Status
Available
Call number
Library's review
Danmark, 2010
Vi starter med et klip fra fortiden (1987), hvor Curt Wad viser sig som en skiderik ved at baldre op om at Nete Rosen, gift med Andreas Rosen, er tidligere luder og steriliseret. Andreas reagerer ved at ville smide Nete på porten efter 11 års ægteskab, fordi hun ikke har fortalt
Curt Wad har gang i noget med et hemmeligt selskab "Den hemmelige Kamp" (som han har overtaget lederskabet med efter sin far) med læger, sygeplejersker og jordmødre, der steriliserer kvinder uden samtykke og med et politisk parti, Rene Linier. Og lægger brevet fra Nete væk med et hånligt grin. Men han læser det senere og checker hendes historie, som ikke holder (hun er ikke dødeligt syg). I Kampens arkiver har Nete journal nr 64 (de foregående 63 var med Curts far som leder). Nete er født 18 maj 1937 og Curts kone Beate den 25 maj 1937. Beate er sygeplejerske og om muligt endnu værre end Curt.
Tilbage i nutiden (2010) får Carl Mørck besøg af en gammel uven og ekspolitibetjent Bjørn Bak, der påstår at have drukket tæt med Carls fætter Ronny og at denne busede ud med at han slog sin onkel ihjel og at Carl var med i det, da Ronny var 27 og Carl var 17. Carl husker det som værende helt umulig, for han var sammen med Ronny ude og kigge på piger, da onklen døde. Han mødes med Ronny, der insisterer på at Ronnys far blev fældet med et håndkantslag og at han var en led satan. Carl kan ikke få det til at passe med sine egne erindringer og går.
Et nyt spor dukker op i sagen, hvor Carl blev hårdt såret, Hardy blev lam og Anker blev dræbt. Huset hvor det skete er blevet revet ned og det afslørede et ekstra lig under gulvet. Og liget så også ud til at være dræbt med en sømpistol. Og i det opløste ligs lommer er et par plastikindpakkede mønter med fingeraftryk fra henholdsvis Anker og Carl. Senere finder de også et indpakket billede af Anker og Carl sammen med Pete Boswell, som liget er blevet identificeret som. Carl er sikker på at det er et falsum, men tror hans chef også det?
Influenzaen hærger og Carl Mørck har det vanheld at blive syg nogle få timer før en planlagt hyggeaften med mortensand hos kæresten Mona Ibsen. Carls sekretær Rose har fået fat i et sag om en bordelværtinde Rita Nielsen, der forsvandt i september 1987. Den blev henlagt som formodet selvmord, men det tror Rose ikke på. Hun og Assad kobler lynhurtigt Rita, Gitte, Viggo og Philip sammen for de forsvandt på samme tid og er ikke siden dukket op. Rita var anbragt på Den Kellerske Institution på Sprogø på samme tidspunkt som Gitte var der som funktionær. Gitte har ikke efterladt sig mange spor i denne verden, men Philip Nørvigs enke Mie Nørvig har oplysninger også om "Den hemmelige Kamp", som hun mener havde noget med hans forsvinden at gøre. Hendes nye kæreste, Herbert, blander sig lidt rigeligt og synes ikke at man skal hvirvle noget af det op, men det er Mie ligeglad med. Hun viser også Carl at det er Curt Wad, der står bag "Den hemmelige Kamp" og at han og Philip også var involveret i at starte "Rene Linier" op. Assad nupper en konvolut med fotografier og så smutter de ellers igen. De kører hen og forsøger at snakke med en journalist, Louis Petterson, der har skrevet meget om Curt Wad tidligere. Nu viser han sig at være købt og betalt af Rene Linier omend ad omveje, så han fortæller ikke meget. Scenen springer til Nete, der tænker tilbage på Tage, der svigtede hende grusomt. En Viggo, der gjorde hende gravid igen. En Curt Wad, der først tilbød en abort og så lagde en voldtægt oveni. Og Mødrehjælpen, der ingen hjælp var til. Og politiet der troede mere på den fine læge end på den forsømte og uvidende Nete. Hun blev dømt til anbringelse under åndsvageforsorgen fordi hun kun scorede 72.4 på Binet-Simon-intelligenstesten.
Tilbage til Curt Wad, der er meget glad over at sætte Rene Linier i søen som parti, men bliver halet tilbage til virkeligheden af Herbert Sønderskov, der fortæller om Carl Mørck og Assad og hvordan landet ligger. Curt giver Herbert ordre til at tage på ferie på Tenerife med Mie med det samme og skubbe hende ud over en skrænt, så det ligner en ulykke. Efterfølgende ringer Curt til en Caspersen og får ham til at stoppe Carls efterforskning via en forbindelse på Station City. Carl Mørck ville egentlig bare have lidt baggrundsinformation om Curt Wad, men Louis var tilpas afvisende til at de checker hvem han ringer til efterfølgende og det er selvfølgelig Curt Wad, som Louis lige havde fortalt at han ikke havde beskæftiget sig med i årevis. Mie havde også fortalt Curt om tvangssteriliseringer og vist de mange sager i hængemapper i kælderen. Men der er ikke en på nogle af de forsvundne. Men Rose finder en sag mere om forsvundne. Den var ikke med i første omgang for Tage Hermansen blev først meldt savnet efter en måned. Samme dag som han forsvandt følger vi Netes første gæst Rita, der tænker tilbage til 1953, hvor hun først mødte Nete. Hun kommer indenfor og drikker en kop te, selv om den smager ringe og det var så det.
Carl og Assad forsøger at komme igennem til Mie og Herbert igen, men de er ikke hjemme. I stedet tager de omkring Sprogø og Tage Hermansens skrotbunke af et hus. Her finder de en konvolut der viser at han fik et brev fra Nete en uge før han forsvandt. Rose begynder at trævle sagen op for Nete bor stadig på adressen og hun hed Nete Rosen før. Carl og Assad lirker sig ind ved Mie og Herbert og sikrer en stak journaler. Og de snakker med en anden journalist Søren Brandt, der gætter på at en læge, Christian Dyrmand, der kom i problemer og begik selvmord, nok fik hjælp af nogle af Curt Wads folk. Dvs Søren Brandt råder dem til at være forberedt på meget kraftig modstand, hvis de begynder at gå efter Curt Wad. Og Curts højre hånd, Wilfrid Lønberg, for den sags skyld. Ifølge Søren er de begge to reinkarnationer af Josef Mengele. Næste stop er hos Lønberg, der er ved at brænde papirer i en tønde i haven og ikke er bange for Curt og Assad. Og så til en kop te ved Nete, der ikke kan hjælpe med noget om hvor de fire forsvundne er, men hun kan fortælle at hun havde inviteret Rita og Tage til en snak og at kun Rita dukkede op. Og næste dag tog Nete til Mallorca for at købe et hus og hun kom ikke tilbage før et halvt år efter, så hun havde ingen ide om at Rita var forsvundet. I virkeligheden kan hun jo godt huske alt om Rita, der ejede hende på Sprogø og bollede med Viggo og et par andre fiskere for cigaretter. Viggo var også udset til en gang te, men han vil kun drikke kaffe, så hun slår ham ned med en hammer i stedet. Og så en gang bulmeurtete og ind i opmagasineringsrummet.
