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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Very happy to have received an early version of this book. I recently finished the last book in the series and was glad to re-visit the Department Q staff. My favorite thing about this series is the amount of time taken with the victims, they are not just a plain white wall for the author to use to display his ongoing characters. They have complicated back stories and real lives, making the circumstances of the mystery much more compelling. This series is definitely for those who enjoy Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley series.
still good/gripping, but frustrating in a few ways. first, i dislike stories where the problem would be solved if someone would just speak to the police. marco's reasoning for staying away was pretty flimsy, and how many near-escapes can one person have (or do i want to read about)? second, carl's curmudgeonliness is getting a little caricature-like - he didn't seem very skilled in this episode and assad did much of the detectiving. i liked how the story spanned a long timeline - something all of the department Qs have - but there was too much fluff in this one.
that said, of course i'll read the next.
that said, of course i'll read the next.
Continuing the Department Q series of Danish crime procedurals, this volume has the addition of a Roma teenager smarting under Danish conformity, governmental corruption and emigration scams tracing back to West African child soldiers. Adler-Olsen is still writing these primarily for a Danish readership, so they have a real edge of criticism of Danish policy and have not been watered down for American translation like Nesbo.
As other reviewers have said, this book wasn t quite as good as others in this series, but a subpar department Q mystery is better than most other mysteries, in my opinion.
outstanding storytelling. great characters, great pacing, a touch of the farce alongside the crime drama. i like this as much as the first in this series that i read, A Conspiracy of Faith. the Department Q gang are a delight.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Young Marco is on the run from his Gypsy clan, desperate to escape a life of crime and violence under Zola's leadership. But Zola has more at stake than the loss of a clan member. Marco can expose Zola's involvement in a murder for hire, and now the men that hired Zola are after Marco too. As an illegal immigrant and life long criminal, he's naturally hesitant to go to the police for help. He decides to investigate the murder himself, believing he can find a way to turn in Zola without risking himself or his father.
Meanwhile, Detective Carl Mørck and Department Q are dealing with a new boss and a new team member. Carl's personal and professional lives are in upheaval, and he isn't dealing with it well. To his dismay, Rose digs into an old missing person's case she stumbled upon and won't let it go. As they investigate farther into the case, Carl and Marco are drawn together.
Petty crime, murder, embezzlement and theft are the backdrop for what Adler-Olsen does best, drawing the reader into the book with interesting, fully realized characters. The chase for Marco includes many close calls and Houdini-like escapes, which would have been dully repetitious without the emotional connect with Marco. I focused less on the action and more on Marco's feelings and motivations. I feel the chase was simply a mechanism for demonstrating Marco's determination to escape and have a 'normal' life.
I enjoyed this translation of the book. I didn't find any awkwardness of phrase or pacing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Meanwhile, Detective Carl Mørck and Department Q are dealing with a new boss and a new team member. Carl's personal and professional lives are in upheaval, and he isn't dealing with it well. To his dismay, Rose digs into an old missing person's case she stumbled upon and won't let it go. As they investigate farther into the case, Carl and Marco are drawn together.
Petty crime, murder, embezzlement and theft are the backdrop for what Adler-Olsen does best, drawing the reader into the book with interesting, fully realized characters. The chase for Marco includes many close calls and Houdini-like escapes, which would have been dully repetitious without the emotional connect with Marco. I focused less on the action and more on Marco's feelings and motivations. I feel the chase was simply a mechanism for demonstrating Marco's determination to escape and have a 'normal' life.
I enjoyed this translation of the book. I didn't find any awkwardness of phrase or pacing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes