What do you think?
Rate this book
Department Q #5
Buried
Over three years ago, a civil servant vanished after returning from a work trip to Africa. Missing, presumed dead, the man's family still want answers.
It is one of the many unsolved crimes facing Department Q, Denmark's specialist cold case unit headed up by Detective Carl Morck. But what Carl doesn't know is that the key to the investigation can be found right here in Copenhagen...
Fifteen-year-old Marco Jameson is tough, smart and very suspicious of police. Sleeping rough and hiding in the shadows is his way of life. But what does he know worth killing for - and will the police find him before whoever he is running from?
590 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
1320 people are currently reading
7735 people want to read
About the author
Jussi Adler-Olsen
44 books5,338 followersJussi Adler-Olsen is a Danish author who began to write novels in the 1990s after a comprehensive career as publisher, editor, film composer for the Valhalla cartoon and as a bookseller.
He made his debut with the thriller “Alfabethuset” (1997), which reached bestseller status both in Denmark and internationally just like his subsequent novels “And She Thanked the Gods” (prev. “The Company Basher”) (2003) and “The Washington Decree” (2006). The first book on Department Q is “Kvinden I buret” (2007) and the second “Fasandræberne” (2008). The main detective is Deputy Superintendent Carl Morck from the Department Q and he is also the star of the third volume, “Flaskepost fra P” which was released in the fall of 2009 and secured Adler-Olsen ”Readers' Book Award” from Berlingske Tidende-readers, the Harald Mogensen Prize as well as the Scandinavian Crime Society's most prestigious price ”Glass Key”. The fourth volume in the Department Q series, “Journal 64” was published in 2010 and he was awarded the once-in-a-lifetime-prize of “The Golden Laurels” for this in 2011”. In December 2012 the fifth novel was published, “Marco Effekten".
Furthermore, Jussi Adler-Olsen was awarded “Favourite Author of the Danes” in 2011, 2012 and 2013 leading the organization behind to change the set-up, so the winner cannot be chosen more than once in a three year period.
Jussi Adler-Olsen's novels have had such an impact abroad, that he has also received a variety of awards there: ”The Sealed Room Award” in Japan for “Kvinden I buret”; ”Best Translated Mystery Novel of the Year”,”The Crime - Blitz Award 2011” in Germany for “Flaskepost til P” given to the best international crime, Elle magazine's French reader award: ”Prix de Lectrices the Elle” for “Kvinden I buret” as well as ”The Barry Award” in the US for “Kvinen I buret” that was elected ”Best Novel of the Year”.
His first novel “Alfabethuset” and the first four books of the Department Q series have been sold for film adaptation. “Kvinden I buret” premiered in 2013 and “Fasandræberne” opens in Denmark October 2014.
He made his debut with the thriller “Alfabethuset” (1997), which reached bestseller status both in Denmark and internationally just like his subsequent novels “And She Thanked the Gods” (prev. “The Company Basher”) (2003) and “The Washington Decree” (2006). The first book on Department Q is “Kvinden I buret” (2007) and the second “Fasandræberne” (2008). The main detective is Deputy Superintendent Carl Morck from the Department Q and he is also the star of the third volume, “Flaskepost fra P” which was released in the fall of 2009 and secured Adler-Olsen ”Readers' Book Award” from Berlingske Tidende-readers, the Harald Mogensen Prize as well as the Scandinavian Crime Society's most prestigious price ”Glass Key”. The fourth volume in the Department Q series, “Journal 64” was published in 2010 and he was awarded the once-in-a-lifetime-prize of “The Golden Laurels” for this in 2011”. In December 2012 the fifth novel was published, “Marco Effekten".
Furthermore, Jussi Adler-Olsen was awarded “Favourite Author of the Danes” in 2011, 2012 and 2013 leading the organization behind to change the set-up, so the winner cannot be chosen more than once in a three year period.
Jussi Adler-Olsen's novels have had such an impact abroad, that he has also received a variety of awards there: ”The Sealed Room Award” in Japan for “Kvinden I buret”; ”Best Translated Mystery Novel of the Year”,”The Crime - Blitz Award 2011” in Germany for “Flaskepost til P” given to the best international crime, Elle magazine's French reader award: ”Prix de Lectrices the Elle” for “Kvinden I buret” as well as ”The Barry Award” in the US for “Kvinen I buret” that was elected ”Best Novel of the Year”.
His first novel “Alfabethuset” and the first four books of the Department Q series have been sold for film adaptation. “Kvinden I buret” premiered in 2013 and “Fasandræberne” opens in Denmark October 2014.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,613 reviews
November 29, 2020
(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: It's a lot of empty calories: the story moves, but not in a way that advances the plot much or pays off well in the end.
Notes: It's a lot of empty calories: the story moves, but not in a way that advances the plot much or pays off well in the end.
November 1, 2019
I love this series but was just a little disappointed in this one.
Partly it was because Carl seemed to have lost his mojo - this may have been deliberate on the author's part and due to events in Carl's life - but it left the character very flat. As the series rather hinges on the relationship between Carl and Assad, when Carl is flat and Assad is not talking things are rather dull.
The Marco storyline was good however and the book is certainly very readable. Just not quite up to what I have learned to expect from this series. And it really is time Assad's story came out. Maybe in the next book......
Partly it was because Carl seemed to have lost his mojo - this may have been deliberate on the author's part and due to events in Carl's life - but it left the character very flat. As the series rather hinges on the relationship between Carl and Assad, when Carl is flat and Assad is not talking things are rather dull.
The Marco storyline was good however and the book is certainly very readable. Just not quite up to what I have learned to expect from this series. And it really is time Assad's story came out. Maybe in the next book......
June 5, 2015
The Marco Effect is a great addition to the Department Q. series. I was drawn to Marco's character, and I could not put the book down when the narrative was told from Marco's perspective. I am ready for the next book in the series!