Curt Wad er ikke glad for at blive pustet i nakken af Carl og Assad og begynder at tænke over at han er 88 år og at hans kone Beate er meget syg, så måske skal han bare tage den nemme afkørsel, hvis de kommer tættere på? Men så er Rene Linier projektet kuldsejlet. Han beslutter sig til at kæmpe og får fat på sin advokat Albert Caspersen og sætter gang i et forsøg på at slå Carl og Assad ihjel og tilbageerobre papirerne fra Mie og Herberts hus. Journalisten Søren Brandt er mål nummer et og så er planen at brænde Carl inde. Det bliver overladt til en Mikael, der laver en nydelig brandbombe med en gasflaske og noget brændbart i en gryde på komfuret. Heldigvis er Carls lejer Morten Holland kæreste med en fysioterapeut Mika, der overnatter og checker op på Hardy hver anden time. Han får demonteret bomben og luftet ud. Carl får fat på en af politiets brandefterforskere og desuden er der en pige fra genboen, der har set Mikael låse sig ind med en låsepistol. Senere er der en lastbil, der kører ind i Carl og Assads bil. Den stopper ikke, så det var endnu et drabsforsøg. Assad forsvinder og bliver fundet af Rose og Carl ude i Curt Wads udhus. Assad er blevet slået ned og anbragt i et skjult rum, men han har skrevet Assad Was Here masser af gange på væggene med sit eget blod og så sat ild på for at blive fundet. Han er svært røgforgiftet, men overlever. Han har også Curt Wads egen liste med medlemmer af Den Hemmelige Kamp inde på kroppen foruden Journal 64. Af den fremgår det at Nete blev gjort gravid af Viggo Mogensen, men det navn nægtede hun at kende til, da Carl og Assad spurgte hende ud. En af Curts håndlangere, Ole Christian Schmidt, forsøger at køre Carl ned og er lige ved at få drabschefen Marcus Jacobsen med i købet, men ender med selv at blive dræbt af en vaks motorcykelbetjent. PET i skikkelse af Karl Madvig har også haft Curt under observation et stykke tid og medlemslisten er rent guld for dem. Forinden er journalisten Søren Brandt blevet dræbt, så Curt Wad får med sikkerhed ikke pressen på sin side. Curts kone Beate er død af sin sygdom og det har også konsekvenser for Curt. Egentlig var planen at dø samtidig med hende, men nu er han nødt til at slås for at holde liv i Rene Linier.
Carl tager alene hen til Nete efter at have glædet sig over aktiviteten i myretuen på Politigården. Betjentene fra Curts liste er blevet hentet som de første og sidder til afhøring og der regnes med over 40 sigtede i sagen. Carl blev skygget på vejen af en af Curt Wads håndlangere, der gerne havde skubbet ham ud foran en bus. Men han må nøjes med at rapportere til Curt at Carl gik ind i Netes opgang for en times tid siden. Curt kommer selv til stede og sender den anden væk. Så bruger han en låsepistol til at komme ind. Han får bedøvet Nete, men Carl er der ikke. Han drikker en slurk kaffe, men den smager dårligt. Og så får han øje på en blodplet. Han finder det forseglede værelse, hvor fem mumier sidder til højbords. Der er to tomme pladser. Og en bevidstløs Carl. Curt har det lidt dårligt, men får både Nete og Curt stablet op og tapet godt fast til de to stole. Det ender dog med at Carl sidder tilbage som den eneste, der trækker vejret. Men efter et par dage dukker et par PET folk op og får ham på hospitalet. Da han er kommet til hægterne igen, kommer Børge Bak og søsteren Esther med blomster, fordi han (eller rettere Assad) har sørget for at Linas Verslovas forsvandt ud af Esthers liv. Faktisk også hans eget, for Linas er blevet fundet med hovedet hugget halvt af.
Henne på kirkegården kommer Netes lærerinde og gode ånd, Marianne Hanstholm, forbi og sætter en lille dekoration med ordene Jeg er god nok! på Netes grav.
Fortællingerne snor sig let og ubesværet rundt om hinanden. Læseren kan undervejs gætte på at de fire forsvundne nok er mumier i lejligheden, men hvor er Nete og Tage blevet af og Curt Wad undgik sin skæbne, men har åbenbart ikke råbt op om de fire andre.
Vi starter med et klip fra fortiden (1987), hvor Curt Wad viser sig som en skiderik ved at baldre op om at Nete Rosen, gift med Andreas Rosen, er tidligere luder og steriliseret. Andreas reagerer ved at ville smide Nete på porten efter 11 års ægteskab, fordi hun ikke har fortalt
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hvorfor de ikke kunne få børn. Hun reagerer på den besked ved at rive rattet til sig mens de kører bil og det ender med en ulykke, som kvæster hende alvorligt, men slår Andreas ihjel. Et par år senere er hun flyttet til København, har taget ungpigenavnet Nete Hermansen og har forsøgt at lægge fortiden bag sig, men så støder hun tilfældigt på Curt Wad og bliver opfyldt af et koldt had til ham, Rita Nielsen, Gitte Charles, Tage Hermansen, Viggo Mogensen og Philip Nørvig. De har hver en aktie i at have gjort livet til et helvede for hende og nu er det tid til at give tilbage med samme mønt. Hun starter med at lydisolere og tætne et af rummene i sin lejlighed og sender dem så hvert et brev, hvor hun lokker dem til et møde ved at påstå at hun er dødeligt syg og inden sin død vil forsone sig med dem og lade dem arve hver 10 millioner. Hun tester også et bulmeurtsekstrakt på en narkomans trælse hund, Satan, der dør få minutter efter at have spist et stykke pølse tilsat ekstrakt.Curt Wad har gang i noget med et hemmeligt selskab "Den hemmelige Kamp" (som han har overtaget lederskabet med efter sin far) med læger, sygeplejersker og jordmødre, der steriliserer kvinder uden samtykke og med et politisk parti, Rene Linier. Og lægger brevet fra Nete væk med et hånligt grin. Men han læser det senere og checker hendes historie, som ikke holder (hun er ikke dødeligt syg). I Kampens arkiver har Nete journal nr 64 (de foregående 63 var med Curts far som leder). Nete er født 18 maj 1937 og Curts kone Beate den 25 maj 1937. Beate er sygeplejerske og om muligt endnu værre end Curt.
Tilbage i nutiden (2010) får Carl Mørck besøg af en gammel uven og ekspolitibetjent Bjørn Bak, der påstår at have drukket tæt med Carls fætter Ronny og at denne busede ud med at han slog sin onkel ihjel og at Carl var med i det, da Ronny var 27 og Carl var 17. Carl husker det som værende helt umulig, for han var sammen med Ronny ude og kigge på piger, da onklen døde. Han mødes med Ronny, der insisterer på at Ronnys far blev fældet med et håndkantslag og at han var en led satan. Carl kan ikke få det til at passe med sine egne erindringer og går.
Et nyt spor dukker op i sagen, hvor Carl blev hårdt såret, Hardy blev lam og Anker blev dræbt. Huset hvor det skete er blevet revet ned og det afslørede et ekstra lig under gulvet. Og liget så også ud til at være dræbt med en sømpistol. Og i det opløste ligs lommer er et par plastikindpakkede mønter med fingeraftryk fra henholdsvis Anker og Carl. Senere finder de også et indpakket billede af Anker og Carl sammen med Pete Boswell, som liget er blevet identificeret som. Carl er sikker på at det er et falsum, men tror hans chef også det?
