The website says he’s promoting Nemesis from his most excellent Harry Hole series. Although he does have a new hardcover coming out, The Devil’s Star in March 2010.The three books that are and will be available for US readers are: The Redbreast, Nemesis and The Devil’s Star (in March). Love. Him. I really do. Why? Great plotter. Great writer. Interesting protagonist. Read him. I have. And no, those aren’t affiliate links.

What can I say? I love this series. For crime fiction fans looking for something new, this series serves up more than just your typical police procedural.

“The Devil’s Star” sorta ends a continuing thread that began in “The Redbreast” and continued on into “Nemesis.” The story arc involved a group of corrupt police officers smuggling guns. Inspector Harry Hole’s partner was killed as a result when the leader of this smuggling ring was discovered. Someone who goes by the code name of “Prince.” That case was officially closed due to lack of evidence.

In “The Devil’s Star,” the story opens with not much personnel at Police HQ due to the current summer holiday in Oslo. The lead protagonist, Inspector Harry Hole, has been allowed to work on his own, short-term, to find the people responsible for the death of his colleague.

He hits a dead end however when he fails to find a viable witness who can finger the cop behind the arms smuggling. This failure prompts Harry to go on a drinking binge. His absence from work plus his drinking has pushed his sympathetic boss to hand Harry his dismissal papers.

But since this is the holiday and the Chief Superintendent isn’t due back for another couple of weeks, Harry is assigned to tackle a missing person’s case that eventually has him working alongside his nemesis, Tom Waaler. There’s no love lost between the two detectives and both can’t stand the sight of each other.

Tom Waaler is cold and arrogant and is highly regarded by his superiors as he continues to rise in the ranks of the police department. He’s their star detective.

What Nesbo is good at is interweaving multiple threads while maintaining a nice tension throughout the story. The threads eventually come together and quite nicely too. In this case you have three murders with one woman missing that has Harry and his team fearing the worst, that there might be a serial killer on the loose during the holiday.

The villain uses a complex code to target his victims. He mutilates them and uses the five star pentagram or “devil’s star” as his signature at the crime scene(s).

After reading three books in this series so far, I keep seeing the same two themes crop up continuously in his books that involve, what else, revenge and betrayal. The author is good at throwing out red herrings and there’s plenty of characters in here to point the finger at and think: is it him? is it her?

In the end though, what you think is just another serial killer story actually morphs into a cat and mouse game between Harry and his nemesis. Very dark yet gripping, page-turning stuff.

I love complex plots and this story like it’s predecessors delivers yet again. And Harry Hole is just about as fascinating as his cases. He’s an alcoholic which is his crutch. He’s also driven and dedicated to his job.

Often Harry is quite melancholy. A man still beset by his demons. There’s not much of a romance in here but Harry is in love with a single mother who wants him to give up his job. All very familiar tropes in crime fiction novels but who cares, it’s all good reading.

Nesbø does well with a somewhat largish cast because each character have a distinctive voice or story and is provided depth to differentiate them from each other. I was able to keep up.

Recurring characters like Beate Lønn, a video expert working in forensics, is the only person Harry trusts. Harry taught her the tenets of detective work and she’s often seen regurgitating back what he’s taught her in the field.

And the writing is, oh my, it’s quite impressive to this reader at least. Stale Aune, the criminologist who assists Harry with his cases often provides for much of the psychological suspense in here. Here is a snippet of the start of his lecture to the other cops in the meeting room:

There is every reason to believe that serial killers have existed for as long as there have been men on earth to kill. However, many consider the so-called “Autumn of Terror” in 1888 the first serial killer case of modern times. It’s the first documented case of a serial killer with a purely sexual motive. The murderer killed five women before vanishing into thin air. He was given the epithet “Jack the Ripper” but he took his real identity with him to the grave.

Or this scene that gives the story’s title some meaning. To set up this scene, Harry is having a discussion with one of his earlier witnesses about the pentagram the killer is using.

