The Marco Effect: A Department Q Novel

A young man is forced to flee when he finds out that the oppressive clan leader who runs his "family" has killed a man; Carl, Assad, and Rose get wind of an embezzlement case that has a man missing; and it seems the financial institutions of Denmark are shadier than anyone could have imagined. Adler-Olsen does know how to weave a complex story-line, but in this installment, he may have tried to squeeze in a few too many into the same story. It is obvious that Adler-Olsen is extremely passionate about the issues he's trying to cast light upon, but it does get somewhat confusing at times and the various twists could have used a few more explanations. What does make up for it are the absolutely amazing characters that are so odd and show more grouchy and hilarious that you can't help but love them. Poor Carl gets to compare his coworkers with kindergarteners high on sugar, wish they came with subtitles, and try to decipher the many camel-related idioms that he is bombarded with. Such a great team to spend time with - can't wait to do it over again! For those of you who follow the series, we also get a tiny (but exciting) step closer to finding out Assad's true background. show less

Unbelievable how Department Q books just keeps getting better and better! With a very sympathetic protagonist, a fifteen year old escapee from a gang of thieves, even Carl Morck's cold cold heart melts a bit. Assad and Hardy continue their recovery and there's a way twisted plot originating in Cameroon. In each book, the author's deep dives into the Danish psyche reveal more about the people and their attitudes towards the immigrants who are reshaping their country. As usual, there's plenty of humor, Morck's bumbling efforts with women, and even a new Dept Q colleague. Don't start here - begin properly at the beginning with The Keeper Of Lost Causes. This is my favorite so far.

The Marco Effect is the fifth in a crime series centered around “Department Q,” a Copenhagen police homicide division handling cold cases.

Carl Mørck is head of Department Q in name, but the cases actually get selected and moved along by Carl’s two assistants, the mysterious and very funny Assad, and Carl's so-much-more than a secretary Rose. Interactions among the three of them are usually the highlight of the books, but this one excels in the crime portions as well.

Fifteen-year-old Marco Jameson lives with a cult/clan for which he is expected to fulfill a quota of pickpocketing every day. Marco wants a “normal” life; he wants to study, excel, and earn a legitimate wage. However, none of the kids have the freedom to leave, show more much less register any complaints. But when Marco discovers the body of a man presumably killed by his “family,” he knows it is time to escape - if he can.

Marco's situation becomes an important thread of this surprising and clever story that begins in Africa and focuses on the very topical subject of the bank failures that rocked the economic world in 2008.

Discussion: We both read this book and had almost identical reactions.

First of all, we both loved it - it is a rip-roaring crime adventure - tense, full of narrow escapes, outstanding characters, and humorous interludes. In fact, of all of the Department Q books published so far, we both consider this to be Adler-Olsen’s best.

We also both agreed that while the author did not do so well in making this book a “standalone,” that didn’t matter to either of us; we are big fans of the Detective Carl Mørck series and have been reading them as soon as they are produced.

Evaluation: This thriller will not disappoint fans of the series! show less

It has been awhile since I picked up a book from this series and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed reading about these characters. The Marco Effect reached out and grabbed me and now I am eager to continue on with this series. The Marco Effect is the 5th book in this Nordic series set in Denmark.

Fifteen-year-old Marco Jameson longs to become a Danish citizen and go to school like a normal teenager. Unfortunately, his Uncle Zola forces the children of their former gypsy clan to beg and steal for his personal gain. When Marco decides he has had enough and runs away, his Uncle Zola and the rest of the clan try to hunt him down as he could implicate his uncle in a murder. Little does Detective Carl Morck realize that this boy will draw him show more and the rest of Department Q into a particularly gruesome case involving intentional banking and people who seem to go missing. Carl wants to save the boy but his trail leads him to embezzlers and vicious child soldiers and on to the very dark cover-up of a number of murders.