Influenzaen hærger og Carl Mørck har det vanheld at blive syg nogle få timer før en planlagt hyggeaften med mortensand hos kæresten Mona Ibsen. Carls sekretær Rose har fået fat i et sag om en bordelværtinde Rita Nielsen, der forsvandt i september 1987. Den blev henlagt som formodet selvmord, men det tror Rose ikke på. Hun og Assad kobler lynhurtigt Rita, Gitte, Viggo og Philip sammen for de forsvandt på samme tid og er ikke siden dukket op. Rita var anbragt på Den Kellerske Institution på Sprogø på samme tidspunkt som Gitte var der som funktionær. Gitte har ikke efterladt sig mange spor i denne verden, men Philip Nørvigs enke Mie Nørvig har oplysninger også om "Den hemmelige Kamp", som hun mener havde noget med hans forsvinden at gøre. Hendes nye kæreste, Herbert, blander sig lidt rigeligt og synes ikke at man skal hvirvle noget af det op, men det er Mie ligeglad med. Hun viser også Carl at det er Curt Wad, der står bag "Den hemmelige Kamp" og at han og Philip også var involveret i at starte "Rene Linier" op. Assad nupper en konvolut med fotografier og så smutter de ellers igen. De kører hen og forsøger at snakke med en journalist, Louis Petterson, der har skrevet meget om Curt Wad tidligere. Nu viser han sig at være købt og betalt af Rene Linier omend ad omveje, så han fortæller ikke meget. Scenen springer til Nete, der tænker tilbage på Tage, der svigtede hende grusomt. En Viggo, der gjorde hende gravid igen. En Curt Wad, der først tilbød en abort og så lagde en voldtægt oveni. Og Mødrehjælpen, der ingen hjælp var til. Og politiet der troede mere på den fine læge end på den forsømte og uvidende Nete. Hun blev dømt til anbringelse under åndsvageforsorgen fordi hun kun scorede 72.4 på Binet-Simon-intelligenstesten.
Tilbage til Curt Wad, der er meget glad over at sætte Rene Linier i søen som parti, men bliver halet tilbage til virkeligheden af Herbert Sønderskov, der fortæller om Carl Mørck og Assad og hvordan landet ligger. Curt giver Herbert ordre til at tage på ferie på Tenerife med Mie med det samme og skubbe hende ud over en skrænt, så det ligner en ulykke. Efterfølgende ringer Curt til en Caspersen og får ham til at stoppe Carls efterforskning via en forbindelse på Station City. Carl Mørck ville egentlig bare have lidt baggrundsinformation om Curt Wad, men Louis var tilpas afvisende til at de checker hvem han ringer til efterfølgende og det er selvfølgelig Curt Wad, som Louis lige havde fortalt at han ikke havde beskæftiget sig med i årevis. Mie havde også fortalt Curt om tvangssteriliseringer og vist de mange sager i hængemapper i kælderen. Men der er ikke en på nogle af de forsvundne. Men Rose finder en sag mere om forsvundne. Den var ikke med i første omgang for Tage Hermansen blev først meldt savnet efter en måned. Samme dag som han forsvandt følger vi Netes første gæst Rita, der tænker tilbage til 1953, hvor hun først mødte Nete. Hun kommer indenfor og drikker en kop te, selv om den smager ringe og det var så det.
Carl og Assad forsøger at komme igennem til Mie og Herbert igen, men de er ikke hjemme. I stedet tager de omkring Sprogø og Tage Hermansens skrotbunke af et hus. Her finder de en konvolut der viser at han fik et brev fra Nete en uge før han forsvandt. Rose begynder at trævle sagen op for Nete bor stadig på adressen og hun hed Nete Rosen før. Carl og Assad lirker sig ind ved Mie og Herbert og sikrer en stak journaler. Og de snakker med en anden journalist Søren Brandt, der gætter på at en læge, Christian Dyrmand, der kom i problemer og begik selvmord, nok fik hjælp af nogle af Curt Wads folk. Dvs Søren Brandt råder dem til at være forberedt på meget kraftig modstand, hvis de begynder at gå efter Curt Wad. Og Curts højre hånd, Wilfrid Lønberg, for den sags skyld. Ifølge Søren er de begge to reinkarnationer af Josef Mengele. Næste stop er hos Lønberg, der er ved at brænde papirer i en tønde i haven og ikke er bange for Curt og Assad. Og så til en kop te ved Nete, der ikke kan hjælpe med noget om hvor de fire forsvundne er, men hun kan fortælle at hun havde inviteret Rita og Tage til en snak og at kun Rita dukkede op. Og næste dag tog Nete til Mallorca for at købe et hus og hun kom ikke tilbage før et halvt år efter, så hun havde ingen ide om at Rita var forsvundet. I virkeligheden kan hun jo godt huske alt om Rita, der ejede hende på Sprogø og bollede med Viggo og et par andre fiskere for cigaretter. Viggo var også udset til en gang te, men han vil kun drikke kaffe, så hun slår ham ned med en hammer i stedet. Og så en gang bulmeurtete og ind i opmagasineringsrummet.
Curt Wad er ikke glad for at blive pustet i nakken af Carl og Assad og begynder at tænke over at han er 88 år og at hans kone Beate er meget syg, så måske skal han bare tage den nemme afkørsel, hvis de kommer tættere på? Men så er Rene Linier projektet kuldsejlet. Han beslutter sig til at kæmpe og får fat på sin advokat Albert Caspersen og sætter gang i et forsøg på at slå Carl og Assad ihjel og tilbageerobre papirerne fra Mie og Herberts hus. Journalisten Søren Brandt er mål nummer et og så er planen at brænde Carl inde. Det bliver overladt til en Mikael, der laver en nydelig brandbombe med en gasflaske og noget brændbart i en gryde på komfuret. Heldigvis er Carls lejer Morten Holland kæreste med en fysioterapeut Mika, der overnatter og checker op på Hardy hver anden time. Han får demonteret bomben og luftet ud. Carl får fat på en af politiets brandefterforskere og desuden er der en pige fra genboen, der har set Mikael låse sig ind med en låsepistol. Senere er der en lastbil, der kører ind i Carl og Assads bil. Den stopper ikke, så det var endnu et drabsforsøg. Assad forsvinder og bliver fundet af Rose og Carl ude i Curt Wads udhus. Assad er blevet slået ned og anbragt i et skjult rum, men han har skrevet Assad Was Here masser af gange på væggene med sit eget blod og så sat ild på for at blive fundet. Han er svært røgforgiftet, men overlever. Han har også Curt Wads egen liste med medlemmer af Den Hemmelige Kamp inde på kroppen foruden Journal 64. Af den fremgår det at Nete blev gjort gravid af Viggo Mogensen, men det navn nægtede hun at kende til, da Carl og Assad spurgte hende ud. En af Curts håndlangere, Ole Christian Schmidt, forsøger at køre Carl ned og er lige ved at få drabschefen Marcus Jacobsen med i købet, men ender med selv at blive dræbt af en vaks motorcykelbetjent. PET i skikkelse af Karl Madvig har også haft Curt under observation et stykke tid og medlemslisten er rent guld for dem. Forinden er journalisten Søren Brandt blevet dræbt, så Curt Wad får med sikkerhed ikke pressen på sin side. Curts kone Beate er død af sin sygdom og det har også konsekvenser for Curt. Egentlig var planen at dø samtidig med hende, men nu er han nødt til at slås for at holde liv i Rene Linier.
Carl tager alene hen til Nete efter at have glædet sig over aktiviteten i myretuen på Politigården. Betjentene fra Curts liste er blevet hentet som de første og sidder til afhøring og der regnes med over 40 sigtede i sagen. Carl blev skygget på vejen af en af Curt Wads håndlangere, der gerne havde skubbet ham ud foran en bus. Men han må nøjes med at rapportere til Curt at Carl gik ind i Netes opgang for en times tid siden. Curt kommer selv til stede og sender den anden væk. Så bruger han en låsepistol til at komme ind. Han får bedøvet Nete, men Carl er der ikke. Han drikker en slurk kaffe, men den smager dårligt. Og så får han øje på en blodplet. Han finder det forseglede værelse, hvor fem mumier sidder til højbords. Der er to tomme pladser. Og en bevidstløs Carl. Curt har det lidt dårligt, men får både Nete og Curt stablet op og tapet godt fast til de to stole. Det ender dog med at Carl sidder tilbage som den eneste, der trækker vejret. Men efter et par dage dukker et par PET folk op og får ham på hospitalet. Da han er kommet til hægterne igen, kommer Børge Bak og søsteren Esther med blomster, fordi han (eller rettere Assad) har sørget for at Linas Verslovas forsvandt ud af Esthers liv. Faktisk også hans eget, for Linas er blevet fundet med hovedet hugget halvt af.