August 28, 2015
Listening to a good book can be even better than reading it – well that’s my experience anyway. But it all depends on the reader. I've listened to lots of audiobooks where the reader has truly brought the characters and places to life. I've also listened to some where the opposite is true and it’s ruined what was potentially a good book. This one delivered a strange and confusing experience, I'm afraid.
I was up for a bit of Scandinavian crime fiction and when this was offered up as a daily deal by Audible I quickly grabbed it at (what I thought was) a bargain price. It’s book five of a series so there was always a risk that I'd have missed some back story but in my experience authors seem to keep this in view and it’s rarely a significant problem.
For a story set in Denmark I'd assumed I’d get a reader with an accent to match and characters that felt and sounded like they belonged in that place. Unfortunately (inexplicably) what I actually got was a reader with a generic English accent who imbued the characters with a bizarre range of British brogues: Welsh, ‘home counties’ and broad Birmingham amongst them. It was just wrong and I found it really hard to see past this element to the story buried underneath.
If that wasn't bad enough, after a promising start the tale got quickly bogged down in a whole load of office politics involving characters I’d not met before and updates on carry-over issues and antagonisms that meant nothing to me. And it started to feel like I'd jumped into the middle of a book by Mark Billingham or Peter James - not really what I was looking for. I gave up.
Ah well, can't win ‘em all!
I was up for a bit of Scandinavian crime fiction and when this was offered up as a daily deal by Audible I quickly grabbed it at (what I thought was) a bargain price. It’s book five of a series so there was always a risk that I'd have missed some back story but in my experience authors seem to keep this in view and it’s rarely a significant problem.
For a story set in Denmark I'd assumed I’d get a reader with an accent to match and characters that felt and sounded like they belonged in that place. Unfortunately (inexplicably) what I actually got was a reader with a generic English accent who imbued the characters with a bizarre range of British brogues: Welsh, ‘home counties’ and broad Birmingham amongst them. It was just wrong and I found it really hard to see past this element to the story buried underneath.
If that wasn't bad enough, after a promising start the tale got quickly bogged down in a whole load of office politics involving characters I’d not met before and updates on carry-over issues and antagonisms that meant nothing to me. And it started to feel like I'd jumped into the middle of a book by Mark Billingham or Peter James - not really what I was looking for. I gave up.
Ah well, can't win ‘em all!
October 31, 2016
We open up with Marco’s story (Yes him in the title!) which keeps us going for the opening chapters as the scene is set before department Q make an appearance & his account is excellent, giving an insight into a different way of life in Denmark, exposing a seedy underbelly & the ways of a street gang.
With old favourite Assad recovering after the events of the prior episode, Rose comes to the fore by getting out of the office & doing some “training” which is great as she undertakes it all in her unique style to much amusement for Assad & an equal measure of chagrin for Carl. It’s great how they all grate/swim together as their caseload shifts it’s focus to coincide with Marco’s story/case. It’s prolly the best book to date for the interactions of department Q along with a few other characters that come, go & change it all adds to the overall flavour.
One small downside/niggle was the amount of leaps/coincidences that connected the stories but all-in-all Department Q delivers a good mystery which connects the dots as we go, 4.5 stars for me.
With old favourite Assad recovering after the events of the prior episode, Rose comes to the fore by getting out of the office & doing some “training” which is great as she undertakes it all in her unique style to much amusement for Assad & an equal measure of chagrin for Carl. It’s great how they all grate/swim together as their caseload shifts it’s focus to coincide with Marco’s story/case. It’s prolly the best book to date for the interactions of department Q along with a few other characters that come, go & change it all adds to the overall flavour.
One small downside/niggle was the amount of leaps/coincidences that connected the stories but all-in-all Department Q delivers a good mystery which connects the dots as we go, 4.5 stars for me.
October 12, 2014
The characters are still great. Wishing for a little more info on Assad than the tidbits Jussi is revealing in each book. But I found this particular storyline the weakest of the Dept. Q books. Pretty repetitive with Marco on the run and managing to slip away... Over and over. Doesn't mean I didn't like it but my
expectations were high and it didn't meet them. Still love you tho, carl, rose and Assad!
expectations were high and it didn't meet them. Still love you tho, carl, rose and Assad!
January 30, 2016
The Marco Effect is the 5th in the Department Q series by Danish author Jussi Adler Olsen. His books tend to be long so I listened to the audiobook this time which didn't disappoint. The book centers around 15 year old Marco a lovable character from a gypsy clan relocated from Italy. Marco goes on the run after discovering a body killed by his clan. His clan being nothing more than a criminal network forcing their young members to a miserable life of petty crime.
There are a lot of twists and turns and a number of plots in this book which I totally enjoyed. I love a book with a lot going on and full of detail. Detective Carl Morck's humorous relationship with his staff, Rose and Assad, always brings a delightful addition to the series. Expect a lot of suspense.
Looking forward to the next translation in the series.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
There are a lot of twists and turns and a number of plots in this book which I totally enjoyed. I love a book with a lot going on and full of detail. Detective Carl Morck's humorous relationship with his staff, Rose and Assad, always brings a delightful addition to the series. Expect a lot of suspense.
Looking forward to the next translation in the series.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
February 11, 2023
لم أكتب أي مراجعة شاملة لأي من روايات هذه السلسلة المذهلة ولكني لا أملك الآن لا الوقت ولا الطاقة لكتابة مراجعة لهذه الرواية ولا أريد أن أبخس هذه الرواية بالذات حقها. لذا سأكتفي بمراجعة بسيطة.
تستعرض رواية الجريمة هذه عالم الغجر الرحل واستغلال الاطفال في التسول وأفريقيا الموبوءة بالمرتزقة والمختزلة في الفساد والمساعدات المنهوبة في حبكة رائعة كعادة كل حبكات يوسي أدلر أولسن.
تستعرض رواية الجريمة هذه عالم الغجر الرحل واستغلال الاطفال في التسول وأفريقيا الموبوءة بالمرتزقة والمختزلة في الفساد والمساعدات المنهوبة في حبكة رائعة كعادة كل حبكات يوسي أدلر أولسن.
