Police

This is a very difficult book to review without spoilers, but I will endeavor to do so. First of all, it must be mentioned that this book is a follow-up to Phantom and readers would be strongly advised to read it first as Police continues the plot without detailed explanation.

Police officers are being gruesomely murdered at the scenes of unsolved murder cases which they helped investigate. After the shocking ending of Phantom, readers are not surprised that Harry Hole is unable to assist in solving the deaths of former colleagues (though a complete explanation of what happened to Harry is not given for the first third of the novel). A team which had worked with Harry in the past leads the investigation into the police murders, drawing show more on everything they learned from his tactics.

Harry’s absence from the police force allows Nesbo to focus on the other investigators. Although they have appeared in previous Harry Hole mysteries, the ensemble players are more fully developed in this one. The ones that stand out are Beate Lønn, the head of forensics “who had a reputation as a kind of Rain Woman because of her ability to recognize faces” (16); Katrine Bratt, whose specialty is “tracking down people who had apparently vanished from the surface of the earth. Seeing patterns where others only see chance” (73); and Stȧle Aune, the mild-mannered psychologist who misses his former job as a police consultant “profiling sick souls who killed people with such gruesome acts of brutality that he was deprived of sleep at night” (22). Each of these secondary characters emerges as a round character; in fact, even the more minor characters and villains do not remain flat.

To say that the plot is dense would be an understatement. A concise plot summary is impossible not only because of the introduction of spoilers but also because of the complexity of the plot. The book never fails to surprise with its many twists and turns. Time and time again the reader becomes convinced that one thing is happening only to discover his/her assumptions were incorrect. Some reviewers complain about feeling manipulated but I think Nesbo is a master of misdirection who uses the mystery reader’s tendency to be like Silje Gravseng, a student at the police college who thinks she could tell Harry Hole how to solve a case. In the end, when the case is resolved, the reader should not feel cheated: all the clues are there.

Suspense is definitely a strong element in the book. Several suspects have credible motives, so some of the suspense derives from trying to determine the real culprit(s). More than one investigator finds him/herself in a dangerous situation so the tension diminishes for only brief pauses. One scene involving one of the team suspecting that a family member has been killed is brilliant in the way it ratchets up the suspense, especially since the author does not hesitate to have even major characters killed.

The one flaw is the use of coincidence. Most are acceptable, within the realm of plausibility, but the one that made me uncomfortable is the explanation of what happened to Harry at the end of Phantom (180).

Aune describes Harry Hole as “a starved, exhausted, monomaniacal hunter” and “the tall, grumpy alcoholic with the big heart” (23), but agrees that the former investigator “had been impossible not to love” (501). That’s the way it is with this book; it is not perfect, but it is a compelling read. show less

I am so mad at Jo Nesbø right now. He left us in such limbo after the last book, but I forgave him, because I knew Harry wouldn't die just yet. I didn't even mind the suspense and veiled leads in the beginning of this book, because once again, it was superb writing, character crafting, and plot unveiling. These characters are real, and each of them, with their peculiar quirks, strengths, and flaws, are people, rather than fiction, to me. And because of that, I am so mad at Jo Nesbø from about a little more than midway into this book. I can't say more, for fear of spoilers. Gah. I won't forgive Mr Nesbø until the next book comes out. And then, I'll probably get mad at him for something else. He's becoming a little like the GRRM of show more Nordic Noir.

Interestingly enough, this was the first book I read on the new e-reader husband gave me for Father's Day. It's not as weird as it sounds, as I gave him his father's day gift early-- on Mother's Day, to be exact. We do things a little differently in the Czuk household. show less

Generally I enjoy Nesbo for pushing out of formula a bit, often by just taking things farther than I'd expect in a very grim way. But this book has far too many attempts at misdirection in the exact same manner, and it's irritating - frankly in the first instance, but certainly by the fourth. I don't know what the point is, maybe to make it feel like a thriller, or to work in adaptation, but it just feels lazy.

My favorite Nesbo story is the one where my friend pronounced his name in American to a Scandinavian speaker. I hope that person recovered eventually.

