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.