Review: The Hanging Girl

The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'Are you actually aware why there are camels in the desert and no giraffes?' asked Assad.
... 'The answer is simple. If there were giraffes in the desert they'd die of sorrow.'
'Aha! And why's that?'
'Because they're so tall, they'd know that there was just endless sand as far as the eye could see. Fortunately for the camel, it doesn't know this, so it trudges on assuming that an oasis is just around the corner.'
Carl nodded. 'I understand. You feel like a giraffe in the desert, right?'
'Yes, a bit. Just right now.'

Bless Assad and all of his camel analogies.

I really do immensely enjoy this series. Crotchety old Carl who grudgingly takes on cases when he'd much rather be napping in between cigarettes with his feet up on the desk. The quiet and strange Assad, who has a camel-related saying for any situation. Crazy old Rose who has a quick temper and strong stubborn streak. Even slimy Gordon who is slowly working his way into the team. I love the way they all work together. I love how Carl's reluctance is completely ignored by his subordinates.

This time they're forced to take over an old, unsolved hit-and-run case that left a girl hanging in a tree. It leads the gang to a spiritual cult organisation that we're given inside info on through the viewpoint of the cult organisation leader's right-hand woman.

The split view, as always, keeps things interesting, because you're pretty sure you know what happened but it's still vague enough to keep you guessing. There were some really fascinating characters built into this one, and as a spiritual person I was particularly fascinated by the ideas and theories and the way the organisation operated. I mean, spiritualism is one thing, but blindly following the ideas of another is a little scary. So the story angle was fascinating and hooked me slightly more than the previous books.

The police work is always fun, and while I did lose track a little of who was who, the writing seems to expect that and reminds you each time a minor character is re-introduced. It's a fairly lengthy novel at 600+ pages, but there's plenty to keep the story moving, and keep you invested in what's happening.

Six books in, I still don't know if the brilliantly direct writing is genuine or a by-product of the translation, but either way I thoroughly enjoy it. It can be really vague at times, but Carl is so snappy and sarcastic and his little comments peppered throughout are a lot of fun. Add to that Assad's endless optimism and enthusiasm, and his imperfect English (Danish), and it makes for rather creative and enjoyable interactions. I love the way these two work together.

We also get another (minor) glimpse at the progress of the case that started it all - the shooting that killed one of Carl's colleagues and left the other permanently paralysed. Hardy does make a brief appearance, and it's quite symbolic to realise how slow that case is progressing in parallel to the cases that have been solved so far throughout the series.

I'm really pleased to give this series another 4-star rating. These books are always so much fun to read, with the unique characters, fun, snappy dialogue and detailed stories. The research that must go into these books is astounding.

Highly recommend this one to others continuing the series, and if you've not been introduced to Carl and the Department Q gang, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Mercy and get started!

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