What is the book about?

Rejseholdet – The First Murder Cases by author Peer Kaae is a comprehensive historical mapping of the early years of Denmark's most famous special unit in the police force. The National Police's Travel Department, commonly known as Rejseholdet, was established in 1927 with the aim of assisting local police in the most challenging criminal cases. In this publication from Kriminalforlaget, we follow the unit's development from a fledgling start focused on economic crime to becoming the country's leading experts in solving murders with unknown perpetrators.

The book covers the period from 1927 to 1948 and presents a number of spectacular cases from the Danish provinces that shocked the population at the time. Peer Kaae has uncovered new details through extensive archival studies about the methods used by the detectives of that era, before modern DNA technology and digital surveillance became part of the police's toolkit. Readers gain a unique insight into how 'the perfect murder' was attempted and how the first Danish profiling experts worked.

The Real Case

One of the book's central focus points is the politically motivated murder of poet-priest Kaj Munk in 1944. During the German occupation, Munk was taken from his home in Vedersø and liquidated by German security forces and their Danish collaborators. Peer Kaae presents new information in the book about Rejseholdet's subsequent work to identify those responsible and the challenges that wartime chaos posed for the investigation. The case of Kaj Munk stands as a monumental point in Danish criminal history, but the book also highlights lesser-known cases where Rejseholdet's assistance was crucial in convicting perpetrators in cases that otherwise threatened to remain unsolved.

About the Author

Peer Kaae is a recognized Danish author and journalist who has specialized in true crime and historical criminal cases. He is known for his ability to combine thorough research with a lively narrative style that makes complex case files accessible to a broad audience. Kaae has previously published several bestsellers on Danish murder cases, including works on The Double Murder on Peter Bangs Vej and the cases of The Stewardess Murder . His work is often characterized by finding new angles on cases that are otherwise considered closed by historians.

Similar Books on Truecrime News

For readers interested in the history of Rejseholdet and Danish criminal cases from the 20th century, we recommend reading more about the unit's later years in the section on Rejseholdet's Biggest Cases . Here you will also find articles about Bent Isager-Nielsen and other prominent investigators who have influenced Danish police work over the decades.

Sources

• Kriminalforlaget's official book page
• The National Museum - The Resistance and Kaj Munk
• The Police Historical Museum - The History of Rejseholdet

Reviews

"It is a captivating and well-written book that describes a piece of investigative history from a bygone era." — Bogrummet (Recommended)