Book 1

Get to know the detective in charge of Copenhagen's coldest cases in the first electrifying Department Q mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jussi Adler-Olsen.

Carl Mørck used to be one of Denmark’s best homicide detectives. Then a hail of bullets destroyed the lives of two fellow cops, and Carl—who didn’t draw his weapon—blames himself. So a promotion is the last thing he expects. But Department Q is a department of one, and Carl’s got only a stack of cold cases for company. His colleagues snicker, but Carl may have the last laugh, because one file keeps nagging at him: a liberal politician vanished five years earlier and is presumed dead. But she isn’t dead...yet.

Darkly humorous, propulsive, and atmospheric, The Keeper of Lost Causes introduces American readers to the mega-bestselling series fast becoming an international sensation.

Book 2

The Absent One

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 1 August 2012
Detective Carl M©ırck investigates the twenty-year-old murders of a brother and sister whose confessed killer may actually be innocent, a case with ties to a homeless woman and powerful adversaries.

Book 3

Receiving a sealed bottle with a years-old plea for help by two young victims imprisoned in a boathouse by the sea, Detective Carl Morck follows leads to a desperate woman trapped in a brutal marriage to a man who keeps her in isolation and hides deadly secrets.

Book 4

The Purity of Vengeance

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 31 December 2013
"International superstar Jussi Adler-Olsen, with more than fourteen million copies of his books sold worldwide, delivers his latest in the bestselling Department Q series ? a perplexing cold case with sinister modern-day consequences. In 1987, Nete Hermansen plans revenge on those who abused her in her youth, including Curt Wad, a charismatic surgeon who was part of a movement to sterilize wayward girls in 1950s Denmark. More than twenty years later, Detective Carl ; already has plenty on his mind when he is presented with the case of a brothel owner, a woman named Rita, who went missing in the eighties: New evidence has emerged in the case that destroyed the lives of his two partners-the case that sent Carl to Department Q. But when Carl's assistants, Assad and Rose, learn that numerous other people disappeared around the same weekend as Rita, Carl takes notice. As they sift through the disappearances, they get closer and closer to Curt Wad, who is more determined than ever to see the vision of his youth take hold and whose brutal treatment of Nete and others like her is only one small part of his capacity for evil. "--

Book 5

The Marco Effect

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 9 September 2014
"The New York Times and internationally bestselling author returns with an astonishing and sinister case for Department Q All fifteen-year-old Marco Jameson wants is to become a Danish citizen and go to school like a normal teenager. But his uncle Zola rules his former gypsy clan with an iron fist. Revered as a god and feared as a devil, Zola forces the children of the clan to beg and steal for his personal gain. When Marco discovers a dead body-proving the true extent of Zola's criminal activities-he goes on the run. But his family members aren't the only ones who'll go to any lengths to keep Marco silent. forever. Meanwhile, the last thing Detective Carl Morck needs is for his assistants, Assad and Rose, to pick up a missing persons case on a whim: Carl's nemesis is his new boss, and he's saddled Department Q with an unwelcome addition. But when they learn that a mysterious teen named Marco may have as much insight into the case as he has fear of the police, Carl is determined to solve the mystery and save the boy. Carl's actions propel the trio into a case that extends from Denmark to Africa, from embezzlers to child soldiers, from seemingly petty crime rings to the very darkest of cover-ups"--

Book 7

The Scarred Woman

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 19 September 2017
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.

Book 8

Victim 2117

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 3 March 2020
In the heart-pounding next installment of the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling Department Q series, a terrifying international investigation reveals the complex backstory of one of the department's own—the enigmatic Assad.

The newspaper refers to the body only as Victim 2117—the two thousand one hundred and seventeenth refugee to die in the Mediterranean Sea. But to three people, the unnamed victim is so much more, and the death sets off a chain of events that throws Department Q, Copenhagen’s cold cases division led by Detective Carl Mørck, into a deeply dangerous—and deeply personal—case. A case that not only reveals dark secrets about the past, but has deadly implications for the future.

For troubled Danish teen Alexander, whose identity is hidden behind his computer screen, the death of Victim 2117 becomes a symbol of everything he resents and the perfect excuse to unleash his murderous impulses in real life. For Ghaalib, one of the most brutal tormentors from Abu Ghraib—Saddam Hussein’s infamous prison—the death of Victim 2117 is the first step in a terrorist plot years in the making. And for Department Q’s Assad, Victim 2117 is a link to his buried past—and the family he assumed was long dead.

With the help of the Department Q squad—Carl, Rose, and Gordon—Assad must finally confront painful memories from his years in the Middle East in order to find and capture Ghaalib. But with the clock ticking down to Alexander’s first kill and Ghaalib’s devastating attack, the thinly spread Department Q will need to stay one step ahead of their most lethal adversary yet if they are to prevent the loss of thousands of innocent lives.

