Keeper of Lost Causes

Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen

February, 2017

Personal Information:  Born August 2, 1950, in Copenhagen, Denmark; Education: Attended Rodovre University. Addresses: Home: Allerød, Denmark.

Career: Journalist and writer. Worked as a magazine editor.

Awards: Harald Mogensen Prize, 2010; Glass Key Award, 2010; Golden Laurels, 2011; Sealed Room Award, Sealed Room Club, 2012.

Department Q Series:

These fast-paced and suspenseful crime thrillers feature crotchety and difficult Detective Carl Morck of Copenhagen. … complex cold cases on which lives still depend, while dealing with troublesome departmental and personal politics. The books bring seemingly disparate plot lines together for a twisted and violent climax.

• #1 - The keeper of lost causes (Aug 2011)

#2 - The absent one (Aug 2012)

• #3 - A conspiracy of faith (May 2013)
• #4 - The purity of vengeance (Dec 2013)
• #5 - The Marco effect (Sep 2014)
• #6 - The hanging girl (Sep 2015)

Also:

The alphabet house (Feb 2015)

Conducting a special photo-reconnaissance mission in World War II Dresden, two British pilots are shot down …. only to land in a mental hospital where patients are subjected to experimental therapies.

Adler-Olsen also wrote the political thriller Washington Dekretet ("The Washington Decree"), set in the United States on the eve of a presidential election. (Not available in English)

Read-alikes for Department Q:

1	Millennium novels (Stieg Larsson) Reason:  Similarities abound in these Scandinavian thrillers: cold cases, conspiracies, protagonists with difficult personalities, and twisting plots. … The Millennium novels are darker and more disturbing; Department Q displays moments of humor. -- Shauna Griffin
2	Siri Bergman novels  by Camilla Grebe Reason:  ...intense psychological suspense stories that feature intricate plotting, complex characters, and gritty social problems.... -- Merle Jacob
3	Intercrime  by Arne Dahl Reason:  Featuring special units within the police force who investigate international crime (Intercrime) and cold cases (Department Q), these atmospheric Scandinavian mysteries boast large casts of complex characters, intricate plots, and a bleak view of human nature. -- Mike Nilsson
4	David Raker novels  by Tim Weaver Reason:  These atmospheric, suspenseful crime thrillers excel at bringing apparently unrelated plot threads together into complex webs of violence and depravity with a shocking secret at their center. Fast-paced and gritty, these stories won't let readers go until the bitter end. -- Melissa Gray
5	Harry Bosch mysteries  by Michael Connelly Reason:  These atmospheric, intricate series feature cops working cold cases while navigating interdepartmental politics and, especially in Department Q's case, the efforts of ruthless, influential members of the political elite. It's also a bit colder in Copenhagen than in Harry Bosch's L.A. -- Shauna Griffin
6	Tom Thorne novels by Mark Billingham Reason:  London DI Tom Thorne and Copenhagen police detective Carl Mørck have difficult personalities that cause friction with peers and supervisors alike; they're also surrounded by compelling characters in complicated relationships. But while Mørck investigates cold cases, Thorne is concerned with current ones. -- Shauna Griffin

Trailer for Trilogy of first three Dept. Q films:

http://themoviebox.net/9251

Author’s website (in Danish)  http://jussiadlerolsen.dk

Interview with author:  https://strandmag.com/interview-with-jussi-adler-olsen/