The Keeper of Lost Causes

Adler-Olsen, Denmark's leading crime writer, makes his U.S. debut with the superlative first in his Department Q series. In 2007, Copenhagen homicide detective Carl Morck narrowly cheats death when he and two colleagues are ambushed while checking out a crime scene. Morck is shot in the head, but one of his brother officers is killed, and the other left paralyzed and suicidal. When Morck finally returns to work, friction with his colleagues leads his boss to transfer him to head a new unit, Department Q, tasked with resolving "cases deserving special scrutiny" from across the country. While the purpose of the assignment is to get the difficult detective out of the way, Morck, who's initially content just to kill time, finds himself revitalized by a once high-profile mystery%E2%80%94the 2002 disappearance of a prominent and attractive female politician, Merete Lynggaard. The pages fly by as the twisty puzzle unfolds. Stieg Larsson fans will be delighted. (Aug.)