Book 9

The Shadow Murders

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 27 September 2022
In the exhilarating penultimate thriller of the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling Department Q series, the team must hunt for a nefarious criminal who has slipped under the radar for decades.

On her sixtieth birthday, a woman takes her own life. When the case lands on Detective Carl Mørck’s desk, he can’t imagine what this has to do with Department Q, Copenhagen’s cold cases division since the cause of death seems apparent. However, his superior, Marcus Jacobsen, is convinced that this is related to an unsolved case that has been plaguing him since 1988.
 
At Marcus's behest, Carl and the Department Q gang—Rose, Assad, and Gordon—reluctantly begin to investigate. And they quickly discover that Marcus is onto something: Every two years for the past three decades, there have been unusual, impeccably timed deaths with connections between them that cannot be ignored, including mysterious piles of salt at the scenes. As the investigation goes deeper, it emerges that these "accidents" are in fact part of a sinister murder scheme.
 
Faced with their toughest case yet, made only more difficult by COVID-19 restrictions and the challenges of their personal lives, the Department Q team must race to find the culprit before the next murder is committed, as it is becoming increasingly clear that the killer is far from finished.

Alphabet House

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 11 August 2014
Germany, World War II. Two English pilots are shot down and crash land behind enemy lines. The area swarming with German troops, they have only minutes to crawl from the wreckage and make their escape. Boarding a train reserved for wounded SS men on the way home from the eastern front, they ditch their clothing and personal belongings and pose as German soldiers, hiding for days in soiled, bloody beds, feigning unconsciousness. But their act is too convincing and they find find themselves being transferred to Alphabet House, a mental hospital for those damaged by war. How will they escape? And for how long can you simulate insanity without going crazy for real? They are playing a dangerous game and it seems they might not be the only ones in Alphabet House hiding secrets.

The Hanging Girl

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 2 September 2015

THE 12.5 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR. Superstar author Jussi Adler-Olsen returns with the newest book in his Department Q series. For fans of Tim Weaver and Jo Nesbo.

In the middle of a hard-won morning nap in the basement of police headquarters, Carl Mørck, head of Department Q, receives a call from a colleague working on the Danish island of Bornholm. Carl is dismissive at first, but then he receives some shocking news. Carl then has no choice but to lead Department Q into the tragic cold case of a vivacious seventeen-year-old girl who vanished from school, only to be found dead hanging high up in a tree. The investigation will take them from the remote island of Bornholm to a hidden cult, where Carl and his assistants must stop a string of new murders by a skilled manipulator who refuses to let anything-or anyone-get in the way.


Guilt

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 27 February 2014

The heart-stopping and gripping novel from the author of international No. 1 bestsellers Mercy and Disgrace - fans of Scandinavian crime thrillers will love this.

1987

Nete Rosen thought she'd put her traumatic youth behind her. Her caring foster parents and loving husband helped her start again.

But then a man from her past reappears, who threatens to destroy her new life.

She won't be drawn back into that nightmare - she won't be a victim again . . .

2010

Detective Carl Mørck from Copenhagen's cold case division is looking into the disappearance of Rita Nielsen, an escort agency owner.

But as he investigates, he discovers that Rita is only one piece of the puzzle.

It's not a one-off incident, but part of a disturbing pattern that's been hidden for over 20 years . . .

Praise for Jussi Adler-Olsen:

'Gripping storytelling' Guardian

'Engrossing' Sunday Express

'As impressive as it is unnerving' Independent


Mercy

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 12 May 2011

FEATURED IN THE TIMES TOP 100 CRIME & THRILLERS SINCE 1945

Penguin Picks are stories you'll want to read again and again. Beautifully and stylishly designed by a modern artist, they are not only stories you'll keep coming back to but also books whose looks will never go out of fashion . . .


Mercy by Jussi Adler-Olsen is Scandinavia's new bestselling crime writing sensation

'She scratched her fingertips on the smooth walls until they bled, and pounded her fists on the thick panes until she could no longer feel her hands. At least ten times she had fumbled her way to the steel door and stuck her fingernails in the crack to pry it open . . .'

Merete Lynggard vanished five years ago. Everyone says she's dead. Everyone says the case is a waste of time. Everyone except Copenhagen detective Carl Morck. Turning over this old case he thinks he's found a clue missed by his predecessors. It takes him on a journey, one that upsets his superiors, that troubles his colleagues, that causes him to break rules. But at the end of it a woman waits who has been missing five years . . .