February 8, 2024
Another fabulous crime thriller in Copenhagen. Adler-Olsen is the John Sandford of Scandinavia: a solid, memorable protagonist with engaging supporting cast; clever, twisty plots, and complex, dangerous bad guys. Here, a long running financial scam tied to foreign aid crosses paths with a band of gypsy-like thieves. Old murders come to light and have to obscured with new murders. A delightful and gripping thriller.
January 23, 2014
Rating 3* out of 5. After the first four brilliant books in this series, this fifth one was disappointing. Not that I'm particularly surprised, I try to avoid any book which involves any sort of mafia or criminal network. I picked this up solely for having loved the first four so well. The other thing I'm beginning to notice after 35 hours of Swedish audio books in three weeks is that my Norwegian is becoming considerably worse. The two languages are closely related and difficult to keep apart even on a good day. The reason I listen to Swedish - or read Swedish editions of Scandinavian books - rather than Norwegian is simple: price.
Anyhow, I digress. In this fifth installment about the police department Q they start to look at the disappearance of the banker/politican/whatever William Starck several years ago. After a trip to Africa he disappeared, despite having a close relationship with the daughter of his girlfriend. Out on the streets, there is a boy on the run, Marco. He has fled his clan because Zola, the "god father", has decided he must be made more lucrative for begging by handicapping him. Hearing this, Marco runs away. He accidentally ends up hiding William's grave. When he notices, he takes a piece of African necklace hanging around the neck of the corpse and flees. But now the clan are no longer interested in just handicapping him, no, now they want to kill him.
There are endless scenes of running, fleeing, chasing involving Marco, the clan and the henchmen of the latter. Eventually it become bothersome. I spent plenty of time rolling my eyes wishing Marco would finally go to the police. He has other ideas, since he's afraid that being an illegal immigrant he'll just be thrown out of the country.
There's plenty of action in this book, but it mostly moves in circles. I haven't been put off Jussi Alder-Olsen by any means, but I do hope the next book is better.
Anyhow, I digress. In this fifth installment about the police department Q they start to look at the disappearance of the banker/politican/whatever William Starck several years ago. After a trip to Africa he disappeared, despite having a close relationship with the daughter of his girlfriend. Out on the streets, there is a boy on the run, Marco. He has fled his clan because Zola, the "god father", has decided he must be made more lucrative for begging by handicapping him. Hearing this, Marco runs away. He accidentally ends up hiding William's grave. When he notices, he takes a piece of African necklace hanging around the neck of the corpse and flees. But now the clan are no longer interested in just handicapping him, no, now they want to kill him.
There are endless scenes of running, fleeing, chasing involving Marco, the clan and the henchmen of the latter. Eventually it become bothersome. I spent plenty of time rolling my eyes wishing Marco would finally go to the police. He has other ideas, since he's afraid that being an illegal immigrant he'll just be thrown out of the country.
There's plenty of action in this book, but it mostly moves in circles. I haven't been put off Jussi Alder-Olsen by any means, but I do hope the next book is better.
April 10, 2024
In this I felt like the crime group didn't stand out in this. Still interesting and sometimes funny bur the case was everything in this. Havnt felt as on the edge of my seat for a long time, I was so invested and so nervous for Marco.
February 5, 2016
By the time you get to book five of a series it’s hard to know what more to say. Sometimes I feel like I could just copy and paste my review for Jussi Adler-Olsen’s last book, change a few names and hit publish. But that would be lazy, so I’ll give you my thoughts about where I stand with Department Q after The Marco Effect.
First and foremost, you must read the Department Q series in order, starting with The Keeper of Lost Causes. The story starts there, each case is independent, but there is a continual growth of the characters and their interrelationships.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but the series is formulaic – and I love the formula. Each one, including The Marco Effect, is a cat-and-mouse thriller. The reader knows who the villain is, and the tension is built around whether or not Carl can catch them in time. Jussi Adler-Olsen is a master of building a tense, gripping, dark crime story, around which he builds his fabulously developed characters.
The Marco Effect kept to the formula of the previous books, but the scenario is fresh and exciting. Marco is a sympathetic victim. We get to know a little bit more about the enigma that is Assad. I hope that when the series finishes, we finally learn who and what Assad actually is.
The Department Q books are not so much about the destination, but the journey to get there.
This is a series that’s hooked me. I am already eyeing book six.
First and foremost, you must read the Department Q series in order, starting with The Keeper of Lost Causes. The story starts there, each case is independent, but there is a continual growth of the characters and their interrelationships.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but the series is formulaic – and I love the formula. Each one, including The Marco Effect, is a cat-and-mouse thriller. The reader knows who the villain is, and the tension is built around whether or not Carl can catch them in time. Jussi Adler-Olsen is a master of building a tense, gripping, dark crime story, around which he builds his fabulously developed characters.
The Marco Effect kept to the formula of the previous books, but the scenario is fresh and exciting. Marco is a sympathetic victim. We get to know a little bit more about the enigma that is Assad. I hope that when the series finishes, we finally learn who and what Assad actually is.
The Department Q books are not so much about the destination, but the journey to get there.
This is a series that’s hooked me. I am already eyeing book six.
November 11, 2024
Novela negra danesa, se desprende de la serie creada como Departamemto Q, que sigue casos viejos investigados por 3 personajes diferentes, marginados, pero muy simpáticos.
En esta historia particular se teje un entramado muy complicado donde el eje es Marcus un jovencito extranjero afincado en Copenhague y parte de una particular familia, así como una red de estafas que involucra proyectos de financiación en tribus de África.
Tiene sus puntos buenos, como el ritmo que nunca decrece y siempre puede imprimir más acción y riesgo, los personajes principales siguen su desarrollo de forma coherente y aunque a gotas, vamos conociendo de a poco sobre sus vidas, son la parte más divertida del libro.
