Millennium
Nordic noir
Series · Nordic noir
Department Q
The Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen has 11 known books (11 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Mercy (2011). No Song for the Dead is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date. Jussi Adler-Olsen wrote the series; book 1 were translated by Lisa Hartford; book 2 were translated by K. E. Semmel; books 3-5 were translated by Martin Aitken; books 6-9 were translated by William Frost; book 10 were translated by Caroline Waight.
- Books
- 11 known books (11 novels)
- Published
- 11
- First published
- 2011
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime , Thriller
Start here: Mercy (2011)
— then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Mercy
Mercy is the opening book in the Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen, first published in 2011. The English translation is by Lisa Hartford. The book is 503 pages long. Disgrace comes next in the series. Department Q is an ongoing series, 11 books in so far. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Mercy - Book 2:
Disgrace
Disgrace is the second installment of the Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen, published in 2012. It reaches English-language readers in a translation by K. E. Semmel. At 548 pages, it is a full-length entry in the series. Mercy comes before it, and Redemption follows. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Disgrace - Book 3:
Redemption
Redemption is Department Q's third entry, written by Jussi Adler-Olsen and published in 2013. The English translation is by Martin Aitken. The book is 631 pages long. It sits between Disgrace and Guilty in the series' reading order. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Redemption - Book 4:
Guilty
Guilty is the fourth book in Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series, published in 2013. This edition is translated by Martin Aitken. In the reading order it follows Redemption and precedes Buried. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Guilty - Book 5:
Buried
Buried is the fifth book in Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series, published in 2014. This edition is translated by Martin Aitken. It runs 592 pages. In the reading order it follows Guilty and precedes The Hanging Girl. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Buried - Book 6:
The Hanging Girl
The Hanging Girl is the sixth book in Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series, published in 2015. This edition is translated by William Frost. It runs 596 pages. In the reading order it follows Buried and precedes The Scarred Woman. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hanging Girl - Book 7:
The Scarred Woman
The Scarred Woman is Department Q's seventh entry, written by Jussi Adler-Olsen and published in 2017. The English translation is by William Frost. The book is 480 pages long. It sits between The Hanging Girl and Victim 2117 in the series' reading order. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Scarred Woman - Book 8:
Victim 2117
Victim 2117 is Department Q's eighth entry, written by Jussi Adler-Olsen and published in 2020. The English translation is by William Frost. The book is 536 pages long. It sits between The Scarred Woman and The Shadow Murders in the series' reading order. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Victim 2117 - Book 9:
The Shadow Murders
The Shadow Murders is the ninth installment of the Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen, published in 2022. It reaches English-language readers in a translation by William Frost. At 742 pages, it is a full-length entry in the series. Victim 2117 comes before it, and Locked In follows. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Shadow Murders - Book 10:
Locked In
Locked In is the tenth book in Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series, published in 2024. This edition is translated by Caroline Waight. It runs 512 pages. In the reading order it follows The Shadow Murders and precedes No Song for the Dead. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Locked In - Book 11:
No Song for the Dead
No Song for the Dead is Department Q's eleventh entry, written by Jussi Adler-Olsen and published in September 2026. It comes directly after Locked In and is currently the latest book in Department Q. Alternative text for cover: Cover of No Song for the Dead
Key facts about the Department Q series
Our list has 11 books in the Department Q series. Since all 11 are out now, you can read the whole list today.
Start with Mercy, since it opens the publication order in 2011. Disgrace is book 2, from 2012. Redemption is book 3, from 2013.
Guilty is book 4, from 2013. Buried is book 5, from 2014. The Hanging Girl is book 6, from 2015.
The Scarred Woman is book 7, from 2017, while Victim 2117 is book 8, from 2020. The Shadow Murders is book 9, from 2022. Locked In is book 10, from 2024, while No Song for the Dead is book 11, from 2026.
The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions.
No Song for the Dead is the latest book with a full release date, out on 8 September 2026. The catalogue marks it as ongoing, yet no next book has a date so far.
The books came out between 2011 and 2026, while their length runs from 480 to 742 pages. That is a run of 15 years.
Jussi Adler-Olsen has 11 books on our list. This is the only series by them we track, while the author page lists the rest. We shelve the books under nordic noir.
About the Department Q series
Department Q is Copenhagen Police's cold-case division: a basement office, a budget of essentially nothing, and a caseload of the unsolved and unwanted. It's run, more or less against his will, by Detective Carl Morck -- traumatised, sardonic and barely functional after a shooting that killed one colleague and paralysed another -- alongside his enigmatic assistant Assad, whose own past turns out to be far more dangerous than his cheerful, tea-brewing exterior suggests. Jussi Adler-Olsen structures each novel around a dual timeline: Carl's present-day investigation intercut with the victim's past, often a kidnapping or crime that has left someone suffering in isolation for years, building a slow-burn dread alongside the procedural digging.
The appeal is classic Scandinavian crime fiction turned up several notches on plot and pace: darker, twistier and more thriller-paced than the genre's more meditative entries, with a genuinely odd-couple partnership at its centre and running threads about Carl's trauma and Assad's hidden history that develop across the whole series. It's for readers who want their Nordic noir with real forward momentum, and it's the basis for a Danish/Netflix film series and a 2023 Netflix television adaptation.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the Department Q series?
Jussi Adler-Olsen wrote the series; book 1 were translated by Lisa Hartford; book 2 were translated by K. E. Semmel; books 3-5 were translated by Martin Aitken; books 6-9 were translated by William Frost; book 10 were translated by Caroline Waight.
How many Department Q books are there?
There are 11 Department Q novels, from Mercy (2011) to No Song for the Dead, due 8 September 2026.
What order should I read the Department Q books in?
Publication order, starting with Mercy (2011). Carl Morck's recovery and his partnership with Assad develop continuously across the series.
Is there a new Department Q book coming?
Yes. No Song for the Dead, book 11, is scheduled for 8 September 2026 from Quercus.
Why do some Department Q books have two different titles?
The first five novels were retitled between UK and US editions: Mercy/The Keeper of Lost Causes, Disgrace/The Absent One, Redemption/A Conspiracy of Faith, Guilty/The Purity of Vengeance, and Buried/The Marco Effect refer to the same books under different names.
Is Department Q related to a TV show or film?
Yes. The novels were adapted into a series of Danish-language films, and Netflix released an English-language Department Q television series in 2023.
If you like the Department Q series
Last updated