FASANDRÆBERNE

Jussi Adler-Olsen is a Danish writer, whose dark, Scandinavian, crime novels have (like the Swedish Stieg Larsson millennium trilogy) sold in huge numbers. Five of them cover Department Q, a supposed backwater in police headquarters, which investigates unsolved cases dating back years.

They are now starting to film these. The first one, Kvinden i Buret ("the Woman in the Cage"), came out a year ago and was the most watched cinema film in Denmark in 2013. We had so many customers at the local cinema that we had to turn people away.

The second in the series, Fasandræberne ("the Pheasant Killers") had its premiere this week, and I watched it this evening. Because of last year's experience, we have decided to show it for two weeks, including extra performances late at night. As you'd expect, it follows the standard Scandinavian crime format popularised in series such as the Killing; dark lighting, slow developments, troubled heroes, dogged detective work rather than guns and action. The always watchable Nikolaj Lie Kaas plays detective Carl Mørck (mørk means dark in Danish, get it?), Fares Fares his immigrant sidekick Assad, who may not speak great Danish, but who always manages to come up with a crucial breakthrough in the case.

Very enjoyable. I am already looking forward to the third film in a year's time.

Walter Blotscher