Los puntos malos me parece que en esta ocasión son más, hay persecuciones muy bien construidas pero llegan a ser demasiadas, vuelve q repetir fórmula con decirnos al principio cuál es el misterio, y eso quita un poco de emoción pues nosotros ya sabemos lo que los investigadores descubrirán hasta el final, otro punto repetitivo con sus otros libros es matar a varios de los malos antes de ser apresados, el final es demasiado idealista y nada realista.
En conclusión, este es el libro que menos me ha gustado de este escritor pero eso no impedirá que siga con la serie y que me haya entretenido.
En esta historia particular se teje un entramado muy complicado donde el eje es Marcus un jovencito extranjero afincado en Copenhague y parte de una particular familia, así como una red de estafas que involucra proyectos de financiación en tribus de África.
Tiene sus puntos buenos, como el ritmo que nunca decrece y siempre puede imprimir más acción y riesgo, los personajes principales siguen su desarrollo de forma coherente y aunque a gotas, vamos conociendo de a poco sobre sus vidas, son la parte más divertida del libro.
Los puntos malos me parece que en esta ocasión son más, hay persecuciones muy bien construidas pero llegan a ser demasiadas, vuelve q repetir fórmula con decirnos al principio cuál es el misterio, y eso quita un poco de emoción pues nosotros ya sabemos lo que los investigadores descubrirán hasta el final, otro punto repetitivo con sus otros libros es matar a varios de los malos antes de ser apresados, el final es demasiado idealista y nada realista.
En conclusión, este es el libro que menos me ha gustado de este escritor pero eso no impedirá que siga con la serie y que me haya entretenido.
August 18, 2022
Setting: Cameroon & Denmark; 2008-2012.
This is the 5th book in the crime series featuring Department Q (Danish Police's Cold Case Unit) and featuring Detective Carl Morck and his team. There is quite a bit of scene-setting in this one, starting in Cameroon where a Danish foreign aid project is supposed to be helping an endangered pygmy tribe -but for some reason the money doesn't seem to be getting through and the local project co-ordinator starts to stir things up...
Back in Copenhagen, an officer in the Danish ministry responsible for foreign aid raises concerns with his boss about the project in Cameroon, little realising that his boss is responsible for the anomalies...
On the streets of Copenhagen, a Fagin-style gang of pickpockets and thieves is operating, under the leadership of Zola. One of the gang, 15-year-old Marco, is skilled at thieving and picking pockets but doesn't want to do it any more. When he upsets Zola by standing up to him, he ends up having to go on the run. Hiding from his own gang, he discovers the remains of a man wearing an African necklace buried in the nearby woods. Aware of his illegal immigrant status, Marco decides he wants to let the police know about Zola and his gang but without putting himself at risk...
Great characters and investigations combine to make this a fast-paced rollercoaster of a read and yet another excellent book in this series - 9/10.
This is the 5th book in the crime series featuring Department Q (Danish Police's Cold Case Unit) and featuring Detective Carl Morck and his team. There is quite a bit of scene-setting in this one, starting in Cameroon where a Danish foreign aid project is supposed to be helping an endangered pygmy tribe -but for some reason the money doesn't seem to be getting through and the local project co-ordinator starts to stir things up...
Back in Copenhagen, an officer in the Danish ministry responsible for foreign aid raises concerns with his boss about the project in Cameroon, little realising that his boss is responsible for the anomalies...
On the streets of Copenhagen, a Fagin-style gang of pickpockets and thieves is operating, under the leadership of Zola. One of the gang, 15-year-old Marco, is skilled at thieving and picking pockets but doesn't want to do it any more. When he upsets Zola by standing up to him, he ends up having to go on the run. Hiding from his own gang, he discovers the remains of a man wearing an African necklace buried in the nearby woods. Aware of his illegal immigrant status, Marco decides he wants to let the police know about Zola and his gang but without putting himself at risk...
Great characters and investigations combine to make this a fast-paced rollercoaster of a read and yet another excellent book in this series - 9/10.
April 16, 2015
Quinto libro de la serie Departamento Q, no desmerece a los anteriores. Con un estilo característico que mezcla humor negro con un trasfondo social en apariencia inventado pero en el fondo muy real, muestra en este caso la soledad de aquel que se ve traicionado por los que considera familia o amigos, perseguido por no se sabe quien y que no se atreve a confiar en las únicas personas que le podrían ayudar, por miedo a ser despreciado por su aspecto u origen.
El libro está protagonizado en gran medida (en detrimento de Mock y compañía) por Marcus, un adolescente, inmigrante ilegal en una Dinamarca cuya población mira hacia otro lado ante los problemas de los que no son como ellos. Perseguido por su propia "familia", bajo órdenes de un grupo de banqueros y políticos corruptos a más no poder, sólo tiene la ayuda del subcomisario Mock y sus ayudantes Rose y Assad. Una ayuda que le es difícil aceptar e incluso pedir por miedo a la deportación.
En este libro se ve el lado más humano de Carl Möck en una lucha constante por superar sus problemas románticos, el apoyo y amistad hacia su ex-colega Hardy (tetraplégico debido a un tiroteo), las luchas entre los distintos departamentos de policía (a lo que su mal carácter no ayuda) y en este caso, además, por la preocupación por un joven desconocido.
El libro está protagonizado en gran medida (en detrimento de Mock y compañía) por Marcus, un adolescente, inmigrante ilegal en una Dinamarca cuya población mira hacia otro lado ante los problemas de los que no son como ellos. Perseguido por su propia "familia", bajo órdenes de un grupo de banqueros y políticos corruptos a más no poder, sólo tiene la ayuda del subcomisario Mock y sus ayudantes Rose y Assad. Una ayuda que le es difícil aceptar e incluso pedir por miedo a la deportación.
En este libro se ve el lado más humano de Carl Möck en una lucha constante por superar sus problemas románticos, el apoyo y amistad hacia su ex-colega Hardy (tetraplégico debido a un tiroteo), las luchas entre los distintos departamentos de policía (a lo que su mal carácter no ayuda) y en este caso, además, por la preocupación por un joven desconocido.
April 30, 2017
Μια ακόμη επιτυχημένη περιπέτεια μυστηρίου από τον εξαιρετικό Δανό Jussi Adler-Olsen. To ''Buried'' είναι το πέμπτο βιβλίο της σειράς ''Department Q'' με ήρωες τον αστυνόμο Carl Mork, τον ιρακινό βοηθό του Assad και την ιδιόρρυθμη, στά όρια της ψυχικής ανισορροπίας, γραμματέα Rose. Είχα κάποιες αναστολές σχετικά με την αναγνωση ή μη του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου, καθώς ο ίδιος ο Adler-Olsen σε συνέντευξη του (υπάρχει στο youtube) σχετικά με τη σειρά της ομάδας Q δεν αναφέρθηκε καθόλου σε αυτό, εν αντιθέσει με τα υπόλοιπα 5 βιβλία στα οποία αφιέρωσε αρκετό χρόνο συζητώντας τα με τον δημοσιογράφο. Μετά την ολοκλήρωση του ωστόσο πρέπει να πω ότι ειλικρινά δεν μπορώ να καταλάβω τον λόγο που επέλεξε να σιωπήσει και ίσως με αυτον τον τρόπο αποκηρύξει (;) το ''Buried''. Πρόκειται για μια πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα και διασκεδαστική ιστορία εγκλήματος και μυστηρίου πιστή στο ύφος των προηγούμενων βιβλίων και προσωπικά θεωρώ ότι ανήκει στα 3 καλύτερα βιβλία της σειράς. Παρακολουθούμε την ιστορία του δεκαπεντάχρονου Μάρκο, ο οποίος αποφασίζει να αυτομολήσει από την εκτεταμένη οικογένεια Ρομά που τον καταδικάζει σε μια ζωή που περιστρέφεται γύρω από την επαιτεία, την κλοπή και την κάθε είδους παρανομία. Κατά την απόδραση του από τον χώρο που ζεί μαζί με αρκετά άλλα παιδιά της ηλικίας του, κάτω από την τυραννική κυριαρχία του αρχηγού της φυλής Ζολά, ο Μάρκο θα ανακαλύψει ένα πτώμα, θαμμένο πολύ κοντά στον τόπο που διέμενε μέχρι τότε και έτσι θα τεθεί σε κίνηση ένας τεράστιος μηχανισμός με σκοπό τον εντοπισμό του και την εξασφάλιση της σιωπής του. Σε αυτό το ανθρωποκηνυγητό θα εμπλακούν πέρα από τα μέλη της τσιγγάνικης φυλής, Ρώσοι και Αφρικάνοι γκάνγκστερς αλλά και πανίσχυρα μέλη της οικονομικής και πολιτικής ελίτ της Δανίας, τα οποία έχουν πολλά να χάσουν έαν ο Μάρκο ανοίξει το στόμα του και πεί όσα ξέρει. Κάπου εκεί παρεμβαίνει και η ομάδα του Carl, στην οποία ανατίθεται η εξιχνίαση της δολοφονίας του άγνωστου άνδρα που βρέθηκε από τον Μάρκο.
Έιναι ένα βιβλίο γέματο, ''χορταστικό'' το οποίο δεν χάνει ούτε για μια στιγμή το σασπένς και την αγωνία που έχει να κάνει τόσο με την λύση του μυστηρίου σχετικά με την δολοφονία του θαμμένου πτώματος που βρίσκει ο Μάρκο όσο και με την τύχη την ίδιου του παιδιού που πάντα την γλιτώνει στο παρά πέντε από τους διώκτες του.
Πανταχού παρών και το χιούμορ που χαρκατηρίζει τα έργα του Adler-Olsen με τις απολαυστικές συζητήσεις μεταξύ Carl και Assad, την αλλοπρόσαλλη συμπεριφορά της Rose και τους ανελέητους τσακωμούς σύσσωμης της ομάδας με τον νέο αρχηγό του τμήματος ανθρωποκτονιών της Κοπεγχάγης. Νομίζω ότι η χημεία μεταξυ των χαρακτήρων που απαρτίζουν την ομάδα Q είναι από τις πιο επιτυχημένες του συγκεκριμένου είδους λογοτεχνίας.
Συστήνεται ανεπιφύλακτα!
Έιναι ένα βιβλίο γέματο, ''χορταστικό'' το οποίο δεν χάνει ούτε για μια στιγμή το σασπένς και την αγωνία που έχει να κάνει τόσο με την λύση του μυστηρίου σχετικά με την δολοφονία του θαμμένου πτώματος που βρίσκει ο Μάρκο όσο και με την τύχη την ίδιου του παιδιού που πάντα την γλιτώνει στο παρά πέντε από τους διώκτες του.
Πανταχού παρών και το χιούμορ που χαρκατηρίζει τα έργα του Adler-Olsen με τις απολαυστικές συζητήσεις μεταξύ Carl και Assad, την αλλοπρόσαλλη συμπεριφορά της Rose και τους ανελέητους τσακωμούς σύσσωμης της ομάδας με τον νέο αρχηγό του τμήματος ανθρωποκτονιών της Κοπεγχάγης. Νομίζω ότι η χημεία μεταξυ των χαρακτήρων που απαρτίζουν την ομάδα Q είναι από τις πιο επιτυχημένες του συγκεκριμένου είδους λογοτεχνίας.
Συστήνεται ανεπιφύλακτα!
October 7, 2018
. English translation.: The Marco Effect. Book 5 in the Department Q series. I enjoyed the previous books in this series for the investigative procedures in solving crimes and for the humour of the interactions between Carl Morck,the lead detective of the Cold Case unit and his two assistants: the mysterious Assad and Rose.
The book started out with financial fraud between Africa and Denmark, and then switches to the plight of a young boy, Marco who belongs to a group of people in Denmark illegally who force the children to steal and even cripple some to become beggars. When Marco realizes there is a plan to handicap him, he runs away. Soon he is forced to hide and discovers the body of a man killed by his tribe who is connected with the bank fraud. This makes his tribe more determined to find and murder him. At this point Carl and his assistants have not shown up, and I was thinking I downloaded the wrong book in error and had to look ahead to make sure I was actually reading a Department Q story.
Marco continues to run and escape his pursuers and after a while I found the chase scenes boring. The Department Q investigators are also looking for him, and Marco will not go to the police to save his life as he does not want to be deported. I would have enjoyed the book more without the financial dealings, and more about Carl's difficult home and personal life and more about his assistants, Assad and Rose
The book started out with financial fraud between Africa and Denmark, and then switches to the plight of a young boy, Marco who belongs to a group of people in Denmark illegally who force the children to steal and even cripple some to become beggars. When Marco realizes there is a plan to handicap him, he runs away. Soon he is forced to hide and discovers the body of a man killed by his tribe who is connected with the bank fraud. This makes his tribe more determined to find and murder him. At this point Carl and his assistants have not shown up, and I was thinking I downloaded the wrong book in error and had to look ahead to make sure I was actually reading a Department Q story.
Marco continues to run and escape his pursuers and after a while I found the chase scenes boring. The Department Q investigators are also looking for him, and Marco will not go to the police to save his life as he does not want to be deported. I would have enjoyed the book more without the financial dealings, and more about Carl's difficult home and personal life and more about his assistants, Assad and Rose
April 8, 2019
4.5 Stars
I swear, 1/2 star went to just finding out some more background info on Assad. Hell, maybe I should give that a full star! LOL
Anyway, 15 year old gypsy thief, Marco, decides that today is the last day of being in the "family (gang)." Except on his route of escape, s**t hits the fan and he finds a body. He really has no intention of making it an issue, until the family decides he needs to be dealt with. From that point on, we are on a roller coaster of backstabbing, murder, more backstabbing, Carl's tumultuous personal life, Rose's weird life (even more than usual), more murder and backstabbing, and Assad. It doesn't get any better....well, it can, but this is good enough for me.
I swear, 1/2 star went to just finding out some more background info on Assad. Hell, maybe I should give that a full star! LOL
Anyway, 15 year old gypsy thief, Marco, decides that today is the last day of being in the "family (gang)." Except on his route of escape, s**t hits the fan and he finds a body. He really has no intention of making it an issue, until the family decides he needs to be dealt with. From that point on, we are on a roller coaster of backstabbing, murder, more backstabbing, Carl's tumultuous personal life, Rose's weird life (even more than usual), more murder and backstabbing, and Assad. It doesn't get any better....well, it can, but this is good enough for me.
April 9, 2020
Έξυπνη ιστορία με καλοστημένη πλοκή,άφθονο χιούμορ και σαρκασμό και φυσικά,πολλές καμήλες.Ο Καρλ Μερκ(και όχι μόνο) στα καλύτερά του!
5⭐
5⭐
December 20, 2014
Not as good as the earlier books, the root of evil in this novel is financial greed as some bankers decide to steal foreign aid to Cameroon to keep a Danish bank in business. The disappearance of a banker named Stark sets off a series of events, resulting in a young gypsy alien (Marco) being targeted for death. His Uncle Zola cannot risk his band of beggars and pickpockets being jeopardized and neither can the bank shareholders. Marco, who wants nothing more than a normal life, cleverly draws in Carl Morck, Assad (still recovering from his near death experience in the last book), and Rose. I liked the involvement of Stark's girlfriend and her daughter, Tilde. Sadly, Marco's repeated escapes from stone cold killers (African boy soldiers, Albanians, etc.) was not credible, and detracted from the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2017
Amai ... effe bekomen ... weeral een straf verhaal.
April 5, 2015
I love the Department Q crew, but I was disappointed with this installment. It was slow and I was surprised by that.
The story lines were too convoluted this time. And of course culminating to the case Q is currently working.
Carl and Mona are splitsville - thank goodness. Assad is back in the saddle. Rose has a suiter and well, Rose is Rose. A new boss is upstairs in Department A. And something happens to Hardy.
Marco was a delight. Rene and Zola pure evil. If it wasn't for Marco and his flight from Zola, I'd have shelved this one. Next Q novel please.
The story lines were too convoluted this time. And of course culminating to the case Q is currently working.
Carl and Mona are splitsville - thank goodness. Assad is back in the saddle. Rose has a suiter and well, Rose is Rose. A new boss is upstairs in Department A. And something happens to Hardy.
Marco was a delight. Rene and Zola pure evil. If it wasn't for Marco and his flight from Zola, I'd have shelved this one. Next Q novel please.
February 7, 2017
I think this was the weakest of the series so far but I was still pretty much glued to it. I really liked Marco and his perspective of life on the streets. Assad continues to be one of my favorite literary characters (how many camel metaphors can one guy have?) and I really like Carl and Rose. I'm anxious to get to the sixth book and horrified that I have to wait until Sept for book 7 simply because I speak English and the translation isn't out.
October 2, 2014
I absolutely loved the first 4 books in the series and was waiting with anticipation for #5 which I am sorry to have to say that I just could not get into.
August 28, 2023
No me ha parecido tan bueno como los anteriores, pero, admito que tanto Assad como Rose apenas han aparecido en éste y eso pesa.
Digamos que es muy distinto a los anteriores, elmpedonde.la.historia lo llevan otros personajes, no los habituales, lo que en principio choca con lo.qie esperas y pese a que es ameno, se me ha hecho algo más "lento" ( igual por "repetitivo" ) que los anteriores ... y éso que es un no parar, si le sumo la ausencia de protagonismo de Rose y Assad me quedo con 4 estrellas.
Por lo demás, la historia es buena, entretenida y lo suficientemente "liada" como para hacerte mantener la atención de forma constante, no paran las persecuciones, los escapes por los pelos ... creo que estoy contando demasiado.
En fín, que cogeré el siguiente en breve, ahora creo que me apetece un cambio de género.
