It didn't take me long to fall in love with detective Harry Hole. Even though Nesbø paints a less than flattering picture of our main character, Hole is no less than fantastic. Fighting against a drinking problem and enemies he doesn't even know exist, Hole must try to solve a mystery that's deeply connected to Norway's involvement in World War II and Norwegian Nazis. Nesbø's writing style, translated by Don Bartlett, is strong and intriguing. And though Hole is the main character, Nesbø doesn't shy away from creating strong secondary characters. I thoroughly enjoyed and loved this book. The only reason I gave it 4.5 stars is because there's a bit of character death that is vital to the plot, but upset me greatly. ( )

Top-notch story, with complex twists, smart plot resolution and at least two hanging threads to entice a reader to pick up the next book -- when it comes out. ( )

Great Nordic Crime thriller, against the backdrop of Norwegian guilt over capitulation to the Germans during WWII. Goes back and forth between the present and WWII to slowly add to our understanding of the context of the crimes. Briskly written but not a simple novel. The cop, Harry Hole, is a modern day Norwegian, operating according to his own quirky code of justice. Very suspenseful and with some interesting digressions such as discussions of bird behavior. Sometimes a bit too complex--hard to keep track of all the characters but that is a minimal flaw far outweighed by the overall excitement of the book. Won the best Nordic Crime Novel and Norwegian book clubs voted it the best Norwegian Crime Novel ever written. ( )

The Scandanavians are geniuses in the crime-writing world; this book is 500+ pages and I couldn't stop reading until I had finished the entire thing. It is so very credible that I couldn't put it down. The characters are very well drawn, the story grabs you and doesn't let down, and the writing is excellent.

The book starts with one story line featuring Harry Hole, a police detective, and his partner Ellen, who are on surveillance detail in Oslo while the US President is meeting with others there. Harry finds himself caught up in the middle ofa messy situation leaving a Secret Service agent dead; but because the US doesn't want the word to get out that there was a screw-up, Harry is promoted to the Security Service (the POT) where he has his own office and pretty much does nothing but read reports and decide which ones need further study. However, he finds one report that captures his attention -- a rather unique weapon is found that turns out to have been an old Marklin rifle, actually outlawed because of its incredibly destructive power. It's also a very expensive weapon, and Harry gets on the trail immediately, but his investigation leads him into some dark and ugly areas.

The author also interweaves a story that starts during WWII, at the Eastern Front, when many Norwegians found themselves fighting on the side of the Germans against the Russians. As the two storylines begin to merge, the story really heats up, and you will not be able to stop reading. I can't say more because any minor give away would ruin the whole thing.

The story is very well crafted, the writing is great, and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone enjoys a good, solid mystery. I would also recommend it to those who like Scandinavian writers but who, perhaps, have not yet tried this author.

I just bought the next one, Nemesis, and can't wait to read it. ( )

This is the first thing I’ve read by the Norwegian writer, Jo Nesbo, and it is very good. According to the blurb, The Redbreast was voted “Best Norwegian Crime Novel Ever Written” by members of Norwegian book clubs. This is a taut, well structured mystery with good characters and interesting, but plausible, plot twists that keep the pace moving. Police Detective Harry Hole, promoted to Inspector during this story for reasons of bureaucratic expediency rather than simply for his recognized talents as a detective, has had his problems with alcohol and a tendency to swim against the current. But here he falls into a mystery that has its roots way back in WWII when contingents of Norwegians fought for the Germans on the eastern front, in this case the northeastern front near Leningrad. Many of these men were imprisoned after the war as traitors, but Nesbo explores the moral certainties that are not always all that clear. A number of these men are still alive and become involved in the plot when Nesbo starts to investigate the secret importation of a special sniper rifle. Nesbo is also very good on the machinations of bureaucracy, the manipulation of issues and people sometimes for private aims, the one-upmanship that underlies the veneer of polite exchanges. You get a feel for Oslo, and for the challenges of modern Norwegian society integrating people from widely diverse ethnic backgrounds as well as the backlash that sometimes provokes. The main mystery is solved and Harry saves the day in some fast, action-packed moments at the end, but Nesbo does not wrap up all the loose ends. I assume, and hope, that Harry returns to pursue those. Recommended reading.