The Absent One

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.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Adler-Olsen, Denmark’s leading crime fiction author, outdoes his outstanding debut, The Keeper of Lost Causes, with his second Department Q novel.”
—Publishers Weekly, (starred review)

"Adler-Olsen's humor and his portrayal of Kimmie's sad life make The Absent One stand out among today's flood of Nordic mysteries."
—Kirkus Reviews

"The Copenhagen-set sequel to The Keeper of Lost Causes is quirky and wry."
—The Sacramento Bee

"Adler-Olsen has created a wonderful addition to the detective fiction genre...Readers of detective fiction, international crime fiction, and suspense fiction will highly enjoy this thriller."
—Library Journal (starred review)

“The pages fly by as the twisty puzzle unfolds. Stieg Larsson fans will be delighted.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Keeper of Lost Causes

“[An] absorbing psychological thriller.”
— Library Journal (starred review) on The Keeper of Lost Causes

“Comparisons [to Stieg Larsson] are inevitable and, while he may lack a Salander, Adler-Olsen’s prose is superior to Larsson’s, his tortures are less discomfiting, and he has a sense of humor.”
— Booklist (starred review) on The Keeper of Lost Causes

“Plan on putting everything else in your life on hold if you pick up this book.”
— The Oregonian on The Keeper of Lost Causes

“A relentless thrill ride of surprise, shock and terror.”
— The Sacramento Bee on The Keeper of Lost Causes

“The new ‘it’ boy of Nordic Noir.”
— The Times, London on The Keeper of Lost Causes

"The Keeper of Lost Causes is the one I'd be most eager-and most reluctant-to loan."
— The Boston Globe on The Keeper of Lost Causes

"The Keeper of Lost Causes is dark, atmospheric, and compelling. Those who loved The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will devour this book."
— C.J. Box

Amazing as always

Amazing as always, a masterpiece from Jussi in the series of department Q, if you like his style and other of his books you will love it

Great story, great characters, wrong narrator

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

The story was very original and dark. There was no formula.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. By being different than the typical crime novel in making the despicable protagonist a sympathetic character

How could the performance have been better?

The first book was narrated by a guy with an accent from the area where the story takes place. This narrator was doing some sort of bad Eliza Doolittle impression. If a book is based in another country, the narrator should be striving to put us in that country. This narrator put us in 19th century London.

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

Not so much.

Any additional comments?

I like this author a lot. I like these characters a lot.

Thoroughly Enjoyable Listen

Book 2 of this new series was an entertaining listen. The main character was more fully developed in this book and the interactions between Carl and his assistants, Assad and Rose, (in Dept.Q) made for a lot of humor in an otherwise depressing case. The premise was a bit out there but it made no difference as I followed the sequence of events to the final conclusion. The end was inevitable and well written making me long for another book and a few more hours with this cast of characters. Really enjoyed the reader as well.
I gave this book 5 stars as it kept me hooked into listening and finishing it in a couple of days!!

Don't give up on Department Q

If you could sum up The Absent One in three words, what would they be?

Hang in there. If you listened to the first story and became involved with the characters, the new narrator was a shock. An English accent just did not work here. But if you stick with it for a while, the story more than makes up for it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Rose. She is the latest addition to this team of cast offs that demonstrates the whole is better than the sum of the parts. She seems to be a scatter brain that finds a way to produce results. She is just fun.

What didn’t you like about Steven Pacey’s performance?

English accent is not suited for Nordic Noir

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

Kimmie and her package make you realize just how disturbed a soul can be. Even under circumstances she helped create.

Carl Mørck is the next best thing to Joona Linna

What did you love best about The Absent One?

The plot was spectacular.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Absent One?

Kimmie's every display of TLC when she was with her most treasured possession.

What about Steven Pacey’s performance did you like?

He did a very good job making the voices sound different.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me feel sad for Kimmie. I knew full well what she was, but it was largely the fault of the people who'd damaged her throughout her life. A pitiful creature who did AND didn't deserve her fate.

Any additional comments?

Really looking forward to the next book!