Digamos que es muy distinto a los anteriores, elmpedonde.la.historia lo llevan otros personajes, no los habituales, lo que en principio choca con lo.qie esperas y pese a que es ameno, se me ha hecho algo más "lento" ( igual por "repetitivo" ) que los anteriores ... y éso que es un no parar, si le sumo la ausencia de protagonismo de Rose y Assad me quedo con 4 estrellas.
Por lo demás, la historia es buena, entretenida y lo suficientemente "liada" como para hacerte mantener la atención de forma constante, no paran las persecuciones, los escapes por los pelos ... creo que estoy contando demasiado.
En fín, que cogeré el siguiente en breve, ahora creo que me apetece un cambio de género.
July 25, 2017
Романът ми хареса! Удоволствието ми беше на 100% и не мога да му дам друга оценка освен 5*
Умее да създава атмосфера и образи този човек! Дори, мисля, се справя далеч по-добре от Несбьо, доколкото са съпоставими.
И все пак любимата ми книга от поредицата за отдел "Q" си остава безспорно "Пациент 64".
Умее да създава атмосфера и образи този човек! Дори, мисля, се справя далеч по-добре от Несбьо, доколкото са съпоставими.
И все пак любимата ми книга от поредицата за отдел "Q" си остава безспорно "Пациент 64".
September 25, 2014
The story begins in the remote Bantu village of Somolarmo during the autumn of 2008. Louis Fon who was in charge of a Danish development project in the Dja jungle of Cameroon notices two men approaching; a white man, and Mbomo Ziem who was an errand boy for Danish government officials. Later, Louis noticed that Mbomo was giving bags of alcohol to pygmy Bantu villagers, and that substantial sums of money were missing from the project he oversaw. Shortly thereafter, Mbomo approached Fon with a machete, forcing him to flee. As fast as he ran he could not escape, and as he was dying from his wounds he was able to send a text message on his cell phone. This is how Jussi Adler-Olsen’s latest novel that employs “Department Q” of the Copenhagen police force entitled, THE MARCO EFFECT begins. As in the four previous books in the series the reader’s attention is captured almost immediately.
The plot centers around Kannebaek Bank, one of Denmark’s leading financial institutions. With the bank about to go under because of the 2008 economic meltdown, its chairman, Jens Brage-Schmidt along with two other bank officials hatch an embezzlement scheme involving the Danish Evaluation Department for Developmental Assistance to make the bank solvent. Problems develop when a civil servant named William Stark is sent to Cameroon to investigate Fron’s sudden disappearance learns that his final text message read, “corruption dans l’aide de development Dja.” This knowledge places a number of individuals, including Stark in grave danger leading to a series of murders.
As with all of Adler-Olsen’s “Department Q” novels there are a number of plot lines that eventually seem to merge together. The current mystery is no exception as in addition to the Danish bank fraud, the author introduces the role of a gypsy type clan, and the remnants of an old case that still causes difficulty for Carl Morck, the head of Department Q. Marco Jamison is a twelve year old boy who rebels against his clan leader named Zola, who is also his uncle. The clan operates on a number of levels including murder, pick pocketing, injury scams, and other mechanisms to exploit the general population. When Marco decides he no longer wishes to remain part of the clan, he runs away and hides from Zola’s henchmen. While in hiding, Marco comes across a corpse buried on the side of the road. Finally, Marco eludes Zola’s search party and wanders the streets of Copenhagen for over three years working and living with a gay couple who took him in off the streets. Then out of nowhere, the clan caught up with him. Due to the curiosity of Assad; a member of Detective Morck’s Department Q, who also seems to have been a Syrian intelligence operative before immigrating to Denmark, and Rose, who suffers from periodic episodes of multiple personality, the death of William Stark, the missing civil servant turns up on Morck’s desk. From this point on the novel gains momentum as the author doubles down on his plot.
Adler-Olsen introduces a number of new characters into the series. A number appear from previous books; Mika and Morten; a gay couple who lives in Morck’s house, and care for Hardy, a colleague of Morck’s who was paralyzed in a shootout investigating a previous case; Mona Ibsen, now Carl’s ex-girlfriend, who he had hoped to marry; and Lars Bjorn who is elevated to head the Homicide Division replacing, the now retired Marcus Jacobsen. The major new character is an intern who was attending law school by the name of Gordon Thomas, who is also sexually obsessed with Rose, and becomes a thorn in Morck’s side. The important characters that are unique to THE MARCO EFFECT include; Zola, the head of the gypsy type clan; Rene Eriksen, Head of the Danish Evaluation Department for Developmental Assistance; Teis Snap, manager of Kannebaek Bank; Jens Brage-Schmidt, Chairman of Kannebaek Bank; and Marco Jameson, who tried to sever all connections with the Zola’s clan and begin a new life. The roles of Assad and Rose continue to develop as their insight and acumen involving the case places them in a position of importance as the plot unfolds.
Parts of the book fits the description of a thriller as those pages seem to drip with tension as different forces try and capture Marco. At first, the repeated chases and escapes are effective, however, after what seem like repeated “Houdini type” escapes it seemed overdone. Perhaps Marco’s plight could have been couched differently as the novel progresses. As usual Adler-Olsen has a great deal to say about problems in Danish society be it Copenhagen’s underworld, issues dealing with immigration, corporate corruption, and civil servants who abscond with government funds. In all cases it is not difficult to ascertain the author’s viewpoint and he provides hints how these problems could be solved.
In conclusion, THE MARCO EFFECT measures up well to the previous novels in the series. All the elements of an excellent mystery are present, including a rather unsuspecting ending. If you have enjoyed Adler-Olsen’s previous work, his current effort will not disappoint.
The plot centers around Kannebaek Bank, one of Denmark’s leading financial institutions. With the bank about to go under because of the 2008 economic meltdown, its chairman, Jens Brage-Schmidt along with two other bank officials hatch an embezzlement scheme involving the Danish Evaluation Department for Developmental Assistance to make the bank solvent. Problems develop when a civil servant named William Stark is sent to Cameroon to investigate Fron’s sudden disappearance learns that his final text message read, “corruption dans l’aide de development Dja.” This knowledge places a number of individuals, including Stark in grave danger leading to a series of murders.
