Helpful Score: 1
This is just the second Harry Hole novel translated into English but I already consider Jo Nesbo one of the best crime writers in the business. Nemesis is a great novel featuring two storylines. In one, Harry Hole wakes the morning after a evening dinner with an ex, she is dead, and he can't remember a thing about that evening. In the other, a teller is killed in a bank robbery. Harry must solve both crimes while keeping himself from becoming the prime suspect in the first. I will point out that both crimes seem to be solved on multiple occassions only to have evidence lead Harry to continue the investigation in a new direction. Imho, this made the novel seem longer than it was and would be my only criticism. If you haven't tried Jo Nesbo, he's worth the time.
Wow. As good or better than Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Lots of twists and turns. Superb!
I found this book to be dull, wordy and confusing. Too much description. too many side plots, and a lackluster conclusion. Not the usual Harry Hole novel. Glad it wasn't the first I've read in the series. I had already read the next in the series and decided to read this one to backfill the story. Could have just skipped it completely and not lost a thing.
Great story in itself and the history of Norway during WW2 was facinating.
Wonderful, enjoy the ride.
Unusual. Never have I seen a 700 page detective story; he is like a house guest who is good company for a week. I enjoyed it even without being able to pronounce the Scandinavian places.
This is the second novel I have read in the Harry Hole series and as I sometimes do, I seem to be reading these out of order. I read the 7th book in the series, The Snowman, a few months ago and thought it was a pretty good thriller. Nemesis was also good but it seemed to be more routine than Snowman. Harry Hole is a police detective and recovering alcoholic who tends to fall off the wagon and who is not liked by some of his superiors and other detectives. In this novel, Harry is confronted with two cases. First, a bank is robbed by a man who is disguised in a body suit and a balaclava (ski mask) and who unmercilessly shoots and kills a female bank worker who was helping the manager place the stolen money in the robber's bag. So why was this woman killed unnecessarily? Secondly, one of Harry's old girl friends apparently commits suicide after Harry had visited her for the evening. But Harry wakes up with a headache, no cell phone, and no memory of what happened that night. So did she commit suicide or was she murdered? Harry of course looks into a possible murder even though the indications point to a suicide.
This novel was long but Nesbo keeps the narrative moving quickly and includes some very interesting characters to enhance the plot. These include a convicted bank robber who is also a gypsy that points Harry toward who may have been the bank robber and who also has an interest in the possible suicide victim; a fellow police detective who seems to be out to get Harry and who may be involved in illegal activity; a young female police detective who has a knack for recognizing faces and works at analyzing videos of crimes; and Harry's other superiors and co-detectives. The novel also had some unexpected twists at the end but it also left you hanging regarding the dirty cop who is after Harry. I believe the next in the series continues with this storyline and I look forward to reading it.
This novel was long but Nesbo keeps the narrative moving quickly and includes some very interesting characters to enhance the plot. These include a convicted bank robber who is also a gypsy that points Harry toward who may have been the bank robber and who also has an interest in the possible suicide victim; a fellow police detective who seems to be out to get Harry and who may be involved in illegal activity; a young female police detective who has a knack for recognizing faces and works at analyzing videos of crimes; and Harry's other superiors and co-detectives. The novel also had some unexpected twists at the end but it also left you hanging regarding the dirty cop who is after Harry. I believe the next in the series continues with this storyline and I look forward to reading it.
our first by this author but we now expect Nesbo to become one of our favorite authors.
Harry gets better and better with each book. This is the best in the series so far. Complex, great characters. Terrific read.
I heard this author is the Norwegian version of Larsson (the Girl with the...), but was not as enthralling. I think some of the reason is the translation. There are a lot of words that I could only guess the meaning of, based on the context.
Otherwise, was a good mystery, but not as good as the writing of my most popular mystery writers (Balducci, Grisham, etc).
Otherwise, was a good mystery, but not as good as the writing of my most popular mystery writers (Balducci, Grisham, etc).
