A review by cathepsut
Kakerlaken by Jo Nesbø, Günther Frauenlob

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Harry Hole is sent to Bangkok to solve the murder of the Norwegian ambassador to Thailand.  Published in 1998, parts of this book are a little dated, but I enjoyed glimpses into the Bangkok that I also visited a few times in the mid to late 90s.

I liked Harry and this story much better than the first one. Part of it is the setting in Thailand, part is a Harry that felt less maudlin. I also enjoyed the other characters more, especially Liz. I also liked Søs and hope to see more of her and her relationship with Harry in later books.

The crime story was more engaging as well. The murder happened in the beginning and the plot was more focused. I had to wade through less of a backstory to establish Harry as a character.

I didn‘t see the solution to the puzzle coming, as usual. It was like peeling an onion, layer after layer and they all sounded credible. 40 pages before the ending I finally had three favourites and one of them turned out to be correct. So, mysterious murders, many fake leads, difficult to solve, check!

Still, the suspense did not kill me. I will probably read the next book in the series as well, not for the story, but more to see what happens to Harry Hole next.
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