The Scarred Woman: A Department Q Novel
INSPIRATION FOR THE NETFLIX SERIES DEPT. Q
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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Community Reviews
What a crazy set of stories. Multiple story lines wind their way through the book. The disgruntled 20 somethings who are trying to make a living on their looks. The nazi war criminal. The social worker who decides to kill all the young women who are milking the system. The police employee who was emotionally abused as a child. The US military deserter with a family in Denmark. What a hodgepodge but it made for an enjoyable read from start to finish.
Only 3 stars for book #7 in the series. This book was different from the others in this detective series, and it never gained momentum or held my attention like the others have. 1) I felt no sympathy for the supposed victims of the killer. The killer was vile to be sure. She killed in cold blood without remorse, but she had her reasons. Her victims were abusing the system, and she decided to do some "house-keeping." In a way, I think she was driven mad by their inexcusable behavior. It isn't a real excuse for her revengeful killings, but in her frame of mind, she felt she was justified to act as she did. 2) The repartee and engaged dialogue that is usually present in these books between Morck and Assad was all but missing from the pages. They had no spark, no drive or cohesion. Without Rose's character, they both seemed lost, which is ironic since Rose is always the most unbalanced of the group. This book was just missing something...maybe it was written that way intentionally. It didn't draw me in, didn't keep me in suspense, and didn't motivate me to keep reading. I found myself disinterested. I only kept reading to find out what happened to Rose.
But while this wasn't my favorite book in the series, it is still well-written, excellent fiction. And I am still invested in these characters and curious what will happen next. Will Rose return to Department Q? Will Gordon stay with the team regardless? Will Morck and Mona ever rekindle their romance? When will we learn more about Assad's past? Please Mr. Adler-Olsen don't let this be the final pages of Department Q...I need more.
But while this wasn't my favorite book in the series, it is still well-written, excellent fiction. And I am still invested in these characters and curious what will happen next. Will Rose return to Department Q? Will Gordon stay with the team regardless? Will Morck and Mona ever rekindle their romance? When will we learn more about Assad's past? Please Mr. Adler-Olsen don't let this be the final pages of Department Q...I need more.
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