'Engrossing' Sunday Express

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Popular Penguins perfectly designed


Buried

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 26 February 2015

FROM THE 10 MILLION COPY, NO. 1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE DEPARTMENT Q SERIES

A GRIPPING TREAT FOR FANS OF SCANDANAVIAN THRILLERS

One boy is on the run from an international conspiracy . . .

Over three years ago, a civil servant vanished after returning from a work trip to Africa.

Presumed dead, his family still want answers.

It's up to Department Q, Denmark's cold cases department, to find out the truth. But what Detective Carl Morck doesn't know, is that the key to the investigation is right here in Copenhagen . . .

Fifteen-year-old Marco Jameson is tough, smart and very suspicious of police. Sleeping rough and hiding in the shadows is his way of life.

But what does he know worth killing for - and will the police find him before whoever he is running from?


Praise for Jussi Adler-Olsen:

'The new 'it' boy of Nordic Noir'
The Times

'Gripping story-telling' Guardian

'As impressive as it is unnerving' Independent


Disgrace

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 1 June 2012
Jussi Adler-Olsen's Disgrace is the stunning follow up to Top Ten bestseller Mercy.

Kimmie's home is on the streets of Copenhagen. To live, she must steal. She has learned to avoid the police and never to stay in one place for long. But now others are trying to find her. And they won't rest until she has stopped moving - for good.

Detective Carl Morck of Department Q, the cold cases division, has received a file concerning the brutal murder of a brother and sister twenty years earlier. A group of boarding school students were the suspects at the time - until one of their number confessed and was convicted. So why is the file of a closed case on Carl's desk? Who put it there? Who believes the case is not solved?

Carl wants to talk to Kimmie, but someone else is also asking questions about her. They know she carries secrets certain powerful people want to stay buried deep. But Kimmie has one of her own. It's the biggest secret of them all.

And she can't wait to share it . . .

Disgrace is the second terrifying episode in the Department Q series, following the No. 1 international bestseller, Mercy. The darkness continues with Redemption, available from Penguin in April 2013.

Praise for Jussi Adler-Olsen:

'The new "it" boy of Nordic Noir' The Times

'Gripping story-telling' Guardian

'This pitch-black novel will have readers hungry for more' Independent

Jussi Adler-Olsen was born in Copenhagen and worked as a magazine editor and publisher before starting to write fiction. Mercy, Disgrace and Redemption are the first in currently four novels in the Department Q series. He holds the prestigious Glass Key Award, given annually for a crime novel by a Scandinavian author, and is also winner of the Golden Laurels, Denmark's highest literary accolade.

Redemption

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 18 July 2013

Jussi Adler-Olsen's internationally bestselling Q series returns with Redemption, a gripping treat for all fans of the Scandinavian crime thriller.

'For those suffering withdrawals from The Killing' The Times
__________

A letter in blood, a horrifying disappearance. . .

Two boys, brothers, wake up tied and bound in a boathouse by the sea. Their kidnapper has gone, but he'll be back. They cannot escape . . .

In Copenhagen's cold cases division Carl Mørck has received a bottle.

It holds an old and decayed message, written in blood.

It is a cry for help from two boys. Is it real?

Who are they and why weren't they reported missing? Can they possibly still be alive?

He needs to find out, and fast . . .

Praise for Adler-Olsen:

'The new "it" boy of Nordic Noir'
The Times

'Engrossing' Sunday Express

'Adler-Olsen's fascination with abnormal psychology once again pays off' Sunday Times


Locked In

by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Published 1 December 2024

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - 27 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE

On the day after Christmas, head of Department Q Detective Carl Mørck finds himself handcuffed in a police car headed for Copenhagen's Vestre prison. After 15 years, a violent case from his past has caught up with him. Charges of drug trafficking and murder threaten to destroy his life and career.

But he is being framed. Someone has a million dollar bounty on his head to make sure he doesn't talk, putting him in grave danger among the prison's incarcerated criminals and corrupt officers. The question that remains is, why?

Carl's colleagues at the Copenhagen Police Department instantly turn their backs on him, leaving the ever-loyal Department Q team as his only hope. In search of answers, Rose, Assad, and Gordon must disobey direct orders from way up the chain to try to unravel the case.

With only each other to trust and Carl's battle against the unknown mastermind's henchmen worsening by the day, they must work faster than ever before if they are to clear his name - and save his life.

Readers love the Department Q series

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'So engrossing'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The best author around'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Left me wanting more'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Another gripping read from Jussi Adler-Olsen!'


Praise for Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series:

'Everything you could possibly want from a thriller and much, much more' Kirkus

'Adler-Olsen is the new "it" boy of Nordic Noir' The Times


'Engrossing' Sunday Express


'Gripping storytelling' Guardian

'As impressive as it is unnerving' Independent