2 Book Lovers Reviews

Carl Morck and Department Q strike again! It had been quite a few months since I had read The Keeper of Lost Causes, but it was great to get reacquainted with Carl, Assad, and the entire supporting cast.

Carl Morck is a damaged cop, he has been promoted to the basement to head up a cold case department. After his summer vacation, Carl finds a second case that has mysteriously appeared on his desk. When Carl is told that the case was solved with a conviction and that he is “ordered” not to investigate, well, Carl can’t resist. This is his next case!

Jussi Adler-Olsen has an excellent knack for creating dark twisted crime cases. His criminals are sadistic individuals who believe themselves to be unstoppable by anyone. What really makes the story work for me is the characters. Carl is not some kind of “super-cop”, he is tenacious and hard-headed, but he has been through his own real life hell. Assad is his assistant and there seems to be much more to him than we know. At times it seems like the two of them bumble their way to solving the crime, this makes for a great read. The darkness of the crime is lightened up with the antics of Carl and Assad.

I absolutely loved The Absent One and I am looking forward to purchasing A Conspiracy of Faith and The Purity of Vengeance soon.

5 Stars

The Absent One 

By Jussi Adler-Olsen