Henne på kirkegården kommer Netes lærerinde og gode ånd, Marianne Hanstholm, forbi og sætter en lille dekoration med ordene Jeg er god nok! på Netes grav.
Fortællingerne snor sig let og ubesværet rundt om hinanden. Læseren kan undervejs gætte på at de fire forsvundne nok er mumier i lejligheden, men hvor er Nete og Tage blevet af og Curt Wad undgik sin skæbne, men har åbenbart ikke råbt op om de fire andre.
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Genres
Publication
Kbh. Politiken 2014, 11 udgave, 3 oplag
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: 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 Morck is presented with the case of a brothel owner, a woman named Rita, who went missing in the eighties. But when Carl's assistants 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..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member lit_chick
“Our work forestalling the birth of offspring unworthy of our nation, and preventing conception in women who might produce them, is the continuation of a long and honorable endeavor, and through this work all of us present have come to understand that indifference leads to nothing good.” (Ch
Creepy, I know. The backstory of Adler-Olsen’s latest crime-fiction is set on the real Danish island of Sprogø in the 1960s. Nete Hermansen is intimately acquainted with Sprogø and its women’s institution, which uses the treatment of mental infirmity to disguise its covert and much more sinister practices – eugenics, social hygiene, sterilization. Nete is also intimately acquainted with Curt Wad, surgeon and political figure, founder of The Cause and the Purity Party. Wad heads Nete’s list of the six persons she charges with having destroyed her life.
Mørck and his team at Department Q have their hands full as they delve into more than a handful of suspicious deaths and disappearances, all cold cases, of course. But when the investigation leads them to Curt Wad and The Cause: Sinister now has a new face. And certainly it would not be Department Q if its own office was not in its usual uproar – between the criminal talents of Assad and the multiple-not-so-charming personalities of Rose, Mørck’s is challenged to keep the entire operation from becoming unhinged.
I continue to enjoy Adler-Olsen’s Department Q series, though I did not care for this one as much as previous novels. The story is definitely solid, but I found it tended to go on in places; a better editor might have done wonders. That said, I’ll be looking for Adler-Olsen’s next.
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23)Creepy, I know. The backstory of Adler-Olsen’s latest crime-fiction is set on the real Danish island of Sprogø in the 1960s. Nete Hermansen is intimately acquainted with Sprogø and its women’s institution, which uses the treatment of mental infirmity to disguise its covert and much more sinister practices – eugenics, social hygiene, sterilization. Nete is also intimately acquainted with Curt Wad, surgeon and political figure, founder of The Cause and the Purity Party. Wad heads Nete’s list of the six persons she charges with having destroyed her life.
Mørck and his team at Department Q have their hands full as they delve into more than a handful of suspicious deaths and disappearances, all cold cases, of course. But when the investigation leads them to Curt Wad and The Cause: Sinister now has a new face. And certainly it would not be Department Q if its own office was not in its usual uproar – between the criminal talents of Assad and the multiple-not-so-charming personalities of Rose, Mørck’s is challenged to keep the entire operation from becoming unhinged.
I continue to enjoy Adler-Olsen’s Department Q series, though I did not care for this one as much as previous novels. The story is definitely solid, but I found it tended to go on in places; a better editor might have done wonders. That said, I’ll be looking for Adler-Olsen’s next.
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LibraryThing member ctpress
Jussi Adler-Olsen continues to deliver plenty of suspense, sarcasm and sinister crimes. This time the plot deals with some of the more embarrasing part of Danish history in the 1960’s with eugenics and forced sterilization.
One of the victims - Nete - have only one thing in mind: Vengeance - and
At Department Q all is the same - or rather we have a more and more bevildered and confused detective Carl Mørk who tries to steer the sinking ship with two unruly passengers - the meddling secretary Rose, and the impulsive assistant Assad - and Carl Mørk have his own problems with an old case that continues to make trouble for him - I guess we will hear more of it in later novels.
One of the victims - Nete - have only one thing in mind: Vengeance - and
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slowly we discover some horrible events in the past. Two main plotlines are cleverly intertwined and with some nice surprises at the end. At Department Q all is the same - or rather we have a more and more bevildered and confused detective Carl Mørk who tries to steer the sinking ship with two unruly passengers - the meddling secretary Rose, and the impulsive assistant Assad - and Carl Mørk have his own problems with an old case that continues to make trouble for him - I guess we will hear more of it in later novels.
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LibraryThing member BillPilgrim
Carl Morck, Department Q novel. Carl, Assad, and Rose investigate a disappearances of several people on the same day 25 years prior, which had never been linked before. It seems to be connected to a politician of a far right-wing party, and a scheme for of nonconsensual, illegal abortions and
Typical of the series and quite enjoyable.
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sterilizations of women who are deemed inferior.Typical of the series and quite enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member pammykn
AUTHOR: Jussi Adler-Olsen
TITLE: The Purity of Vengeance
DATE READ: 11/27/15
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS Crime Fiction/2013/Dutton/500 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE: #4 in Dept Q series
CHARACTERS AUTHOR: Detective Carl Morck
TIME/PLACE Present, Denmark
FIRST LINES Carl had heard about the
COMMENTS: The fourth entry in the Dept Q series focuses on Eugenics. Going back to the 50's when a then young Dr. Curt Wad is performing abortions and sterilizations on women he deems unworthy of enhancing the population. Dr. Wad now in his 80's may no longer be active in surgery but is a strong proponent of the Purity Party -- of which he laid the groundwork in his younger days by eliminating and cleansing Denmark of "inferiors". One of his victims (patients) from earlier days crosses paths w/ him later and seeks vengeance.
TITLE: The Purity of Vengeance
DATE READ: 11/27/15
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS Crime Fiction/2013/Dutton/500 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE: #4 in Dept Q series
CHARACTERS AUTHOR: Detective Carl Morck
TIME/PLACE Present, Denmark
FIRST LINES Carl had heard about the
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nioght's incident over the police radio on his way in from his house in Allered. COMMENTS: The fourth entry in the Dept Q series focuses on Eugenics. Going back to the 50's when a then young Dr. Curt Wad is performing abortions and sterilizations on women he deems unworthy of enhancing the population. Dr. Wad now in his 80's may no longer be active in surgery but is a strong proponent of the Purity Party -- of which he laid the groundwork in his younger days by eliminating and cleansing Denmark of "inferiors". One of his victims (patients) from earlier days crosses paths w/ him later and seeks vengeance.
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LibraryThing member Schatje
This is the fourth Department Q novel set in Denmark. There are three stories which come together in the end: the quirky trio of Carl, Assad and Rose investigate the disappearance of five people in 1978; Nete Hermansen seeks vengeance against a number of people who ruined her life; and Curt Wad
Department Q investigates a cold case from twenty-five years earlier and Nete’s story is set in 1955 and the late 1970s, yet the author manages to create suspense. The reader soon learns who is responsible for the disappearances, but there is still a twist at the end that even astute readers will not foresee.
As with the other novels in the series, the plot is complex; it would not be possible to reduce this to an hour-long television police procedural. Besides the three major stories, there are a number of subplots which are not resolved by the end. There are further complications in Carl’s chaotic personal life, and the case that sent Carl to Department Q resurfaces to discomfort him.
