Status
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Description
"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"--… (more)
User reviews
DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly, Samantha Cody, and Dub Walker thriller series
There is not so much emphasis in this book on Carl Mørck, the head (in name, at least) of Department Q, nor of his assistant Assad, but much more focus on the psychological tribulations of his so-much-more-than-a secretary Rose. Interactions among the three of them, who have worked together now for seven years, are usually the highlight of the books, but in this story, we don’t get much of them together.
Instead, we learn a great deal about Rose’s background, which turns out to have been pretty horrific. In addition, Rose accidentally gets caught up in the murder round-robin of the four “bad” protagonists. It is questionable whether she can come out of it alive.
Discussion: I am a big fan of the Detective Carl Mørck series but this one is not my favorite. It is a bit too Coen-Brothers-ish for me. On the other hand, that aspect is exactly what Jim, who also read this, found to be most appealing about the book. The lead-up to the dénouement had a good amount of tension and excitement, but this positive was offset for me by some plot elements that seemed quite unrealistic. (Or at least, I hope so.)
Evaluation: I didn't think this thriller had the quality of some of the earlier books, but I still like the characters enough to have enjoyed “visiting” with them again, and to look forward to seeing how the developments in this story "continue" down the road.
This is a compelling crime book, with plenty of relevance to the present day. There are a multiple characters, and multiple ongoing crimes. It took a bit for me to be able
The novel launches with the discovery of an elderly woman found in a local Copenhagen park that looks eerily similar to a cold case Department Q has in it's backlog, but an outright connection is lacking. Simultaneously across town it appears that young women are being hunted by a hit-and-run killer. Department Q must work against an overwhelming amount of pressure being brought upon them to deliver results or see their department shut down. They'll have to solve this mystery one member short, as Rose has suffered an extreme breakdown, which leaves her unable to assist the team. As the time ticks away to solve the cases in Copenhagen, Rose goes missing and it appears Carl, Assad, and Gordon will also need to save Rose from her past, which is shrouded in a terrible crime. Can Department Q put a killer behind bars and save a co-worker before it's too late?
Jussi Adler-Olsen delivers a masterpiece of mystery and intrigue in THE SCARRED WOMAN. Despite entering in to the series in book seven, I only felt mildly confused about some character's relationships while reading this novel. There are a large number of characters who at first seem unrelated to one another, but ultimately end up being more connected than anyone could have guessed. I felt the novel had a rocky start for me with the introduction of a few characters who I could not quite grasp their importance. Continuing through the novel it was easier to understand why the initial backstory was needed, but I think it might be better placed slightly later in the novel instead of being the opening content.
At the end of the novel I had fallen in love with Department Q. Carl, Assad, Gordon, and Rose each have such unique personalities and perspectives that I couldn't help but want to know more about each of them. I was lucky enough to win a giveaway for the entire series, so I'll definitely be diving into the first installment, THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES, sometime soon. If you're looking for multiple unique storylines with characters you can connect to, THE SCARRED WOMAN should be your next read!
Thank you to Jussi Adler-Olsen and Dutton Books for providing me a free copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Department Q is the division of the Copenhagen P.D. dedicated to the resolution of cold cases. The staff is not large - it's only Detective Carl Mørck and his assistants Assad and Rose. The characters and their
In The Scarred Woman, the body of a woman is found dead in a park. But aspects of the case are similar to an unsolved case from ten years back. And so the new case is assigned to Department Q. Young women are also being targeted in Copenhagen and Carl and Assad insinuate themselves into this case as well. As always, the threat of dismantling the 'Q' is there if the cases are not solved. Carl has a running feud with the higher ups and I always enjoy the sparring between them.
Adler-Olsen's dialogue is infused with a wicked sense of humour. The back and forth between Carl and Assad is a source of great amusement for me - especially Assad's camel analogies. Carl's inner dialogue is wickedly wry.
These two latest cases are wonderfully different. The young women case presents an opportunity for some social commentary - wonderfully shaped and presented with skewed thought processes and dialogue. The reader is privy to three sides of the story - from the police, the perpetrator and victims.
