Expecting to be reprimanded harshly, Carl is shocked to actually receive a promotion. He's to head up a new division, titled Department Q, which is being funded by the government to look into cold cases. His excitement is short- lived, however, when he finds that he's the only detective and his new office is in the grubby basement. His desk is soon loaded down with stacks of folders of unsolved cases. Insisting there is too much to do by himself, that he needs an assistant who can take care of paperwork and cleaning, he is sent Assad, a Syrian immigrant with some very unique and useful talents.

Figuring he's been set up to fail, Carl isn't too enthusiastic about getting started on the case files. Casually leafing through them, one does catch his attention -- that of politician Merete Lynggaard, who vanished five years ago. Presumed dead, her disappearance still intrigues Carl enough to start looking into aspects of the incident and interviewing witnesses. With Assad by his side, as well as running errands for him, Carl starts building an unusual case. Could Merete still be alive somewhere after all this time? And, if so, will Carl and Assad be able to locate and rescue her?

Set in 2007, this first book of a series originally published in Danish is an outstanding police procedural thriller. With flashbacks to the victim's circumstances and her thoughts, it made for an excellent reading experience. I am hoping Penguin is planning to translate the rest of the series, as I would love to read more about Carl and Assad solving cold cases.

Book Summary