The book also delves further in the backgrounds of Assad and Rose and develops further the relationships among the three investigators. Some explanation is provided for Rose’s occasionally bizarre behaviour and one cannot but admire her “keen powers of deduction” (177). Assad continues to demonstrate his “remarkable intuition [which has him being] talked about in police districts throughout the capital region” (337), and though much of his past remains hidden, Carl admits Assad is his “good friend” (452) and counts him and Rose among the “people he now knew he held more dear than he had ever thought possible” (494).
Besides being entertaining, the book also provides some interesting information about Denmark’s past, specifically its treatment of women. The island of Sprogø features prominently; it was used for the containment of women deemed pathologically promiscuous, the main concern being unwanted pregnancies. That and the right-wing justification of coerced sexual sterilization in the service of eugenics should give readers pause to think about their own country’s past with regards to these issues.
Anyone interested in an intelligent psychological crime thriller should consider this book, though I would recommend that the three previous books in the series be read first.
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works to legitimize a right-wing political party whose platform is based on an “aversion to homosexuality, . . . immigration, . . . and the propagation of poor genetic material” (119) and whose members actively promote “the separation of fetuses deemed not to be deserving of life from those that were” (120). Department Q investigates a cold case from twenty-five years earlier and Nete’s story is set in 1955 and the late 1970s, yet the author manages to create suspense. The reader soon learns who is responsible for the disappearances, but there is still a twist at the end that even astute readers will not foresee.
As with the other novels in the series, the plot is complex; it would not be possible to reduce this to an hour-long television police procedural. Besides the three major stories, there are a number of subplots which are not resolved by the end. There are further complications in Carl’s chaotic personal life, and the case that sent Carl to Department Q resurfaces to discomfort him.
The book also delves further in the backgrounds of Assad and Rose and develops further the relationships among the three investigators. Some explanation is provided for Rose’s occasionally bizarre behaviour and one cannot but admire her “keen powers of deduction” (177). Assad continues to demonstrate his “remarkable intuition [which has him being] talked about in police districts throughout the capital region” (337), and though much of his past remains hidden, Carl admits Assad is his “good friend” (452) and counts him and Rose among the “people he now knew he held more dear than he had ever thought possible” (494).
Besides being entertaining, the book also provides some interesting information about Denmark’s past, specifically its treatment of women. The island of Sprogø features prominently; it was used for the containment of women deemed pathologically promiscuous, the main concern being unwanted pregnancies. That and the right-wing justification of coerced sexual sterilization in the service of eugenics should give readers pause to think about their own country’s past with regards to these issues.
Anyone interested in an intelligent psychological crime thriller should consider this book, though I would recommend that the three previous books in the series be read first.
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LibraryThing member bpreed
I had trouble getting into the book (could it be because I wasn't feeling well at the time?) but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
LibraryThing member RitaAW
I think this is his best book yet. I don't give five stars very often.
LibraryThing member bfister
A woman, put through a horrible ordeal on an island where women were imprisoned for having sex before marriage or for being considered otherwise socially unacceptable, finds her revenge, and the detectives of Department Q begin to put together the pieces of a very strange puzzle. This time, none of
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them come out of their investigation unscathed. The historical background is shocking and fascinating, but it's rendered somewhat less poignant because the revenge scheme is quite a gothic concoction. Show Less
LibraryThing member RowingRabbit
4.5 stars
Just gets better & better
There is a list I keep of authors whose books I wait for & pick up without a second thought. Jussi Adler-Olsen is on it & I'm sorely tempted to learn Danish just so I can read them faster.
This is another great instalment to the series. But if you're new to this
Once again we find the gang in Department Q juggling cold cases. There's never a shortage and as usual, Assad & Rose are more enthusiastic about getting started than Carl.
Carl has a lot on his mind. An old colleague is trying to rope him into looking at an assault on his sister, new clues have been found in one of Carl's previous cases, his paralyzed friend Hardy has recovered some startling memories & his estranged wife suddenly wants a divorce. But when Rose begins to tell the tale of a missing madam from 23 years ago, he can't help but be intrigued.
Back then, several people went missing from Copenhagen over the period of a few days: escort agency owner Rita Neilson, itinerant fisherman Viggo Mogensen, auxiliary nurse Gitte Charles, recluse Tag Hermansen & lawyer Philip Norvig. No traces were ever found. Coincidence or is there a common thread?
While investigating, Carl & Assad cross paths with Curt Wad. He's a retired physician, now fronting the Purity Party. A radical right wing group with a chilling (hidden) agenda, they are this close to becoming a legitimate political party. But most Danes are not aware the party's platform is based on eugenics. Their powerful members have arranged abortions & sterilization of women deemed unsuitable for decades. As the story progresses, a horrific history unfolds, revealing the network of lawyers, nurses, judges, police officers & doctors who select candidates to be committed to asylums or "care' homes prior to medical procedures done without consent. Anyone asking questions is quietly discouraged by one of the party's field agents.
The plot is extremely complex with hidden ties & secrets between a large group who first met in the 1950-60's. In alternating chapters, we learn what happened to Rita, Nete (a woman with a heartbreaking story pivotal to the plot) & the others. Their histories are at times sad, terrifying & oddly hopeful but always compelling. Wad's character makes the blood run cold as we read about a life spent dealing with "inferior" people, inviting comparison with another supporter of such atrocities.
Assad in particular is affected by the case, giving us a glimpse of his shadowy past before he came to work with Carl. And Rose....well, with her issues, no doubt she would have been what Wad called a "suitable candidate" for correction.
There are many returning peripheral characters that provide side stories but at its' heart is our trio of intrepid misfits. With each book, you can't help but get more attached to them. These are well written, fully realized people you care about as they navigate their personal & professional lives. The dialogue is sharp & often heated but infused with wry humour. Carl is perpetually cranky (except when he's with the lovely Mona), Rose is smart & increasingly bossy and Assad frequently provides comic relief with his continued mangling of the Danish language.
As the book rushes to a tense conclusion, none of them will escape uninjured. The author does a great job of doling out clues to the reader, distracting us with red herrings as we try to piece it all together. Even in the last few pages, there is a clever twist I can honestly say I never saw coming.
Like the two well known series listed at the beginning, this one has it all. So if you're partial to smart, intricately plotted police procedurals with original & compelling characters, look no further.
Just gets better & better
There is a list I keep of authors whose books I wait for & pick up without a second thought. Jussi Adler-Olsen is on it & I'm sorely tempted to learn Danish just so I can read them faster.
This is another great instalment to the series. But if you're new to this
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author, start at the beginning. Like Ian Rankin's "John Rebus" or Jo Nesbo's "Harry Hole", each novel builds on the returning characters & their histories, creating a richer experience for faithful fans.Once again we find the gang in Department Q juggling cold cases. There's never a shortage and as usual, Assad & Rose are more enthusiastic about getting started than Carl.
Carl has a lot on his mind. An old colleague is trying to rope him into looking at an assault on his sister, new clues have been found in one of Carl's previous cases, his paralyzed friend Hardy has recovered some startling memories & his estranged wife suddenly wants a divorce. But when Rose begins to tell the tale of a missing madam from 23 years ago, he can't help but be intrigued.
Back then, several people went missing from Copenhagen over the period of a few days: escort agency owner Rita Neilson, itinerant fisherman Viggo Mogensen, auxiliary nurse Gitte Charles, recluse Tag Hermansen & lawyer Philip Norvig. No traces were ever found. Coincidence or is there a common thread?
While investigating, Carl & Assad cross paths with Curt Wad. He's a retired physician, now fronting the Purity Party. A radical right wing group with a chilling (hidden) agenda, they are this close to becoming a legitimate political party. But most Danes are not aware the party's platform is based on eugenics. Their powerful members have arranged abortions & sterilization of women deemed unsuitable for decades. As the story progresses, a horrific history unfolds, revealing the network of lawyers, nurses, judges, police officers & doctors who select candidates to be committed to asylums or "care' homes prior to medical procedures done without consent. Anyone asking questions is quietly discouraged by one of the party's field agents.
