Political studies, a film studies degree and growing up as the son of a chief psychiatrist have given Jussi Adler-Olsen the insight to write about such diverse subjects as profound insanity, societally affected fates and international conspiracies. He began his writing career by writing the international stand-alones Alfabethuset, og una tækde goderne (formerly Firmaknuseren) and the Washington Decree. He then turned his gaze and the action in his novels towards Denmark, and the series about Afdeling Q really established his name here.