It was in 2011 that the first investigation by Department V, led by Carl Mørck, appeared in French: Mercy enjoyed phenomenal success. And now, a little less than fifteen years later – and translations into a few dozen languages - this brand new 7m2, Mørck’s tenth investigation, seems to come full circle. First of all because the novel begins with the incarceration of the famous investigator… but also because Jussi Adler-Olsen, the author of the series, had from the start planned that it would have ten chapters. Point. Here we are.
Remember that the famous Department V was created following a police blunder in a drug case which resulted in the death of Mørck’s partner and the paralysis of another investigator (Hardy). The creation of the cold crimes unit — cold cases — was in a way a way of keeping Carl Mørck away. But on the contrary, it was an opportunity for him to rebuild his reputation and whereas, nine books later, his previous investigation (Salt, by the same publisher) ends spectacularly, Mørck is suspended and arrested by his superiors. A briefcase containing bags of drugs and a small fortune in large notes was just found at his home.
Is the famous Carl Mørck a scoundrel?
It’s hard to believe it, even if the evidence is clear. His colleagues in Department V initially believe it is a set-up and they will do everything, even if they are formally forbidden to get involved in the matter, to demonstrate the innocence of their boss and friend. But it won’t be easy since the fallen inspector is relegated to the seven square meters of his cell, without contact with the outside world.
While an independent investigation begins and the media goes wild, “we” try to eliminate Mørck definitively in prison: he narrowly escapes several assassination attempts until his cell is attacked with a rocket launcher, no less! The scale of the means deployed makes some understand the importance of the stakes… and this is how a small team is formed in secret with the avowed aim of catching the real culprits and exonerating Mørck.
The affair is full of various twists and turns. We will move from drug trafficking to influence peddling with corrupt cops in several countries and even in the criminal squad where Mørck worked, we suspected it. Even if the reader quickly grasps who and what is being discussed, the suspense is palpable from start to finish, carried by Adler-Olsen’s lively and sinuous writing, well served by the translation. There are a few threads that stick out here and there, and even bits of stories that begin without leading to anything, but why deny your pleasure? Especially when everything is done to ensure an elegant exit for an honest cop…