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jmarchek's review
4.0
Jo Nesbo is the master of the mystery/thriller. He just twists up the plot and keeps you going and wondering and just when you think you've got it figured out - no you're wrong, and then you're wrong again too. The protagonist, Harry Hole get's beat up like nobody's business and keeps going like Bruce Willis in a Die Hard movie. At one point he's sewed shut his own wounds and taped them up with duct tape. Not for readers with squeamish tummies! Sad state of affairs in Oslo, drugs, murder & corrupt cops.
_sequel_'s review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
norman1895's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
lindzlovesreading's review against another edition
4.0
Yes, this novel has an incredibly high readability factor, very high. It has the pace of a high octane runaway train, ,most likely filmed by the other Scott. A swirling mass of Charybdis spitting out debris of junkies, corrupt cops, drug king pins, wanna bees and of course Harry Hole, all spewed up on Oslo's mean streets.
In many ways this is a very 'standard' crime thriller. What mystery thriller would be complete without the antisocial (does not play well with others) demon and alcohol fuelled knight-errant. Harry Hole fills the shoes admirably, and yes I would totally go there. These kinds of novels rely heavily on its main protagonist, and Harry Hole has enough of Heathcliff and Philip Marlowe to be completely intriguing. Harry Hole is the type of man who would be the perfect one night stand, if only you could stop trying to want to 'fix' him, but end up having that third bottle of wine, and falling asleep at the bar while he had a couple of bar fights.
Nesbo has constructed his world well, it has a hip cable tv feel, Breaking Bad meets Dexter, with a heavy Nirvana sound track. I love thrillers where you are treading the streets with your detective, and Oslo is a pretty cool place to get lost in.
In many ways this is a very 'standard' crime thriller. What mystery thriller would be complete without the antisocial (does not play well with others) demon and alcohol fuelled knight-errant. Harry Hole fills the shoes admirably, and yes I would totally go there. These kinds of novels rely heavily on its main protagonist, and Harry Hole has enough of Heathcliff and Philip Marlowe to be completely intriguing. Harry Hole is the type of man who would be the perfect one night stand, if only you could stop trying to want to 'fix' him, but end up having that third bottle of wine, and falling asleep at the bar while he had a couple of bar fights.
Nesbo has constructed his world well, it has a hip cable tv feel, Breaking Bad meets Dexter, with a heavy Nirvana sound track. I love thrillers where you are treading the streets with your detective, and Oslo is a pretty cool place to get lost in.
elbrown's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I’ve read a few of the Harry Hole mysteries and think this one may be my favorite. It’s as violent and dark as the others, but I felt more emotionally invested because in this story, Oleg, the child he helped raise, is in trouble - accused of murdering a drug dealer (who had been his close friend). As a result, the reader is as taut as anxious as Harry to learn who the killer really is.