THE ABSENT ONE

Author:  Jussi Adler-Olsen

Genre:  Thriller, Department Q Series #2

Published:  2012

Personal Rating:  4.25/5 (very good +)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  66

From the Inside Cover of the ARC:

. . . Morck 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 Morck 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 are 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.

Woo!  Another successful read by Adler-Olsen.  The Absent One definitely has moments of brutality (Eek!), but I thoroughly enjoyed all of the intriguing characters.  Morck, Assad (assistant) and Rose (new addition to the team) are a very unique bunch and keep the interest level high even when they are just chatting.  I can't say I laughed-out-loud, but smirks generated by the under-the-surface humor were aplenty.  The other characters were very peculiar, and I wanted to know their stories.

The plot was a little eccentric, but I went with the flow.  Surprising for me, I loved the slower, methodical development in this one, because it created suspense.  Definitely a very good read, and I look forward to being by Morck's side when he picks up another cold case.                 

         

My thanks go to Penguin Group and Shelf Awareness for sending me this ARC.  The Absent One is scheduled to be published on August 21, 2012.