colleagues Rose,
Assad and Gordon. Currently, the department is being
threatened with closure due to the lack of timely case
reports, which is Rose's responsibility. When Carl
confronts her about the situation, Rose vanishes and
succumbs to a nervous breakdown. After working together for
seven years, Carl is used to Rose's mood swings, but this
is something entirely different. Eager to know the cause,
Carl, Assad, and Gordon start investigating Rose's past,
which they learn was horrible beyond belief.
When the recent murder of an elderly woman seems to have a
connection to a decades-old cold case, Department Q is
begrudgingly allowed to investigate both cases. Searching
for a link, they also discover that a series of vicious
hit-and-run accidents targeting young women on public
assistance are intertwined with not only the cold case but
also Rose's disappearance.
THE SCARRED WOMAN, the seventh novel in Jussi
Adler-Olsen Olsen's mesmerizing Department
Q series, affords unique insight into Rose's sad and
tragic past, providing a clearer understanding of her
character. The cleverly devised plot paints a fascinating
tale of murder and mayhem with a touch of witty and subtle
humor. I found THE SCARRED WOMAN to be very intense reading
and especially interesting as the chapters shift among the
various characters and the converging of their storylines. I
could not put it down until I reached the finish when all
the different individual strands came together brilliantly.
I've loved this series from the first book, and I can't
wait for the next installment. I hope it will finally shed
more light on the mysterious Assad.
The New York Times and #1 internationally
bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Causes
delivers his most captivating and suspenseful Department Q
novel yet—perfect for fans of Stieg Larsson.
Detective Carl Mørck of Department Q, Copenhagen's cold
cases division, meets his toughest challenge yet when the
dark, troubled past of one of his own team members collides
with a sinister unsolved murder.
In a Copenhagen park the body of an elderly woman is
discovered. The case bears a striking resemblance to another
unsolved homicide investigation from over a decade ago, but
the connection between the two victims confounds the police.
Across town a group of young women are being hunted. The
attacks seem random, but could these brutal acts of violence
be related? Detective Carl Mørck of Department Q is charged
with solving the mystery.
Back at headquarters, Carl and his team are under pressure
to deliver results: failure to meet his superiors’
expectations will mean the end of Department Q. Solving the
case, however, is not their only concern. After an earlier
breakdown, their colleague Rose is still struggling to deal
with the reemergence of her past—a past in which a terrible
crime may have been committed. It is up to Carl, Assad, and
Gordon to uncover the dark and violent truth at the heart of
Rose’s childhood before it is too late.
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