Jo Nesbø

First off, there would never be a main character in an American mystery novel called Harry Hole, unless it was a crime-solving porn star, but it seems to work just fine, for this Norway based police officer. Harry is a tough, complex, hard-drinking cop, who may have discovered a possible assassination attempt.
I am not going to reveal very much here, because one of the joys of reading this terrific Scandinavian thriller, was never knowing where this baby was going. It’s a very ambitious show more novel, spanning 60 years, focusing on several characters, past and present. This is an impressive introduction to a highly talented author and I am looking forward to seeing what Harry Hole gets into next. show less

Oh, it's hard to believe that Nesbo has outdone himself yet again. Superbly written! I have rarely, if ever, enjoyed a suspense/thriller to this extent.
Leopold's apple: what a fascinating way to kill people. The victim is the accomplice. Awesome!

And Bellman's such a slimy piece of work. You just know he's going to be around longer.
The book begins with Harry in an even deeper s**thole than he normally throws himself into: opium in addition to his alcohol addiction. The way he doggedly show more unravels the mystery and follows its threads right to the scar on his face is downright fantastic.

*clap clap* show less

This story couldn’t be more timely, given the tragic events in Norway on July 22nd of 2011, and the recrudescence generally of white supremacism.

Although I have become a huge fan of Jo Nesbo, I had never read The Redbreast, which is the first of the Inspector Harry Hole novels to be translated. I was so surprised (given last week's horrible news) to find that the subject matter involved deadly repercussions of the white supremacist movement in Norway.

Harry Hole, now 35, is a sensitive, show more damaged, good-hearted but relatively thin-skinned inspector with the Oslo Crime Unit. After a political contretemps in which he shoots a secret service agent because of a communications snafu, Harry is temporarily transferred to the Security Service. In that capacity, he gets involved in a series of murders involving Norway’s neo-Nazis that has roots in Norway’s Quisling past during World War II.

[Note: Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian politician who seized power in 1940 in a Nazi-backed coup d'etat. The collaborationist government participated in Germany's Final Solution. After the war, Quisling was found guilty of high treason and executed at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. The word “quisling” has come to mean “traitor.” ]

In alternating chapters, we learn the story of the Nazi collaborationists who now are implicated in some way with the murders currently taking place in Oslo.

We also find out the background of the characters who will become pivotal in later books, such as fellow Inspector Tom Waaler, and love interest Rakel (33 when they meet) and her six-year-old son Oleg. Additionally, we learn what happened to Harry’s partner, the endearing Ellen Gjelten.

Discussion: Nesbo and his detective Harry are clearly in the growing stages in this book. Harry is not yet the hardened, disillusioned, personally dysfunctional but professionally adept mess he becomes later in the series. Here he even evinces moments of charming naivety and awkwardness.

It was interesting to read this right after the shooting tragedy in Norway. The neo-Nazis express many of the same sentiments as those set out by Breivik in his “manifesto.” As one of the neo-Nazis annouces, "It is no more than our duty as Norwegians to protect our race and to eliminate those who fail us.”

Frightening.

Evaluation: If you follow my reviews, you may have noticed I thoroughly love the books of Jo Nesbo about his detective Harry Hole. I have yet to be disappointed. Also, I had no problem going backwards to read this book, except that I then wanted to start the whole series over again, armed with my new knowledge of Harry from The Redbreast! show less

Ulf finds himself in the remote town of Kasund were he is hiding out from his former boss, Oslo’s most notorious drug kingpin, The Fisherman. Ulf had one job, be a fixer. He was supposed to answer the phone whenever The Fisherman had someone who owed him money or needed to be fixed. Ulf never really thought the job was for him and when he gets the chance to spare a life in exchange for splitting a large sum of money and a haul of drugs with the target, Ulf takes the deal. This leaves him show more as The Fisherman’s next victim and now suddenly the fixer is the one who needs to be fixed.

While hiding in this tiny town Ulf meets a woman named Lea and her son Knut, who quickly befriend him and help him find shelter and means to live. He also meets the town’s booze dealer and all-around eccentric, Mattis, who he can’t quite figure out. Under the guise of a hunter staying in the town’s hunting cabin, Ulf delicately makes an impression on the people in his newly found home, all while trying to stay as hidden as possible. As the bond between Ulf, Lea, and Knut becomes closer the reader is able to learn who Ulf really is and how he ended up in this line of work. Emotions are brought to the forefront as Ulf realizes he has never found this sense of hope and happiness in his life, until now. All the while the window of being found is closing in and Ulf must determine how he will survive and keep his newly found friends safe.

MIDNIGHT SUN is a roller coaster of emotions that puts the reader in a strange place, cheering along a criminal, who you hope will outrun his murderers. Ulf is a man of many sides and throughout the novel his true character is revealed, leaving you unable to feel anything but hope and despair for his situation. Lea and Knut become the two truest companions he has ever had in his life. How does someone find love and hope while on the run? Kasund is full of a cast of characters with personalities ranging from caring and loving to intense and violent, which sets the stage for a debate on who can be trusted. Nesbø put my heart in a blender and turned it up to the highest setting at the end of the novel. Hands down one of the best books I’ve read this year!

Despite being a follow-up to BLOOD ON SNOW, a new reader can read these in any order. I do highly recommend picking up both! show less