Department Q Books In Order

Publication Order of Department Q Books

About The Department Q Series of Books:

Department Q is series of gripping thriller and crime novels created by Jussi Adler Olsen, an extremely popular crime writer out of Denmark. The series has enjoyed incredible success and the books and the characters have a strong following. The book series is made up of 4 novels The Keeper of Lost Causes which is also known as Mercy, The Absent One which also goes by the name the Pheasant Killers, A Conspiracy of Faith which is also called Redemption and The Purity of Vengeance which was also released under the name Contempt. The name of the series Department Q comes from the department of the same name that the detective is transferred to after a big shootout that left some officers dead. What makes this series so popular is probably the characterisation and the way Olsen frames them in a story that’s full suspense, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. the stories are expertly told by utilising both the protagonist’s voice as well as the voices of the victims-which gives the books an element of speaking for the dead. A good crime novels need to tie in the mysterious parts of the story with the characters and their stories and Department Q achieves this at the highest level and 14 million worldwide sales agree with this. For many readers this is the series of books they have been waiting for after the suspense genre has experienced slumps. Websites contain positive reader reviews who put this book up to the level of a modern classic. If you love suspense, crime, murder and mystery these books will be right up your alley and you won’t be able to put them down!

The story of Department Q is centred on a Detective in the Copenhagen Police Department Carl Morck and his colleagues Assad and Rose. Each character is effective at their job but also flawed and quirky with their own back stories and demons. Each book deals with specific criminal cases. Morck is a brilliant detective with a sharp intellect and a true calling for the job. He is the survivor of a shooting in which two of his colleagues were paralyzed and killed respectively. Morck is divorced with a step son. The demands of his job and his emotional wounds make his love life very complicated and difficult. Morck is like a lot of detective characters we see in popular series, stubborn, arrogant and insubordinate and he is also considered to be anti-social and grumpy at times making him often difficult to work with but under all this he is an extremely talented detective and a good man who is driven to hunt down the bad guys in his town.

Assad is a Syrian refuge who’s assigned to work with Inspector Carl Morck. He is passionate about his work and manages to be a lot of things for the department including a coffee boy, driver and detective. Assad is also very good at adding new insights to cases, doing his own investigations and getting information out of the most unlikely sources. Rose is the secretary of the Department and her fiery personality provide an interesting aspect of humour to the story. We also get to see Carl’s ex-wife Wigga who’s also important to the story for the sake of building the character of Carl to the readers. Readers will get to experience how these characters interact and their differences that make them an unconventional and unique yet effective team.

Department Q starts off with the first book titled The Keeper of Lost Causes. In this book we are introduced to Morck, his work and his department. The story follows a cold case about the murder of a politician which leads them to the trail of a killer and a dark tale.

The second book in the Department Q is called The Absent One. A case file mysteriously lands on Inspector Morck’s desk. Even more mysterious is the case seems to be closed, making the department wonder what the sender is trying to tell them. The story follows the team as they try to unravel the mystery behind the case and to find out whether the convicted killer is actually the real perpetrator. This leads them to a private school where the drama of disturbing the order of a wealthy community and uncovering the truth unfolds.

The third book in the series is known as Redemption and the story of this book follows the solving of a cold case involving the boathouse murders of two brothers. The story kicks off when Inspector Morck receives a message in a bottle written in blood. While the bottle and the message are old what the Inspector and his team decipher appears to be quite nefarious. What ensues is a hunt for the author of the letter and the work to build a case around a heavily degraded piece of evidence. Where will this take them and what does it have to do with the two murders boys?

The Purity of Vengeance released in December 2013 tells the story of a seemingly random group of people who go missing. Department Q is tasked with finding these people and uncovering the story behind their disappearances. The book also further delves into the personal lives of Morck, Assad and the rest of the team and this also makes the story incredibly interesting, thrilling and pulling for the readers. This set of books builds the characters in an engrossing way and the world that Adler Olsen builds through his stories is one that is believable, realistic and relatable but at the same time there’s still an other-worldliness that comes through the story.

The Department Q series is riveting, complex and fascinating. It’s actually almost impossible to find a negative review on these books. They have fans all over the world and Jussi Adler Olsen’s work has been compared to suspense classics like Steig Larsson. Scandinavian writers are known for their talent and incredible writing and these books reinforce this. This set of books is a modern classic and must-have for anyone who loves thrilling crime stories.

3 Responses to “Department Q”

1. marie levy: 3 years ago

   I am in the process of reading book 1, Mercy and love it. all i need is more time to enjoy it. I will be ordering book 2 soon as I have finished Mercy.

   Reply
2. Susan Condo: 3 years ago

   Absolutely awesome series. Just finished the last one. Now I wait for the next one. Did not watch the series as it was not at all like the books. lasted 10 minutes and returned it.

   Reply
3. Kerry B: 3 years ago

   The Keeper of Lost Causes is a terrific read

   Reply