As with all of Adler-Olsen’s “Department Q” novels there are a number of plot lines that eventually seem to merge together. The current mystery is no exception as in addition to the Danish bank fraud, the author introduces the role of a gypsy type clan, and the remnants of an old case that still causes difficulty for Carl Morck, the head of Department Q. Marco Jamison is a twelve year old boy who rebels against his clan leader named Zola, who is also his uncle. The clan operates on a number of levels including murder, pick pocketing, injury scams, and other mechanisms to exploit the general population. When Marco decides he no longer wishes to remain part of the clan, he runs away and hides from Zola’s henchmen. While in hiding, Marco comes across a corpse buried on the side of the road. Finally, Marco eludes Zola’s search party and wanders the streets of Copenhagen for over three years working and living with a gay couple who took him in off the streets. Then out of nowhere, the clan caught up with him. Due to the curiosity of Assad; a member of Detective Morck’s Department Q, who also seems to have been a Syrian intelligence operative before immigrating to Denmark, and Rose, who suffers from periodic episodes of multiple personality, the death of William Stark, the missing civil servant turns up on Morck’s desk. From this point on the novel gains momentum as the author doubles down on his plot.
Adler-Olsen introduces a number of new characters into the series. A number appear from previous books; Mika and Morten; a gay couple who lives in Morck’s house, and care for Hardy, a colleague of Morck’s who was paralyzed in a shootout investigating a previous case; Mona Ibsen, now Carl’s ex-girlfriend, who he had hoped to marry; and Lars Bjorn who is elevated to head the Homicide Division replacing, the now retired Marcus Jacobsen. The major new character is an intern who was attending law school by the name of Gordon Thomas, who is also sexually obsessed with Rose, and becomes a thorn in Morck’s side. The important characters that are unique to THE MARCO EFFECT include; Zola, the head of the gypsy type clan; Rene Eriksen, Head of the Danish Evaluation Department for Developmental Assistance; Teis Snap, manager of Kannebaek Bank; Jens Brage-Schmidt, Chairman of Kannebaek Bank; and Marco Jameson, who tried to sever all connections with the Zola’s clan and begin a new life. The roles of Assad and Rose continue to develop as their insight and acumen involving the case places them in a position of importance as the plot unfolds.
Parts of the book fits the description of a thriller as those pages seem to drip with tension as different forces try and capture Marco. At first, the repeated chases and escapes are effective, however, after what seem like repeated “Houdini type” escapes it seemed overdone. Perhaps Marco’s plight could have been couched differently as the novel progresses. As usual Adler-Olsen has a great deal to say about problems in Danish society be it Copenhagen’s underworld, issues dealing with immigration, corporate corruption, and civil servants who abscond with government funds. In all cases it is not difficult to ascertain the author’s viewpoint and he provides hints how these problems could be solved.
In conclusion, THE MARCO EFFECT measures up well to the previous novels in the series. All the elements of an excellent mystery are present, including a rather unsuspecting ending. If you have enjoyed Adler-Olsen’s previous work, his current effort will not disappoint.
October 6, 2015
3 1/2 stars
I have mixed feelings about this fifth entry into the Dept Q series. There is a financial crime which includes several murders on more than one continent. And there's a boy, Marco, who accidentally discovers the body of one of the murdered men. While I was gripped by the Marco aspects, I thought there were too many story lines and people to keep track of. Since I listened to the book, I was not able to leaf back when I wondered "who is this person, again, and where do they fit in?". I also thought the book could have used some serious editing. Adler-Olsen has followed the footsteps of many a current mystery writer - bloated writing! His first book was under 400 pages and I see entry #6 is over 500 pages!
I've often characterized the Dept Q books as in the "grim and gritty school of murder mysteries". It was interesting that this, while still gritty, was not grim like books 1-4. It contained all the humor and interplay between the Dept Q and Dept A characters in the Copenhagen police department that I love in Adler-Olsen's writing. I think the series definitely worth reading, if uneven.
I have mixed feelings about this fifth entry into the Dept Q series. There is a financial crime which includes several murders on more than one continent. And there's a boy, Marco, who accidentally discovers the body of one of the murdered men. While I was gripped by the Marco aspects, I thought there were too many story lines and people to keep track of. Since I listened to the book, I was not able to leaf back when I wondered "who is this person, again, and where do they fit in?". I also thought the book could have used some serious editing. Adler-Olsen has followed the footsteps of many a current mystery writer - bloated writing! His first book was under 400 pages and I see entry #6 is over 500 pages!
I've often characterized the Dept Q books as in the "grim and gritty school of murder mysteries". It was interesting that this, while still gritty, was not grim like books 1-4. It contained all the humor and interplay between the Dept Q and Dept A characters in the Copenhagen police department that I love in Adler-Olsen's writing. I think the series definitely worth reading, if uneven.
June 23, 2021
Este número de la serie me ha gustado menos que los anteriores. Está entretenido.
Nuestro trío de personajes siguen resolviendo casos que permanecían en el olvido o sin resolver por falta de pruebas.
Pero ahí están el misterioso Assad (cómo llegó a la comisaría y las relaciones que mantiene con los altos mandos siguen siendo todo un enigma), Rose, que no hay nada que se le resista, y el comisario Carl Morck, al mando de este Departamento Q.
Me gusta mucho ver cómo maduran y evolucionan los personajes a lo largo de la serie y meterme de lleno en su vida privada y relaciones interpersonales.
Nuestro trío de personajes siguen resolviendo casos que permanecían en el olvido o sin resolver por falta de pruebas.
Pero ahí están el misterioso Assad (cómo llegó a la comisaría y las relaciones que mantiene con los altos mandos siguen siendo todo un enigma), Rose, que no hay nada que se le resista, y el comisario Carl Morck, al mando de este Departamento Q.
Me gusta mucho ver cómo maduran y evolucionan los personajes a lo largo de la serie y meterme de lleno en su vida privada y relaciones interpersonales.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,613 reviews