“Five is the most important figure in black magic. Did it have one or two points sticking upwards?
“One“
“So it’s not the sign of evil then. The sign you’re describing might symbolise both vitality and passion. Where did you find it?“
“On a beam above her bed.“
“Oh, I see,” Nygard said. That’s a simple one then.“
“Oh? “
“It’s what we call a mare cross or a devil’s star.“
“A mare?“
“The mare, yes. As in nightmare. A female demon who sits on the chest of a sleeping person and rides him so that he has bad dreams. The pagans thought she was a spirit. Not that strange since “mare” is derived from the Indo-Germanic “mer.”

“Have to confess that my Indo-Germanic is not up to much.”

“It means “death.” Nygard stared down into his cup of coffee. “Or to be more precise, “murder.”

In closing, I’d like to state that the setting along with the characters are a significant reason why I enjoy this series so much. The author provides an atmospheric touch to the time and place of the events that it gives the reader the sense that they are in the middle of the action, too.

While this author can do no wrong in my eyes when it comes to the plotting his stories, he does tend to meander a bit and he does shuffle through a somewhat large cast of characters. But then this is crime fiction on a more global scale. I tripped up over Norwegian names but trust me that didn’t slow me down at all.

The ending while suspenseful, didn’t have my heart racing this time like in the previous two books. In the end though, The Devil’s Star gets an A from me because the story was a page-turning joy to read.

As far as I know, the only two books available to get in the U.S. is The Redbreast and Nemesis in trade paperback. The Devil’s Star shows that it is coming soon as well as The Redeemer. They just can’t translate these books fast enough for me so I tend to get my copies from the UK. So. On to The Redbreast now (which is the name of a robin).

Norwegian crime novelist Jo Nesbø has penned another page-turner. This man is simply brilliant when it comes to plotting and characterizations.

There’s not one boring scene in his books. None. Nada. Nesbø‘s thrillers are appealing to me for several reasons but the two top reasons why I like his books are that they are set in Oslo and that his stories are character driven. Yes, of course I tripped up over Norwegian names but that was not a distraction nor a problem.

The series is told in third person and follows Oslo Inspector, Harry Hole, a man who chain smokes, drinks and likes to buck authority. Hole has a lot of personal demons to contend with and he’s not a very sociable guy. He’s more of a loner. His peers may not like him much but Harry is one of the best police officers in Oslo.

In “The Redeemer,” Harry Hole has to hunt down a professional contract killer who is targeting a soldier working for the Salvation Army in Oslo. This story is full of explosive secrets and if you’ve read this author before, you can be prepared to “expect the unexpected” because this book is even more tightly plotted than Nemesis (another book in the series I rated a B+).

The one thing I like about a villain is a smart one. Nesbø‘s villains are not so easily characterized in black or white. Nah, it’s not that simple. Sure, you can hate them for their horrible acts, but every character in here has a story. The villain in here, who happens to be a war refugee, has a story, too. A painful one that involves war (the Croatian/Serb conflict), the loss of a father and the loss of a commander and friend. The villain gained my sympathy. Imagine that.

The villain in here is also driven and fearless. He just will not stop. He is referred to reverently as the “mali spasitelj” aka “the little redeemer” because when he was a kid, he exploded twelve tanks when the Yugoslav army tried to take over Vukovar. Of course when the Serbs took over the city they tried to find him but didn’t. For all anyone knows, the redeemer was a myth. Not real.

I’m not all that well versed in foreign affairs so I found any background the author wanted to share about the Croatians vs Serbs war quite interesting. I didn’t know all that much, as far as the inner workings of The Salvation Army outside of their pietism and providing refuge to war veterans/refugees. Many of the characters in here are deeply involved with the Salvation Army. Much of the story is told in part about a rivalry between two brothers. It’s also a rivalry for power within the organization itself.

The story is multi-faceted as it involves betrayal, redemption and blood vengeance. The story starts off ominously enough with the rape of a 14 year old girl. The story then moves forward to the present where a Croatian refugee is hired as a contract killer who blunders badly when he takes out the wrong target. How could this happen? I’m not telling. I will say that he stays in Oslo to correct the mistake.

