That said, what I recognized and appreciated in this novel that I haven’t found in crime novels by other Scandinavian authors was a sense of humor. I found myself laughing aloud at Morck’s opinions of his boss and authority in general, as well as his reactions to Assad’s unquenchable energy and undrinkable mint tea, his estranged wife Vigga and her procession of young starving artist lovers, and the department secretary, the lovely and unattainable Lis. I was reminded of the old television sit-com Barney Miller, with Hal Linden and Abe Vigoda. It also reminds me of David Baldacci’s Camel Club series with its cast of quirky characters. Perhaps the juxtaposition of Morck’s humor with the grisly details of Merete’s fate and the malice behind it provides a welcome respite.
I hope you have an opportunity to begin reading The Keeper of Lost Causes soon. In Part 2, I’ll talk more about the author and the remaining Department Q novels; number six is supposed to be published next month, December 2014. Plus I will give you a list of other Scandinavian authors so you can compare and contrast in future reading.
Source: www.nypl.org
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