The mystery of Assad continues as Adler-Olsen continues to slowly dole out snippets of information about his past in each book. But it is Rose who takes center stage in this latest. Her troubled past has been alluded to in previous entries, but is fully revealed in The Scarred Woman. Carl's personal life has also moved along in each book. The supporting characters in his life are just as appealing - especially Hardy. And I've taken a shine to Gordon, the newer fourth member of the 'Q' team.
I love this series - the complex, unusual cases, but especially the 'left of center' cast. I will be eagerly awaiting book nine. And if you like the sounds of this series, I would suggest starting with the first book - The Keeper of Lost Causes.
A case worker becomes filled with rage when day after day, year after year, she sits and listens to young women beg for government hand outs while also refusing to work for a
Quote from the book: "She came out of the room with a large canvas bag over her shoulder and continued directly toward the entrance. A completely ordinary, frumpy woman with uncombed hair and no charisma. The type of woman you could walk past on the street without knowing if it was a man or a woman, or whether you had even seen her at all."
This group of detectives also has to deal with the mental collapse of a beloved colleague who's story blends in well with the above murders. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
'The Scarred Woman' begins with a murder that resembles another murder the team had been familiar with from a few years back. Soon after that, we're introduced to the 'government worker from hell', a social services benefits administrator who's fed up with the stream of people she sees on a daily basis trying to game the system. She has decided to do something about it in an extreme way. Lastly, a key member of Carl Morck's Department Q team begins a mental breakdown that has the entire team consumed with concern. These disparate threads all tie together somewhat at the conclusion.
Adler-Olsen's writing is sort of clunky but generally OK- it's obviously a translation. Due to the multiple story threads it doesn't flow smoothly, and he uses the irritating technique of describing the same action through the eyes of multiple participants. He doesn't do that all the time (thank God.... it was nearly 450 pages as it is), but when he does there's no real value added and the result is just a longer chapter than necessary. Additionally, the 'bad guys' in the book, all women by the way, just aren't all that believable. I know I've seen my share of surly, fed-up agents behind the counter at the Post Office and DMV station, but it's hard to imagine one suddenly, in middle-age, becoming a serial killer because of job stress. Likewise, the young ladies who were key players in the story advanced from mild prostitution to something way more extreme in an unlikely way. Lastly, the manner in which the crimes were solved was a little too based on luck and not enough on solid procedural work. The entire plot just didn't pass the smell test for me.
So, let's just say this isn't one of Department Q's best efforts.....
This book is about Nazis and right-wing extremists, young welfare recipients and the pitfalls of Danish welfare, alcoholism, but for the team especially about Rose, whose mental state threatens to escalate to such an extent that she
A young welfare recipient and her friends do not get along with the woman on welfare. Conversely, she finds that the social assistance system does not work because she has to keep listening to insults and lies and the recipients collect the money. So she decided to take justice into her own hands and kill the young 'useless' women.
On the other hand, one of these recipients comes from a wealthy family, only the grandmother guards the assets, the old Nazi secret, and gives her descendants little money every month. One day she is found dead in the park.
At the same time, this old lady was Rose's neighbor. Rose never explained to her team what depressed her or what she had to suffer from her father and what guilt she believes she has incurred. Her mind is driving her so crazy now that her life is in danger. Can the team save her?
The title could refer to a number of people.but I think the most likely candidate is Department Q staffer Rose who has a prominent role in this book. She has been having mental health issues for some time to the point of attempting suicide. She may not have physical scars but her abusive childhood certainly left her with emotional scars. Her personal situation becomes even worse when her next-door neighbour is murdered and three young women take over her apartment. All of these women have been clients of the same welfare officer, Anne-Line Svendson, who celebrates her escape from death by cancer by hunting down and killing the clients she detests. This all gives Carl Morck lots to do if he can just keep out of the clutches of the TV crew that his boss wants him to co-operate with.
I might have to find Book 3 in this series to catch up on what has gone on with the Department Q team in the interim.