Total reader's bliss! A new author that leaps to the top of the favourite authors list and the glorious knowledge that there are more books of his to read.
Jo Nesbo has been on my to read list for a long time so when my friendly librarian asked if I'd like his new one I jumped at the chance even though I knew I should at least read The Snowman first. Now I can only hope they're all as good as this one which is...
Awesome!
What's it about?.........A killer - stalking the streets of Oslo. Two young women have been found with twenty-four inexplicable puncture wounds, both drowned in their own blood. The crime scenes offer no clues, the media is reaching fever pitch, and the police are running out of options. There is only one man who can help them, and he doesn't want to be found.
Deeply traumatised by the Snowman investigation, Harry Hole has lost himself in the squalour of Hong Kong's opium dens. But with his father seriously ill, Harry reluctantly agrees to return to Oslo. He has no intention of taking the case, but his instinct takes over when a third victim is found brutally murdered.
The victims appear completely unconnected to one another, but it's not long before Harry makes a discovery: the women all spent a night in an isolated mountain hostel. And someone is picking off the guests one by one.
I thought it was the best thriller I've read in a very long time. Harry Hole is a protaganist you have to love despite his addictions to drugs and alcohol and his anti-everything tendencies and he's pitted against a killer with one of the most devilish murder weapons I could imagine. Jo Nesbo doesn't hold back on the gory and chilling details of the murders either. The plot is fast-paced and constantly throwing up surprises and the suspense and tension continue right to the end .
And there's a whole lot more going on - Harry's inner battle with his past traumas, his relationship with his dying father, the conflict between two different police departments and the presence of a young policewoman called Kaja.
The writing is wonderful and the imagery is stunning, particularly of the Norwegian winter landscape .
Loved it!
Translated by Don Bartlett
Genre: Suspense Thriller
Publisher: Harvill Secker, 2010
611p
Nice. I love a good thriller! This one is definitely on my radar now.
ReplyDeleteCat that is an AMAZING review, adding to Wishlist immediately. I have Snowman on my list also and because its not US it wasn't available on Kindle, I will have to just order from Book Depository.
ReplyDeleteYou have me excited about this one. Thank you
Delphyne - hope you'll enjoy.
ReplyDeleteMarce - I'm sure you'll love it but my advice would be to read The Snowman first. I do have regrets I didn't as there are obviously several characters whose stories develop through the series.
So exciting! I will definitely try and get my hands on it
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked it! Being Norwegian I'm a little ashamed that I only this year read my first Jo Nesbø book - the first in the Harry Hole series, which for some reason hasn't been translated into English. I really liked it, and after reading this review all I want to do is run to the library and get the other books in the series.
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