The plot is extremely complex with hidden ties & secrets between a large group who first met in the 1950-60's. In alternating chapters, we learn what happened to Rita, Nete (a woman with a heartbreaking story pivotal to the plot) & the others. Their histories are at times sad, terrifying & oddly hopeful but always compelling. Wad's character makes the blood run cold as we read about a life spent dealing with "inferior" people, inviting comparison with another supporter of such atrocities.
Assad in particular is affected by the case, giving us a glimpse of his shadowy past before he came to work with Carl. And Rose....well, with her issues, no doubt she would have been what Wad called a "suitable candidate" for correction.
There are many returning peripheral characters that provide side stories but at its' heart is our trio of intrepid misfits. With each book, you can't help but get more attached to them. These are well written, fully realized people you care about as they navigate their personal & professional lives. The dialogue is sharp & often heated but infused with wry humour. Carl is perpetually cranky (except when he's with the lovely Mona), Rose is smart & increasingly bossy and Assad frequently provides comic relief with his continued mangling of the Danish language.
As the book rushes to a tense conclusion, none of them will escape uninjured. The author does a great job of doling out clues to the reader, distracting us with red herrings as we try to piece it all together. Even in the last few pages, there is a clever twist I can honestly say I never saw coming.
Like the two well known series listed at the beginning, this one has it all. So if you're partial to smart, intricately plotted police procedurals with original & compelling characters, look no further.
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LibraryThing member picardyrose
The characters were too oblique for my taste.
LibraryThing member BookDivasReads
I have read and enjoyed the two previous books in the Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen and was excited when I found that I was going to be able to read the next book in this series, THE PURITY OF VENGEANCE. The overall story is quite intriguing and I rather enjoyed that back and forth
I always find it difficult to read a story that was originally written in a different language. There are subtle nuances to a foreign language that often don't make the translation. Add in the problem of British slang, such as "copper," and this problem becomes even more difficult. The story itself is a fantastic story but when I'm trying to pronounce foreign place and personal names and then have the additional hurdle of trying to understand and translate British slang... I had to set the story aside numerous times for these reasons as it simply became too frustrating to try and translate English to English. Did that distract from the story? Just a little. I also found the story and the action to be somewhat choppy at first as it would focus on one character in the past, move to the present and focus on a different character, move to another character in the present, and then possible switch back to the past. These types of jumps took a bit of getting used to since the story never seemed to stay with one or two characters but focus on several storylines at once. Yes they intersect at the end, but it meant keeping track of multiple storylines, past and present. Did I enjoy THE PURITY OF VENGEANCE? Yes, actually I did but regrettably not as much as the previous Department Q novels.
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between incidents from the past and their impact on current events. I felt sorry for Nete and all that she had suffered in the past. The story of Curt Wad and his Purity Party ambitions were nicely tied into Nete's story, as well as a current cold case file being reviewed by Department Q. The suspense gradually built and eventually pulled me into the story, but there were difficulties. I always find it difficult to read a story that was originally written in a different language. There are subtle nuances to a foreign language that often don't make the translation. Add in the problem of British slang, such as "copper," and this problem becomes even more difficult. The story itself is a fantastic story but when I'm trying to pronounce foreign place and personal names and then have the additional hurdle of trying to understand and translate British slang... I had to set the story aside numerous times for these reasons as it simply became too frustrating to try and translate English to English. Did that distract from the story? Just a little. I also found the story and the action to be somewhat choppy at first as it would focus on one character in the past, move to the present and focus on a different character, move to another character in the present, and then possible switch back to the past. These types of jumps took a bit of getting used to since the story never seemed to stay with one or two characters but focus on several storylines at once. Yes they intersect at the end, but it meant keeping track of multiple storylines, past and present. Did I enjoy THE PURITY OF VENGEANCE? Yes, actually I did but regrettably not as much as the previous Department Q novels.
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LibraryThing member michigantrumpet
Danish detective, Carl Morck, heads the Department Q cold case squad, along with his ragtag squad with the mysterious Syrian Assad and whacky Rose. In thsir investigation, they learn of the systematic incarceration and forced sterilization of 'troubled' girls and women, fortunately since
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discontinued. Does this have anything to do with multiple disappearances in the late '80's? And how might an evil doctor, now heading the ethnically superior Purity Party, be connected? A good fast read. Adler-Olsen is really hitting his stride in this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member cjordan916
In 1987, Nete Hermansen plans revenge on those who abused her—especially Curt Wad, a surgeon who was part of a movement to sterilize wayward girls in the 1950s.
More than twenty years later, Detective Carl Mørck already has plenty on his mind when he is presented with the case of a brothel owner,
But when Carl’s assistants, Assad and Rose, learn that numerous other people disappeared around the same weekend as Rita, Carl takes notice. Sifting through the evidence, they inch closer to Curt Wad, who is still committed to his twisted beliefs, and whose treatment of Nete only hints at his capacity for evil.
More than twenty years later, Detective Carl Mørck already has plenty on his mind when he is presented with the case of a brothel owner,
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a woman named Rita, who went missing in the eighties: New evidence has emerged in 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. Sifting through the evidence, they inch closer to Curt Wad, who is still committed to his twisted beliefs, and whose treatment of Nete only hints at his capacity for evil.
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LibraryThing member bookczuk
Back again with Department Q. Things have advanced a bit, some of which I've missed because this is book 4 and I've not read book 3, but the characters continue to be interesting and real, and the plot with enough twists and turns to keep me happy. And what's going on with Assad? There was a final
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twist which I definitely did't see coming. Show Less
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
Department Q of the Copenhagen Police Department is headed up by Carl Mørck, who is still stuck in the basement working cold case files with his two assistants: Assad and Rose. Mørck is a rough-around-the-edges investigator whose personality in part has resulted in his exile. Assad is still
Rose has just found them a new cold case to work on involving the disappearance of several people on the same day in 1987. The link between the missing persons appears to be Nete Hermansen, an elderly woman with a disturbing past. Between 1923 and 1961, a number of women in Denmark who were deemed genetically inferior were institutionalized on an island called Sprogø. There they were subjected to forced abortions and sterilizations. Also connected to the investigation is a politician named Curt Wad, a retired physician turned politician who is reminiscent of Joseph Mengele. He's the head of the Purity Party and now on the verge of becoming a major force in Danish politics. Nete blames six people for the awful things she suffered in her life. In 1987 she wrote a letter to each of the six with a promise to make them wealthy. During the course of the investigation the reader will find out why.
The best part of this series is the interaction between Carl and those around him, especially Assad. As in previous books in this series, we continue to explore Carl's personal life. And what a horror his personal life is. He's trying to keep from screwing up his relationship with Mona, his ex-therapist. His long-estranged wife finally wants a divorce, his loser stepson is still living with him, along with Hardy, Carl's paralyzed former partner, and lodger Morton (and now Morton's new boyfriend).
As always Jussi Adler-Olsen delivers a great original mystery and I've enjoyed each and every one of them. This one took a little longer to get into and refers to events that happened in the first book of the series. I would recommend anyone interested in this series start with the first one: The Keeper of Lost Causes.
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mysterious and funny. No one really knows where he lives and it seems that he may be residing at work. Rose's multiple personalities make her extremely difficult to work with. Rose has just found them a new cold case to work on involving the disappearance of several people on the same day in 1987. The link between the missing persons appears to be Nete Hermansen, an elderly woman with a disturbing past. Between 1923 and 1961, a number of women in Denmark who were deemed genetically inferior were institutionalized on an island called Sprogø. There they were subjected to forced abortions and sterilizations. Also connected to the investigation is a politician named Curt Wad, a retired physician turned politician who is reminiscent of Joseph Mengele. He's the head of the Purity Party and now on the verge of becoming a major force in Danish politics. Nete blames six people for the awful things she suffered in her life. In 1987 she wrote a letter to each of the six with a promise to make them wealthy. During the course of the investigation the reader will find out why.