Although Carl did not seem to be as sharp as usual in this outing, probably due to troubles in his personal life, I was glued to the pages as the complex case was interesting and thrilling. Very much like the picture on the cover, the character of Marco is like a pebble thrown in water and the ripples get bigger and bigger until he becomes the key to drawing all the story-lines together. There is a lot going on in this book and it made for a very exciting and thrilling read. show less

Carl Mørck, the head of Department Q has a whole new set of problems. His nemesis, Lars Bjørn, is his new boss and has saddled him with an annoying assistant whose role is to oversee the budget. His recent breakup with love interest Mona has robbed him of his ability to concentrate. His quirky assistants, Assad and Rose, have picked up a missing persons case involving William Stark, a civil servant who, while on a fact-finding mission in Africa, abruptly returned to Copenhagen early and mysteriously disappeared. Meanwhile, fifteen-year-old Marco Jameson wants go to school like a normal teenager. His uncle Zola rules a former gypsy clan with an iron fist where he forces the children of the clan to beg and steal for him. When Marco show more discovers a dead body, proving the true extent of Zola's criminal activities, he is confronted by the gang and just barely manages to escape. As Carl becomes more involved in the search for the missing teen he is determined to solve the mystery and save the boy. Carl's actions propel the trio into a case that extends from Denmark to Africa and from embezzlers to African child soldiers.

I love the Department Q misfits and their wild adventures. That being said, this one left me with a sense of disappointment. The plot was convoluted and Marco's actions were fairly unbelievable. The book is divided into short chapters which focus on one character or story-line and it did make the plot a bit more understandable. It took quite a long time to finally merge the Marco story and the Department Q story together. Once that happened it became a much better book.

I love this series but this, in my opinion, is the weakest one. However, even a mediocre Department Q novel is better than many others of the genre. I'm still a huge fan and will put the next one on pre-order as soon as it's available. show less

All 15 year old Marco Jameson wants is to become a Danish citizen and go to school like a normal teenager. But his Uncle Zola rules his former gypsy clan with an iron fist. Revered as a god and feared as the devil, Zola forces the children of the clan to beg and steal for his personal gain. When Marco discovers a dead bod-proving the true extent of Zola’s criminal activities-he goes on the run. Bit his family members aren’t the only ones who’ll go to any lengths to keep Marco silent.
Meanwhile, the last thing Detective Carl Morck needs is for his assistants, Assad and Rose, to pick up a missing persons case on a whim: Carl’s nemesis is his new boss, and he’s saddled Department Q with an unwelcome addition. But when they learn show more that a mysterious teen named Marco may have as much insight into the case as he has fear of the police, Carl is determined to solve the mystery and save the boy. show less

I stumbled upon the first book in the Department Q series back in 2011 and immediately became a devoted fan of Jussi Adler-Olsen. The fourth in this series is The Marco Effect, newly released in North America.

Detective Carl Morck heads up Department Q in the Copenhagen Police Dept. It's a rather small department with only three employees - Carl, Rose and Assad (who started off as the cleaner).

Although Dept. Q usually tackles cold cases, Rose and Assad decide the team should tackle a missing persons case. And that investigation leads them to start looking for a young man named Marco. Marco is on the run - not just from the cops, but from his Uncle Zola - the leader of a gypsy gang. Marco knows about that missing person.

I love this show more series! Carl is wonderfully cantankerous, but is incredibly tenacious, determined to find answers. Rose is mercurial and combative, but brilliant. Assad. Well, Assad is a mystery. Over the last three books, hints have been dropped and sly references made about Assad's past. In The Marco Effect, even more is revealed. But the man is still a mystery. The three combine to make an effective if eclectic team. Although the upstairs bosses have decided that Carl's team could use another member.The bickering between Carl and Assad is humourous and Assad's camel analogies were priceless.

The secondary storyline of Carl's personal life at home is just as addicting. He shares a home with his stepson, his paraplegic ex-partner, the ex-partner's physiotherapist and the physiotherapist's partner. And Carl is hoping that his relationship with his therapist can step outside the office. This rich secondary plotline absolutely rounds out Carl's character.

And let's not forget the case! Adler-Olsen is wonderfully inventive when it comes to crime. This one is far flung, reaching from Africa to Denmark. Marco is also given a voice in this book. We are privy to his thoughts as he's on the run, desperate and afraid.

The Marco Effect was another great read from Adler-Olsen. show less