Chief detective Carl Mørck used to be a good homicide deteives until a bullet almost took his life. Two of his collegues weren't so lucky, and Carl, who didn't draw his weapon, blames himself. So a promotion is the last thing he expects. But it all becomes clear when he sees his now office in the basement. Carl's been selected to run Department Q, a new special investigations division that turns out to be a department of one. With a stack of Copenhagen's coldest cases to keep him company, Carl has been put out to pasture. So he's as surprised as anyone when a case actually captures his interest.