Juan Mari Mendizábal Book order (chronological)

New York Times bestselling author Jussi Adler-Olsen returns as Detective Carl Mørck and his Department Q team delve into a cold case that turns into more than they may be able to handle... In 1987, Nete Hermansen plans revenge on those who abused her—especially Curt Wad, a surgeon who was part of a movement to sterilize wayward girls in the 1950s. More than twenty years later, Detective Carl Mørck already has plenty on his mind when he is presented with the case of a brothel owner, a woman named Rita, who went missing in the eighties: New evidence has emerged in the case that sent Carl to Department Q. But when Carl’s assistants, Assad and Rose, learn that numerous other people disappeared around the same weekend as Rita, Carl takes notice. Sifting through the evidence, they inch closer to Curt Wad, who is still committed to his twisted beliefs, and whose treatment of Nete only hints at his capacity for evil.

Jussi Adler-Olsen's internationally bestselling Q series returns with a gripping installment for fans of Scandinavian crime thrillers. Two brothers wake tied in a boathouse by the sea, abandoned by their kidnapper but aware he will soon return. With only a bottle and tar, they craft a desperate plea for help using blood for ink. Meanwhile, a woman is trapped in a tumultuous marriage, enduring her husband's secrets and threats. Determined to uncover the truth, she is prepared to confront the consequences. In Copenhagen's cold cases division, Carl Morck discovers a bottle containing a decayed message written in blood—a cry for help from the boys. He questions its authenticity, their identities, and whether they are still alive. In 2013, the creators of the Stieg Larsson films and The Killing will adapt Adler-Olsen's Department Q novels, including this one, for the big screen. Praise for Adler-Olsen highlights his status as a rising star in Nordic Noir. His exploration of abnormal psychology continues to captivate readers. Born in Copenhagen, he studied various subjects and worked as a magazine editor before embarking on his writing career, with all three Department Q thrillers achieving bestseller status in Denmark.

At first the prisoner scratches at the walls until her fingers bleed. But there is no escaping the room. With no way of measuring time, her days, weeks, months go unrecorded. She vows not to go mad. She will not give her captors the satisfaction. She will die first. *** Copenhagen detective Carl Mørck has been taken off homicide to run a newly created department for unsolved crimes. His first case concerns Merete Lynggaard, who vanished five years ago. Everyone says she's dead. Everyone says it's a waste of time. He thinks they're right. *** The voice in the dark is distorted, harsh and without mercy. It says the prisoner's torture will only end when she answers one simple question. It is one she has asked herself a million times: WHY is this happening?