Part of Department Q, book 11
First published 2025
Carl Mørck has left the police force and Department Q behind, trying to make it as a writer. Then a disturbing audio recording lands in his hands. Four years ago, an elderly woman survived a murder attempt by her husband, who then killed himself. The case was marked solved, but the recording proves the couple wasn't alone during the crime. Carl visits his former colleagues Rose Knudsen and Hafez el-Assad at Department Q, where morale has plummeted since his departure. Their solve rate is dropping, and tensions rise when their boss introduces Helena Henry, a mysterious Danish-French detective with no apparent past. Rose suspects Helena is hiding something and begins investigating her new colleague. At Carl's urging, Department Q reopens the case of the elderly couple. A forgotten tragedy from years past slowly emerges. When Assad and Helena fall into a vengeful man's deadly trap, the team must confront a painful question: who are the real victims, and who are the perpetrators? This case forces them to examine how long someone should be held accountable for their choices.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family, reopened-case
Setting: Denmark
Period: Contemporary
509 pages · Paperback · Politiken
Content warnings: death, murder