Monday, September 12, 2011

The Keeper of Lost Things




Written by Jussi Adler-Olsen, Denmark's premier crime author, this is a fun, fast read. It's the first of his new series featuring Department Q. When detective Carl Morck arrives at a crime scene, shots ring out and one of his partners is killed and the other completely paralyzed. Carl is also shot abut blames himself for his team's condition.




After he recovers from his wound, Carl is selected to be the head of the new Department Q. He is allowed to hire an assistant/cleaner and a Muslim named Assad is hired by "those in charge". Assad is a thoughly likeable character who is a jack of all trades and very interested in crime.




Department Q is assigned cold cases of which there are many. Carl who is suffering from PTSD is content at first to sit, drink coffee and do nothing. But finally a case peaks his interest. Five years earlier a beautiful up and coming politician disappeared from a ferry while traveling with her brain damaged brother. This case is so cold that is seems unlikely to be solved. But when Carl and Assad finally work together, they prove to be a top notch team.




Of the new crop of Scandinavian mysteries, this one is an easy fast read with great characters and a victim to root for. I can hardly wait til the next book comes out.




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