The best part of this series is the interaction between Carl and those around him, especially Assad. As in previous books in this series, we continue to explore Carl's personal life. And what a horror his personal life is. He's trying to keep from screwing up his relationship with Mona, his ex-therapist. His long-estranged wife finally wants a divorce, his loser stepson is still living with him, along with Hardy, Carl's paralyzed former partner, and lodger Morton (and now Morton's new boyfriend).
As always Jussi Adler-Olsen delivers a great original mystery and I've enjoyed each and every one of them. This one took a little longer to get into and refers to events that happened in the first book of the series. I would recommend anyone interested in this series start with the first one: The Keeper of Lost Causes.
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LibraryThing member jkdavies
This is the 4th Department Q book, and focussed on a set of linked disappearances from 1987, and the goings on of a sinister political party preaching eugenics. The police work was more to the fore than in books 2 and 3, and was more satisfying for that. We found out a few snippets more about
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grumpy Carl Morck's assistants, Rose and Assad; and trailing through the book is more about the story arc of how Carl and his colleagues came to be shot in a warehouse. This storyline does feel teased out a little too far though. Show Less
LibraryThing member gmmartz
As with most translated Nordic mysteries I've read, The Purity of Vengeance has a good story, straightforward writing (due to translation, I assume), lots of introspection, and a nice conclusion. This is a good read with a twist or two at the end, and it's a worthwhile addition to the series.
The
I think the story itself, which does involve a large dose of vengeance for actions that took place over 50 years in the past, was sufficient to stand on its own. The field work, forensics, and investigative procedures seemed solid, and the flashing back and forth among events that occurred in three distinct periods (mid 50's, late 80s, and recently) was an effective approach. What seemed to be an old missing persons case turned into something much more complicated and far-reaching.
I personally find it interesting to read these foreign procedurals, since the actions of the police are often so different from what one would read about in an American novel (someone breaks into an important policeman's home, tries to burn it down, doesn't succeed but the situation is met with sort of a shrug by the cops??). The legal processes and court systems are likewise different, which also affects how the police go about their jobs. Others in the genre (Larsson, Nesbo, Torquil MacLeod, Mankell, Indrioason) tend to be more descriptive of their respective locales, but Adler-Olsen doesn't get into that very much. That's too bad- I could take a little more of that and less of the minor sub-plots in The Purity of Vengeance. It's a good novel, though not Adler-Olsen's best in this series.
The
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Purity of Vengeance, though, is about 100 pages too long. There are several subplots that add length, a bit too much character development, and attempts at humor that are often cringe-worthy. I don't know if it's lost in translation or what, but the author tries to inject levity throughout the book, usually in Morck's dealings with his subordinates, and it just doesn't work. I get the feeling he's watched a lot of American TV and is attempting to show us aspects of his characters' personalities through their repartee', but it became a minor irritant, at least to me.I think the story itself, which does involve a large dose of vengeance for actions that took place over 50 years in the past, was sufficient to stand on its own. The field work, forensics, and investigative procedures seemed solid, and the flashing back and forth among events that occurred in three distinct periods (mid 50's, late 80s, and recently) was an effective approach. What seemed to be an old missing persons case turned into something much more complicated and far-reaching.
I personally find it interesting to read these foreign procedurals, since the actions of the police are often so different from what one would read about in an American novel (someone breaks into an important policeman's home, tries to burn it down, doesn't succeed but the situation is met with sort of a shrug by the cops??). The legal processes and court systems are likewise different, which also affects how the police go about their jobs. Others in the genre (Larsson, Nesbo, Torquil MacLeod, Mankell, Indrioason) tend to be more descriptive of their respective locales, but Adler-Olsen doesn't get into that very much. That's too bad- I could take a little more of that and less of the minor sub-plots in The Purity of Vengeance. It's a good novel, though not Adler-Olsen's best in this series.
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LibraryThing member TheCrow2
Probably the best story about the Department Q so far. Exciting, interesting with a suprising end. Of course it's an old, unsolved mystery of serial disappearances starts the investigation but soon they discovering that a much more darker and dangerous lurking behind the case.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
Adler-Olsen continues to keep me glued to the page in this 4th installment of the Department Q series. Although I am not usually a fan of mysteries which feature interspersed sections from the killer's point of view, this style worked well here as we slowly learn about Nete's life. Meanwhile, there I am beginning to wonder if Hardy is the one who was corrupt... .
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are some intriguing developments on the attack on Karl & his colleagues which crippled Hardy. Show Less
LibraryThing member froxgirl
The fourth Department Q is the most hazardous to the health of Carl, Assad, and Rose, as she becomes a more fleshed-out and full working investigator in the squad. This time, the cold case has to do with six missing people with only one obvious connection between them: a bleak Danish island where
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girls of "low morals" and "limited mental capacity" are sent a la the Magdalene Laundries of Ireland. But here, the wardens are in league with eugenicists who sterilize the girls to keep Denmark "pure". There's also a secondary plot that hearkens back to the first book (Keeper Of Lost Causes) but gets dropped in the pursuit of the Hitlerish villains. There's a perfect twist at the very end, too. Most entertaining and suspenseful, ideal for lovers of The Dublin Murder Squad and the Zailer/Waterhouse series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dream24
I received an ARC copy through Goodreads.
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I would give it 3.75 stars.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked up this book. This is the first book of the series that I have read. It took a while for me to get into the full swing of things as each chapter jumped between the past and
The twist ending was totally unexpected and shocking, which totally takes this novel in a whole different direction. The whole concept of revenge after decades does raise a lot of questions... is it really worthwhile and what are the consequences? Sure, Nete deserves justice for everything that has happened to her, however she herself isn't exactly blameless in a sense either. So is her form of justice justified? To me it depends how you interpret her account of events that lead to her hard teenage life.
The mysterious background of Assad and the framing of Carl from a cold case really has me intrigued and curious to see find out more about them in the next book.
Would like to see some further development of some secondary characters and insights into Curt, who I find somewhat fascinating and repulsive at the same time. Since Curt plays such an important in society and Nete's life, I want to know more about him.
Overall, an interesting read with decent amount of mystery behind it.
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I would give it 3.75 stars.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked up this book. This is the first book of the series that I have read. It took a while for me to get into the full swing of things as each chapter jumped between the past and
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present events. I admit, I was skeptical as to the direction the two "separate" stories were leading me. The more I read, the more I got into the novel. I enjoyed reading the different perspectives of the various characters that played a hand in Nete, Curt and Carl's lives. The twist ending was totally unexpected and shocking, which totally takes this novel in a whole different direction. The whole concept of revenge after decades does raise a lot of questions... is it really worthwhile and what are the consequences? Sure, Nete deserves justice for everything that has happened to her, however she herself isn't exactly blameless in a sense either. So is her form of justice justified? To me it depends how you interpret her account of events that lead to her hard teenage life.
The mysterious background of Assad and the framing of Carl from a cold case really has me intrigued and curious to see find out more about them in the next book.
Would like to see some further development of some secondary characters and insights into Curt, who I find somewhat fascinating and repulsive at the same time. Since Curt plays such an important in society and Nete's life, I want to know more about him.
Overall, an interesting read with decent amount of mystery behind it.
