Locked In by Jussi Adler-Olsen

 

Detective Carl Morck has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way in his career.  That's how he came to head up Dept Q, which only looks at cold cases so old and hard to solve that they are frigid.  But he has made a success of the department and the media is full of his accomplishments.  His personal life is happy as well with his marriage to Mona and their little girl.

But unfortunately two forces are coming for Carl at the same time.  The first is a criminal network that runs drugs between Denmark and Holland.  The other is those behind police corruption.  The day after Christmas a suitcase is found in Carl's attic full of drugs and money.  One of his co-workers had asked Carl to store it for him years ago and he had forgotten all about it.  But that explanation doesn't seem likely to the police and he is arrested and sent to prison to await trial.

Unfortunately, prison is exactly where the criminal network can get at him.  Soon, Carl has fought off several attempts on his life and he knows more are coming.  The police don't seem to be interested in helping Carl clear his name.  But he has friends.  Rose, Gordon and Assad from Dept. Q are on the case.  Mona and Hardy, Carl's friend, are working their networks to find him help.  Finally, those individuals in all walks of life who Carl has helped over the years in his cold cases would do anything to repay the favors he has done for them.  Can Carl be saved before he is killed?

This is the tenth Dept. Q novel and from all indications it will be the last.  I'm really sad to hear this as the series is meaty and satisfying and I've enjoyed reading about Carl and his cohorts over the years.  Readers have watched him turn from a disgruntled man with few if any friends to someone with a loving family and many friends who will do anything to save him.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.