Rarely give out 5 stars but this is a no brainer

Every time I read one of Nesbo's books, I am struck again by just how good he is. The previous book ended with Harry being shot by Oleg, the young man he helped raise & son of the woman he loves. This one opens with a comatose patient lying in a hospital bed under police protection. If he could speak, he'd have a few things to say about a couple members of the force, one currently under suspension, the other the new chief.
It's been months since the shooting & Harry's old crew have moved on without him. Someone is killing police officers involved in old cases that were never solved.
That's all I'll say about the plot for 2 reasons. First, it's so complex as to be almost impossible to show more summarize when you could be reading the book instead of this review. Second, I don't want to spoil any surprises. Part of the joy in reading these books is trying to guess what happens next. Suffice to say, just as you think you know what's going on, think again.
Nesbo is a master of misdirection. There are always multiple characters that are candidates for the "bad guy", each with a credible motive. As the story progresses, you keep changing your mind as to the identity of the killer. There are many reoccurring characters & story lines from previous books are continued. There are shifting alliances, many hidden agendas & not all of the old crew will survive the fallout from this case. Unlike many authors, Nesbo doesn't shy away from bumping off a beloved character.
Tension slowly builds as we wait to see who will be the next target & you'll consider homicide yourself if anyone tries to come between you & this book. Once you're in its' grip, it's compulsive reading because you have to know how it all shakes out. Intricate plotting, sharp dialogue, compelling characters...what's not to like? You become completely invested in these people & want to see them get what they deserve, for better or worse.
I wanted to add a note about the translation. Sometimes when a novel is converted to English, it has a slightly awkward flow that reminds you it was originally in another language. Not so here. Don Bartlett has done a fantastic job, maintaining the voice of each character & the wry, dark gallows humour.
This is thriller writing at its' best with an intense pace & jaw dropping twists. If you haven't read this series before, don't start here. Get the first one. Each subsequent book is all the richer as you get to know the histories of each character & their relationships. What a pleasure! show less

I finally caught up with this fabulous Harry Hole series. It was really questionable whether Harry made it or not at the end of the last book in the series, “Phantom”, and I’ve been putting off reading “Police” since I really couldn’t bear to know! I know that sounds silly but this is the 10th Harry Hole novel and I’ve invested a lot of time in these characters and have grown to care about them. I finally decided that I really had to know what happened and now I know. I promise not to give anything away.

Jo Nesbo has such a knack for racketing up the suspense level until you’re actually sitting on the edge of your chair. I read his books with one hand over my mouth, saying no, no, no, not that but can’t stop reading. show more Another serial killer is loose, but this time out, the killer is targeting police officers with a reenactment of unsolved crimes. As many of these books as I’ve read, I should know by now all of Nesbo’s tricks and the spinning curveballs that he throws. But he still pulls me in, plays his sleight of hand magic and off I go on another roller coaster ride of emotions.

If you’re new to this series, I would recommend that you start off with the first Harry Hole novel, “The Bat”. That way, you’ll be able to get to know these characters right from the start and understand the impact that “Police” has on its readers. I’m sure this book is still a great thriller even without the emotional investment. But for those who have grown to love Harry, Rakel, Oleg, Katrine, Beate, Stale, etc., this book really packs a punch. Nesbo deeply delves into these characters’ souls, I think even more so in this book than previous ones. While Nesbo can be very violent in his books, his expert character development makes this series much more than simply a novel of violence for violence sake. show less

Now that I've read all or most of the Harry Hole series, I've realized that I like them a lot, and really hope there will be more. He's a pretty unusual policeman - he's had severe drinking problems, yet he's the one who solves the really hard cases. But you never know what's going to happen - will he fail and turn to drinking? Will he catch the perp only to find that he was totally wrong? Will he be killed? It seems like all of the above have happened at one time or another, but then, things are never what they seem in his books, and that's one thing that makes them really interesting.

So...normally I do not give mystery/suspense novels a 5 star rating, but this installment of the Harry Hole series was great! The author manipulated me so well. At several points I was holding my breath only to be taken by surprise at what came next. I think this series is best read in order, but this particular one was just a great read! As always, Nesbo is able to force the reader to hold the best and worst in the palm of the hand at the same time, just as life does!