The Absent One

By: Jussi Adler-Olsen

Narrated by: Steven Pacey

Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

In The Keeper of Lost Causes, Jussi Adler-Olsen introduced Detective Carl Mørck, a deeply flawed, brilliant detective newly assigned to run Department Q, the home of Copenhagen’s coldest cases. The result wasn’t what Mørck - or readers - expected, but by the opening of Adler-Olsen’s shocking, fast-paced follow-up, Mørck is satisfied with the notion of picking up long-cold leads. So he’s naturally intrigued when a closed case lands on his desk: A brother and sister were brutally murdered two decades earlier, and one of the suspects - part of a group of privileged boarding-school students - confessed and was convicted.

But once Mørck reopens the files, it becomes clear that all is not what it seems. Looking into the supposedly solved case leads him to Kimmie, a woman living on the streets, stealing to survive. Kimmie has mastered evading the police, but now they aren’t the only ones looking for her. Because Kimmie has secrets that certain influential individuals would kill to keep buried... as well as one of her own that could turn everything on its head.

Every bit as pulse-pounding as the book that launched the series, The Absent One delivers further proof that Jussi Adler-Olsen is one of the world's premier thriller writers.

©2012 Jussi Adler-Olsen (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Lots of Trigger Warnings

Typical of Dept Q, great characters and interesting plot. However, I had to FF through too much of this book to rate it any higher. Multiple descriptions of child abuse, severe animal abuse, and one brutally graphic rape scene made it difficult to say this is a book I "enjoyed". I don't even want to be the person who is comfortable reading about gang rape and animal torture. Steven Pacey's narration was fabulous as usual.

Are we in england now????

What made the experience of listening to The Absent One the most enjoyable?

I so enjoyed the first book on audible and couldnt wait to listen to this one, however the narrator changed and instead of someone speaking very good English but able to pronounce Danish names and places with correct pronunciation i got a very strong english accent ! Suddendly i had to keep remembering i was in Denmark not London england. It was so off putting after the wonderful narration of the first book that i almost gave up and just bought the book to read myself. i did listen to the end but it was a jarring and un enjoyable experience which was too bad as the book was just as fast paced and well written as the first one. i'll check for narrators before i buy any more books for sure

How did the narrator detract from the book?

already mentioned this, its was the worst part of the book

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

loved the character development but had a hard time as i was ussed to hearing their voices so differently

Enjoyed the book, did not like the narration

What did you like best about this story?

I think Jussi Adler-Olsen writes an interesting thriller. Gritty and witty at the same time. The first book of Dept Q, The Keeper of Lost Causes, had me fully engaged. The narrator was perfect in that he mixed English with the Danish pronunciation and character voices wonderfully. With The Absent One, the British narrator was never believeable as Carl Morck. I really had a tough time with it until half way through the book I just had to get over it, but never fully like it.

Would you be willing to try another one of Steven Pacey’s performances?

Yes, if he were narrating a British novel. He has a great voice for an audible book, he just needs to be in an appropriate venue.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the next in the series. I so miss Steig Larsson.

I made a big mistake...

While some readers complained about the narrator, I think the real problem was choosing a British narrator to interpret a Danish detective. Makes no sense, and didn't work well. That was the producer's fault. The reader was fine, but with all the fine alternative readers, Pacey was a crummy and distracting choice.

My big mistake was reading this book after recently reading the Louise Penny novels... All eight of them! She may arguably be the finest living author of the modern detective genre and frankly, this author is not close.

This is a C level book. Not sorry I read it... But I am not at all motivated to buy another. I also found the interaction between the protagonist and his "staff of 2" to be just weird. His staff were far better detectives than the detective who, quite frankly, detected little.

In fact, I could not connect with Merck at any level, neither professionally nor personally. Found him to be boring and not overly bright. Hard to build a series around that.

Still, as you can see, my three star rating is in the minority, so give the book a try and if you agree with my analysis, you'll know to consider my other reviews when you see them.

