The Shadow Murders

A Department Q Novel

By: Jussi Adler-Olsen, William Frost - translator

Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm

INSPIRATION FOR THE NETFLIX SERIES DEPT. Q

In the exhilarating penultimate thriller of the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling Department Q series, the team must hunt for a nefarious criminal who has slipped under the radar for decades.

On her sixtieth birthday, a woman takes her own life. When the case lands on Detective Carl Mørck’s desk, he can’t imagine what this has to do with Department Q, Copenhagen’s cold cases division since the cause of death seems apparent. However, his superior, Marcus Jacobsen, is convinced that this is related to an unsolved case that has been plaguing him since 1988.

At Marcus's behest, Carl and the Department Q gang—Rose, Assad, and Gordon—reluctantly begin to investigate. And they quickly discover that Marcus is onto something: Every two years for the past three decades, there have been unusual, impeccably timed deaths with connections between them that cannot be ignored, including mysterious piles of salt at the scenes. As the investigation goes deeper, it emerges that these "accidents" are in fact part of a sinister murder scheme.

Faced with their toughest case yet, made only more difficult by COVID-19 restrictions and the challenges of their personal lives, the Department Q team must race to find the culprit before the next murder is committed, as it is becoming increasingly clear that the killer is far from finished.

Critic reviews

“Christmas is the holiday fast approaching in Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen’s The Shadow Murders, translated by William Frost. But it might as well be Halloween, for all the ghoulish deeds and wicked fiends the book contains.”
—Wall Street Journal

“This nail-biter offers the best of everything Department Q thrillers promise: compelling team rapport, boots-on-the-ground detection, masterful story construction, and a cliffhanger ending.”
—Booklist (starred)

“Opening teases don’t get much more tantalizing than in bestseller Adler-Olsen’s stellar ninth Department Q novel featuring Copenhagen’s cold-case division.... The climax lives up to the promise of the brilliant opening, cleverly connecting all the plotlines.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred)

"Every character seemed to come alive.... This police procedural and crime thriller has a stunning and deeply involved plot. The twists and turns will keep readers highly engaged and leads to an action-filled and emotional conclusion."
—Mystery and Suspense Magazine

“Award-winning author Jussi Adler-Olsen delivers another spellbinding thriller, The Shadow Murders, the ninth installment in his popular Department Q series… Readers will find it hard to put the book down because it is so intense, compelling and well done on every level.”
—Book Reporter

“The Shadow Murders is a big, complex creation.... [Adler-Olsen] is an elite writer among a field of exciting Scandinavian suspense writers.”
—New York Journal of Books

Just the best crime series ever!

I love each and every Dept. Q book!
This latest was no exception. Each character is do well developed it’s like being with friends. I can honestly say The plots never get old or redundant. I finished this book in 3 days. Graeme Malcolm’s narration is always perfect for theses stories! Can’t wait for the next book.

Depart Q full strength

All the favorite characters are highlighted in depth and more of their character revealed. The setting is more pronounced in this installment. You get more of a feel for Danish society. The virus of 2020 and the shutdown are woven matter of a fact in it the plot without any opinions or politics. The cliffhanger is one of the best in a series. I plan to get the next book as soon as it is available.

The Department Q evolution of characters

Loved the story. I enjoy this author and for me this installment in the series was one of the best. Some strange audio you could tell were inserted in the narration that stuck out. Did not impact the story, just the quality of audio

Captivating!!

Love the Partman Q stories. This was very well written, and kept me engaged and intrigued all the way through. Can’t wait for the next department Q book.

Oh no! I have to wait for the next book!

Department Q. Just gets better. Adler-Olsen allows his characters to struggle and to develop in ways that increase the reader’s commitment to their success.

Department Q isn’t always successful. Things go wrong. Sometimes painfully. However, under Adler-Olsen’s skilled hand you always know exactly what is happening, the weather, environment and atmosphere are conveyed so skillfully that you aren’t reading so much as living their experiences.