Part of Department Q, book 9
First published 2022
A woman kills herself on her sixtieth birthday. Detective Carl Mørck sees nothing unusual about the case when it arrives at Department Q, Copenhagen's cold case unit. His superior Marcus Jacobsen thinks differently. Marcus believes the death connects to an unsolved murder from 1988 that has haunted him for years. Carl begins investigating with his team members Rose, Assad, and Gordon. They uncover a disturbing pattern spanning thirty years. Every two years, someone dies in what appears to be an accident or suicide. The deaths share connections that cannot be coincidence. A serial killer has been operating undetected for three decades, timing each murder with precision. The killer remains active and plans to strike again. Carl and his team must work around COVID restrictions while managing their personal problems. They race to identify the murderer before the next victim dies. The case tests Department Q more than any previous investigation.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: race-against-time, unsolved-mystery
Setting: Copenhagen, Denmark
Period: 1988, 2020s
464 pages · Hardcover · Dutton
Content warnings: death, murder