But if you REALLY want something special, check out Inspector Gamache by Louise Perry.

Second Q book

Jussi is on too something . This series is excellent and I am hoping for the next offering soon

I'm hooked

It's never encountered Jussi Adler Olsen before an ad on Audible suggested that I give the first book in this series a try. I'm glad I did. this second book was as rewarding as the first. I like good characters, a capable reader whose voice enhances the story, and a decent plot. I've found all in this Karl Mork (forgive the spelling) series.

Gripping and Suspenseful

The Absent One is book #2 in the Department Q Series. It is a crime fiction of the noir crime fiction genre and it will have you on the edge of your seat.

Following his recovery from having been shot while working on a case, Deputy Inspector Carl Morck has been reassigned to Department Q with his assistant, Assad where they work on cold cases. Morck is a flawed person, filled with guilt and remorse from the previous incident that left one partner severly injured and a third partner dead.

"A brother and sister were brutally murdered two decades earlier, and one of the suspects—part of a group of privileged boarding-school students—confessed and was convicted. But once Mørck reopens the files, it becomes clear that all is not what it seems. Looking into the supposedly solved case leads him to Kimmie, a woman living on the streets, stealing to survive. Kimmie has mastered evading the police, but now they aren’t the only ones looking for her. Because Kimmie has secrets that certain influential individuals would kill to keep buried . . . as well as one of her own that could turn everything on its head."

I read the first book several years ago and I was immediately hooked on the series. I subsequently read this book (#2), book #3: A Conspiracy of Faith and book #4: The Purity of Vengeance as fast as I could. Then, honestly, I had to take a break. The books are intense and exhausting, gripping and suspenseful. I seems typical for Scandinavian crime fiction (think of the Elizabeth Salendar series). They’re fabulous books but they will have you holding your breath the entire time you are reading. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I recommend reading the books in order.

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Into Withdrawal...Can't wait for the next Dept. Q!

Weirdly haunting. Carl Mørck is strangely intriguing. His dank character interplays with the grayness of Jussi Adler-Olsen's Denmark. He peers about the culture like a flashlight into murk collecting pieces for us to support his finely plotted tale. This is the second chapter in Merck's tale and ideally you should start with "The Keeper Of Lost Causes" to fill in the background - and enjoy an entirely different storyline. Warning... Merck's not for the squeamish... this is adult stuff, but stuffed into a satisfying treat.

Beginning to shudder now... waiting for the next Dept. Q investigation. Soon?

Deep nastiness

Would you listen to The Absent One again? Why?

I'm not sure I will listen to this book again, since the characters are so evil and the life of Carl Morck is such a downer I can't really say that reading it is a pleasurable experience. In fact, after the first book, I didn't think I wanted to tough out another one, but now I can't wait for the next book to come out. It looks like, based on the pace of producing the first two, maybe it will be another year? I've marked my calendar, Audible.

What other book might you compare The Absent One to and why?

I think Jussi Adler-Olsen has a unique style, so the only comparable book would be Keeper of Lost Causes. His depiction of villains is uncompromising; nothing comic or in any way redeeming or even distracting. Of course, in this book one of the villains saves the day in the end, but that was really kind of an accident. He doesn't let anyone off the hook.

What about Steven Pacey’s performance did you like?

Steven Pacey did well enough that I didn't really have to pay any attention to him. I'd say he did a solid professional job

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Everything that happened in that menagerie made me want to throw up. I would prefer that authors confine themselves to human victims, since humans at least have some hope of control, and have laws to protect them as well. I would prefer that animals and small children be off limits, but it's not like your overgrown schoolyard bully is going to pick on anyone that can defend him/her/itself, so I guess we just have to accept the realism of the plot.

Wish Erik Davis was Narrating

Would you listen to The Absent One again? Why?

No, ready to go to the next in the series

Who was your favorite character and why?

Always Carl M

How could the performance have been better?

Stay with the original narrator, erik davies