The Absent One: A Department Q Novel, Book Cover May Vary Paperback – May 7, 2013

This was a long and complicated story with people who were very rich and very evil. It was beautifully done by the author, and the characters, Carl and Assad, were interesting and true to life and heroic as always.

I hate giving this book just three stars, especially when I gave Adler-Olson's first book, "The Keeper of Lost Causes," five, but the truth is - I just didn't enjoy it as much. Somehow, any small imperfections I was completely willing to overlook in the first book seemed much more of a distraction this time around.Obviously, Adler-Olson is a terrific writer. Before I was even 1/2 way through "The Keeper of Lost Causes" I had already ordered the next three titles in the series that are available in English. And, as with the previous book, I finished "The Absent One" in just a few days - four, to be exact. However, I realized fairly soon into it that I wasn't enjoying the interactions between the characters, especially those of Carl and his now partner, Assad, nearly as much as I had in his previous book. And since it was exactly those interactions that I was looking forward to, this was a let-down.For me, the introduction of Rose - a secretary who is assigned to Carl's newly formed Department "Q" (think "Cold Case") was definitely a distraction. There was no real explanation given for why she's assigned to this particular department, other than that fact that she passed all of her exams - except the driving one - with flying colors. Her character wasn't very well-developed, true. But honestly, I couldn't really put my finger on what exactly I didn't like about her and maybe this is why I found her such a distraction. To give credit, Carl has a problem with her, too.I also found that I didn't have nearly as many of those laugh-out-loud moments as I did with "The Keeper of Lost Causes." There were some, sure, but not like before. Carl and Assad's relationship does continue to develop, somewhat, but the mystery that is Assad isn't delved into like the last book led me to believe it would be. And this was disappointing, because Assad's is one of my favorite fictional characters EVER! I loved all the little clues dropped in the first book and I was really hoping we'd learn more this time around, but we don't :(!I'll admit now, I don't understand Carl's relationship with the division's therapist, Mona Ibsen. First, her name alone is a distraction, because Mona is also the name of Kurt Wallander's ex-wife in Henning Mankell's popular detective series which is set in Sweden, another Scandinavian country. And, I don't particularly like Kurt's (ex-)wife - she comes across as rather bitchy, although I'd suspect that she's written this way.Second, I am a therapist myself and apparently the rules over in Norway are quite a bit different from those in the States, as Carl frequently daydreams about dating his Mona and her responses seem to indicate that this just might be a possibility. Indeed, they have their first "date" in this book and although it doesn't go that well, Mona leads Carl to believe that there's still hope. Obviously. A therapist dating a client, especially one that s/he still has a therapeutic relationship with, is definitely a no-no in the US. So, I guess the rules are different in Norway. Not sure what to think about this, but definitely disconcerting.Third, I just can't figure out why Carl is attracted to Mona. She's beautiful - ok, but that's it? She doesn't seem particularly smart, witty, fun - honestly we don't get much of a feel for her at all. Since her character was introduced in the first book, I think that it was reasonable to expect that we'd learn a little more about her this time. And looks alone just don't seem like something Carl would choose to build a relationship on, unless I've read him completely wrong.Finally, the violence in this book was very disturbing. I know it was intended to be, but in this case, it made it hard for me to enjoy the story. Maybe because this story centers around the perpetrators of the violence - six fifth-form students who attend a fancy boarding school and become known, collectively, as "The Gang." They are basically a bunch of psychotic barbaric savages who get their rocks off by hurting anything or anyone they perceive as vulnerable and weak.Adler-Olson's last book focused primarily on the stories of Carl, a traumatized detective seeking redemption, and Merle, a smart, savvy, up-and-coming politician who is kidnapped and held without ransom. While Merle's kidnappers are definitely of the heinous sort, there is at least some attempt to explain the source of their pathology. In "The Absent One," there is simply no way to account for the pathological savagery of Kristian, Ulrik, Ditlev, Torsten, Bjarne, and Kimmie. They are evil, period.Adler-Olson makes a half-hearted attempt to give us a back-story on "Kimmie," the sole girl in "The Gang," that will give us some context in which to understand her later acts of cruelty and violence. However, it falls so pathetically short, it would have been better to have left it out completely, but that would have made for a different story altogether.The members of "The Gang," including Kimmie, are far worse than apathetic and ammoral - they actively seek out victims to humiliate and beat, often to death, because they enjoy it. I've got to give Adler-Olson credit here - as at least half of the book is told from their perspectives - he can write and he can draw you in. What's most disturbing about "The Absent One" is just how much. You experience their excitement and heightened emotions so vividly that you catch yourself thinking "wtf is going on here?" It's sick, it's disturbing, and it's brilliant story-telling.Okay, four stars.

Detective Carl Morck is a detective in the time-honored genre of gruff, wry homicide investigators. To all outward appearances, and to those who look no further, Morck is a damaged malcontent, the survivor of a shootout in which one partner died and another was paralyzed, someone who doesn't follow the rules or respect authority. And as with many other novels in this vein, the reader comes to believe in this supposed misanthrope, to trust that to the best of his abilities he will see justice done rather than rules obeyed, and you see he has insight into human behavior, as a detective should, but he also seems to have a desire to protect the victims, and an optimism about people. He's a good guy. And he certainly doesn't deserve to be shunted away to the depths of the basement with the cold cases and a Syrian enigma named Assad as his assistant. A new member has been added to the team, Rose, an outspoken young woman who seems to show promise as an investigator, but is not easy for Carl to take.The perspective changes constantly between (and sometimes within) the short chapters, and all are intensely interesting; you hate to see one character's story end, but the next one hooks you as quickly and as deep. The book begins with a prologue, an unnamed character in imminent danger. Chapter One introduces us to Kimmie, a homeless woman who seems to have a remarkable story to tell. The second chapter's focus is on three middle-aged men, outrightly known to be absolutely unscrupulous psychopaths who also have money, privilege and position in society. They are looking for Kimmie, but we don't yet know why. And then finally in Chapter Three we are back with Detective Morck and the effervescent Assad. With these first few chapters the stage is set. There is no mystery but there is an incredible story to unfold, and it is quickly apparent that the reader is in the hands of a master storyteller. Just when I was thinking, "Well what's the relationship between these psychopaths?", here'd come a perfect chapter to answer just that question. The tension builds as the characters' storylines converge, but there are also snatches of humor, especially in the interactions between Carl and the people he knows, both at work and at home.This is a fantastic second book in the Department Q series. Do please read them in order. The first book is called Mercy (alternative title: The Keeper of Lost Causes). The alternative title to this book is The Absent One.I've read many Scandinavian thrillers, and these books by Adler-Olsen would be in my top three. Superb writing, great characters and compelling plots. Highest recommendation.

This story hits nearly every subject that keeps me up at night: brutal rapes, random beatings and murders by a gang of hyper-privileged boarding school friends, mental illness, horrific animal abuse, and family dysfunction. Yet, it’s all woven together with the quirky cast of Department Q—Carl, Assad, and now Rose—whose dogged determination to solve forgotten cases and bring justice to the victims anchors the narrative. Carl takes on a case that hints at the involvement of powerful people who started as bored teens seeking a thrill. Along the way, familiar faces like Hardy, Carl’s injured partner; Mona, the captivating psychologist; Jesper, Carl’s unmotivated son; and Morton, the basement cook and roommate, add depth and familiarity to the story. It’s a difficult read at times, but undeniably a creepy and suspenseful journey.