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LibraryThing member -Eva-
Life is hectic for Detective Carl Mørck: new evidence has emerged in the old case that sent Carl to Department Q; his cousin has made accusations which make Carl look like an accomplice in his uncle's murder; his girlfriend's daughter has taken an immediate dislike to him; everyone in the police
This is another gruesome installment in the series, but less explicitly gory than the others - this time the tension comes from the extremely uncomfortable subject matter. But, more importantly, the humor that went somewhat awry in the third book is back to its normal self in this one, and Assad and Rose are really shining, especially when they team up against Carl. We get a little bit more insight into Rose's life and some of her actions actually make sense, but Assad manages to get even more mysterious - I wonder if we'll ever find out who or what he really is. This may be my favorite installment yet, since even Carl gets to win a few of his battles and isn't as grouchy as he normally is, and the plot line is absolutely riveting with a bizarre, but not implausible twist at the end. I couldn't possibly recommend this series more than I already do to people who don't mind a little disturbing creepiness to go with their mystery.
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headquarter has come down with an atrocious stomach-flu; and when a cold case about a missing woman appears at the department, it takes Assad and Rose, to Carl's consternation, only a short while to find a connection with four more missing people, a Magdalene home for wayward girls, and a white supremacy movement to purify Denmark.This is another gruesome installment in the series, but less explicitly gory than the others - this time the tension comes from the extremely uncomfortable subject matter. But, more importantly, the humor that went somewhat awry in the third book is back to its normal self in this one, and Assad and Rose are really shining, especially when they team up against Carl. We get a little bit more insight into Rose's life and some of her actions actually make sense, but Assad manages to get even more mysterious - I wonder if we'll ever find out who or what he really is. This may be my favorite installment yet, since even Carl gets to win a few of his battles and isn't as grouchy as he normally is, and the plot line is absolutely riveting with a bizarre, but not implausible twist at the end. I couldn't possibly recommend this series more than I already do to people who don't mind a little disturbing creepiness to go with their mystery.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
The Purity of Vengeance by Jussi Adler-Olsen is an entry in the Department Q series featuring Detective Carl Morck and his small team as they investigate a cold case that with every passing day and every added clue becomes more convoluted and confusing. Twenty years ago a number of people
During the course of their investigation, they also unearth some unsavoury information about a current on-the-rise political party whose leader appears to uphold racist and white supremacist beliefs. The aging leader of this party, is a strong supporter of aborting and sterilizing young women whom he deems inferior, which are often people who are less educated or of an ethnic background. A young woman from his past is determined to get her revenge for how she was abused and mistreated.
Purity of Vengeance is a very long book of over 500 pages. As well as the ongoing investigation into the missing people, there are numerous sub-plots and flashbacks into the past. We do learn a little more about both Assad and Rose’s background, and the case that haunts Carl to this day is slowing being brought together. I think the book would have benefited by being about 100 pages shorter, but nevertheless, this series still holds my attention with it’s interesting characters and complicated plots.
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disappeared on one particular day, never to be heard from since. Carl, Assad and Rose dig until they discover a connection between these people. During the course of their investigation, they also unearth some unsavoury information about a current on-the-rise political party whose leader appears to uphold racist and white supremacist beliefs. The aging leader of this party, is a strong supporter of aborting and sterilizing young women whom he deems inferior, which are often people who are less educated or of an ethnic background. A young woman from his past is determined to get her revenge for how she was abused and mistreated.
Purity of Vengeance is a very long book of over 500 pages. As well as the ongoing investigation into the missing people, there are numerous sub-plots and flashbacks into the past. We do learn a little more about both Assad and Rose’s background, and the case that haunts Carl to this day is slowing being brought together. I think the book would have benefited by being about 100 pages shorter, but nevertheless, this series still holds my attention with it’s interesting characters and complicated plots.
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Language
Original language
Danish
Original publication date
2010 (Denmark)
2014 (UK)
Physical description
461 p.; 23.2 cm
ISBN
9788740013719
Local notes
Omslag: Thomas Szøke - eyelab.dk
Omslaget viser en blomst og et dødningehovedsymbol
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Afdeling Q, bind 4
Det må være Lene Espersen, der er beskrevet:
Side 47: På TV2 New stolprede landets udenrigsminister rundt på stilethæle og forsøgte at se kompetent ud, mens tamme journalister nikke og bukkede for hendes lynende øjne.
Side 48: den tomhjernede, selvglade hidsigprop af en udenrigsminister.
Side 88: Hyoscyamin, scopolamin, atropin, de tre vigtigste aktive bestanddele af bulmeurt (Hyoscyamus Niger).
Side 123: Ikke nogen drukkenbolle, bare sådan en festabekat.
Side 124: Hvorledes kunne man aflevere noget så hurtigt, som man havde været så lang tid om at spise? Det var en af de gåder, som han egentlig ikke på nogen måde havde lyst til at få opklaret.
Side 193: De snakkede tit om en gammel sag, når Curt var her. Det var vist deres første sag sammen, Hermansen-sagen kaldte de den.
Side 201: Når en mand som ham bliver hysterisk, så opfører han sig som en sulten dromedar, der spiser tidsler. Han tygger og tygger på skidtet uden at turde bide til.
Side 233: Problemer har dromedaren, som ikke kan hoste og skide på samme tid.
Side 260: Det var før silikonen, ladyshaveren og tatovørnålen.
Side 273: Tror du så måske, at dromedarer dypper tæerne i den sø, de drikker af?
Side 296: Tænk, at hun kunne blive så tavs. Det var som at holde juleaften to dage i træk.
Side 314: Han fulgte den gyldne regel for advokater. Hvad der ikke yderligere blev diskuteret, var heller aldrig sagt.
Side 338: De svinebæster har virkelig snavs under gulvtæpperne, har de.
Side 447: Han prøvede at regne nøjere efter, hvor længe siden det kunne være, det var ikke let. Men tyve år mindst. Så var det ikke underligt, at middagsgæsterne efterhånden så lidt trætte ud.
Omslaget viser en blomst og et dødningehovedsymbol
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Afdeling Q, bind 4
Det må være Lene Espersen, der er beskrevet:
Side 47: På TV2 New stolprede landets udenrigsminister rundt på stilethæle og forsøgte at se kompetent ud, mens tamme journalister nikke og bukkede for hendes lynende øjne.
Side 48: den tomhjernede, selvglade hidsigprop af en udenrigsminister.
Side 88: Hyoscyamin, scopolamin, atropin, de tre vigtigste aktive bestanddele af bulmeurt (Hyoscyamus Niger).
Side 123: Ikke nogen drukkenbolle, bare sådan en festabekat.
Side 124: Hvorledes kunne man aflevere noget så hurtigt, som man havde været så lang tid om at spise? Det var en af de gåder, som han egentlig ikke på nogen måde havde lyst til at få opklaret.
Side 193: De snakkede tit om en gammel sag, når Curt var her. Det var vist deres første sag sammen, Hermansen-sagen kaldte de den.
Side 201: Når en mand som ham bliver hysterisk, så opfører han sig som en sulten dromedar, der spiser tidsler. Han tygger og tygger på skidtet uden at turde bide til.
Side 233: Problemer har dromedaren, som ikke kan hoste og skide på samme tid.
Side 260: Det var før silikonen, ladyshaveren og tatovørnålen.
Side 273: Tror du så måske, at dromedarer dypper tæerne i den sø, de drikker af?
Side 296: Tænk, at hun kunne blive så tavs. Det var som at holde juleaften to dage i træk.
Side 314: Han fulgte den gyldne regel for advokater. Hvad der ikke yderligere blev diskuteret, var heller aldrig sagt.
Side 338: De svinebæster har virkelig snavs under gulvtæpperne, har de.
Side 447: Han prøvede at regne nøjere efter, hvor længe siden det kunne være, det var ikke let. Men tyve år mindst. Så var det ikke underligt, at middagsgæsterne efterhånden så lidt trætte ud.
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Series
Pages
461
DDC/MDS
| 839.81 |