The Purity of Vengeance

New York Times bestselling author Jussi Adler-Olsen returns as Detective Carl Mørck and his Department Q team delve into a cold case that turns into more than they may be able to handle... 

In 1987, Nete Hermansen plans revenge on those who abused her—especially Curt Wad, a surgeon who was part of a movement to sterilize wayward girls in the 1950s. More than twenty years later, Detective Carl Mørck already has plenty on his mind when he is presented with the case of a brothel owner, a woman named Rita, who went missing in the eighties: New evidence has emerged in the case that sent Carl to Department Q.

But when Carl’s assistants, Assad and Rose, learn that numerous other people disappeared around the same weekend as Rita, Carl takes notice. Sifting through the evidence, they inch closer to Curt Wad, who is still committed to his twisted beliefs, and whose treatment of Nete only hints at his capacity for evil.

“Praise for The Purity of Vengeance: "[A] sordid tale… inspired by actual events during a dark period of Danish history. Ah, but there more, so much more in this frenzied thriller…" - The New York Times Book Review " The Purity of Vengeance is an enjoyable and eye-opening way to learn about the real Scandinavia, a story so outrageous that not even the best mystery writer can make it up." - The Boston Globe "When your series relies on cold cases, it's not always easy to craft plots that have both historical interest and an air of urgency, but it's something Adler-Olsen is very good at." - Booklist "Adler-Olsen merges story lines...with ingenious aplomb, effortlessly mixing hilarities with horrors...This crime fiction tour de force could only have been devised by an author who can even turn stomach flu into a belly laugh." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Another accomplished exercise in three-decker suspense" - Kirkus Reviews "Surprises, twists and turns galore" - Bookreporter.com Praise for Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series: "This series has enough twists to captivate contemporary mystery readers and enough substance and background to entertain readers with historical and literary tastes." - Library Journal (starred review) on A Conspiracy of Faith "From the busy efforts of forensics to some riveting train-and-car chasing near the end, there is no lack of action in A Conspiracy of Faith ." - Houston Chronicle "A shattering parable of honest individuals caught up in the corruption of our times." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on A Conspiracy of Faith "Comparisons [to Stieg Larsson] are inevitable and, while he may lack a Salander, Adler-Olsen's prose is superior to Larsson's, his tortures are less discomfiting, and he has a sense of humor." - Booklist (starred review) on The Keeper of Lost Causes "Adler-Olsen, Denmark's leading crime fiction author, outdoes his outstanding debut, The Keeper of Lost Causes , with his second Department Q novel." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Absent One”

Praise for The Purity of Vengeance

“[A] sordid tale...inspired by actual events during a dark period of Danish history. Ah, but there more, so much more in this frenzied thriller.”—The New York Times Book Review

“The Purity of Vengeance is an enjoyable and eye-opening way to learn about the real Scandinavia, a story so outrageous that not even the best mystery writer can make it up.”—The Boston Globe

“When your series relies on cold cases, it’s not always easy to craft plots that have both historical interest and an air of urgency, but it’s something Adler-Olsen is very good at.”—Booklist

“Adler-Olsen merges story lines...with ingenious aplomb, effortlessly mixing hilarities with horrors...This crime fiction tour de force could only have been devised by an author who can even turn stomach flu into a belly laugh.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Another accomplished exercise in three-decker suspense.”—Kirkus Reviews

More Praise for Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series

“If you like the dark humor, wisecracking, and layered betrayals of Raymond Chandler, then read Adler-Olsen’s Department Q series.”—Men's Journal

“A tense, pleasurable read.”—USA Today

“This book is not for the faint of heart, but for readers who enjoy dark humor and wisecracking heroes and heroines, you’ll love Department Q.”—Suspense Magazine

“It can be hard to distinguish Scandinavian crime writers—there are a lot of them, and their names have consonant clusters and umlauts and all that jazz—but Jussi Adler-Olsen is a name to know. In a crowded genre, Adler-Olsen is an outlier.”—GQ.com

“This series has enough twists to captivate contemporary mystery readers and enough substance and background to entertain readers with historical and literary tastes.”—Library Journal (starred review)

Jussi Adler-Olsen is Denmark’s #1 crime writer and a New York Times bestselling author. His books, including the Department Q series, routinely top the bestseller lists in Europe and have sold more than fifteen million copies around the world. His many prestigious Nordic crime-writing awards include the Glass Key Award, also won by Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbø, Stieg Larsson, and Peter Høeg.

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