But enough of the plot, let’s talk about Harry. After all, he is the star of this series. At Police HQ there’s been some staff changes. Old supervisor out, new supervisor in. Since I didn’t read the book prior to this one (The Devil’s Star), all I can say is that a lot happened in that book.

Harry took out a corrupt set of cops that included a star detective who labeled himself the “prince.” As far as Harry is concerned, though, where there’s a “prince there’s a King.” Meanwhile, Harry gets partnered with Jack Halverson to track down the contract killer who is hunting a Salvation army officer. The two men, Halverson and Harry, reluctantly become friends.

The ending is as usual: edge of your seat, can’t turn the pages fast enough suspenseful. All these loose threads that Nesbø leaves dangling throughout the story is somehow neatly tied together pretty tight. I honestly didn’t see this one coming — the twist at the end. It places Harry in a different light for me.

There’s a lot more of the story that I left out as Nesbø‘s stories are not so easy to discuss without spoiling. I just know that I love his work and that no amount of words from me can do this book justice. If you’re a mystery reader looking for a page-turner then look no further than this book or any book by this author. After reading two of his books this man has impressed the hell out of me as his stories are so intricate and so complex and so rich. I love it.

Also, Harry Hole makes a great antihero. Sure, he is justice for all but is fully aware of the limitations of the law and is somewhat jaded. I so enjoy the psychologist, Stale Aune, who assists him on his cases. His insight into the criminal mind is interesting and thought-provoking. This paragraph struck a chord and admittedly, it’s not the best part of the book to quote but nonetheless here it is,

“An angry, unstable contract killer? Well, I suppose there are unstable airplane pilots and unstable managers of nuclear power stations, too. Not everyone is in a job they ought to be in, you know.

“I’ll drink to that.”

As for the violence in this series thus far, it varies but most of it is has been off to the side or low key. But then I read Karin Slaughter and Chelsea Cain whose violence swings between graphic to very graphic to off the chart, OMG how the hell did they do that type of violence. Sigh.

THE REDEEMER is the fourth book in the Harry Hole series. For once in my life I’m going to strongly suggest you start this series (if you’re interested) with the first book, THE REDBREAST. My grade, solid A. I’m well into the third Harry Hole book, THE DEVIL’S STAR. Sorry to say, it’s not available new in the US. UK only.

The Harry Hole series order is as follows: The Redbreast, Nemesis, The Devil’s Star and The Redeemer. Only two of these books are available in ebook at your favorite etailer. Edited to add for CORRECTION: I had originally stated in the review that Halverson was a supervisor of Harry’s but he was not. Rune Ivarrson was Harry’s supervisor. Sorry for the confusion.

In the US, there are currently only four of his books translated to English in the Harry Hole series. Redbreast and Nemesis are currently available and The Redeemer and The Devil’s Star seems to be currently only available used.

Nemesis is a story that is aptly named because the central theme is about, what else, revenge. The story opens with a bank robbery. The emotions are running high and intense. The armed robber, masked in a balaclava, grabs the bank clerk and demands that the branch manager open the safe within 25 seconds. Unfortunately, the teller is fatally shot and the robber gets away clean, under the nose of the police. The entire event is, however, captured on videotape but it doesn’t lead to any suspects.

An investigative team is quickly assembled together in the conference room that is nicknamed the House of Pain. Their suspect is narrowed down to someone who is experienced, no amateurs. The team consists of Beate Lønn, a cop who is a video expert with the added ability to recognize every face she has ever seen in her life. It’s an abnormality of the fusiform gyrus. It’s the part of the brain that is responsible for face and body recognition.

Harry Hole, the central character in this series, is also apart of the team. He’d recently rejoined the Crime Squad to work on a unrelated case that is personal to him (Redbreast). The investigative team is led by Rune Ivarsson, a man who is more of a politician than a detective. Ivarsson and Hole have a tense relationship and it is during their briefings that the two men would have heated exchanges. I often looked forward to those scenes because they were quite humorous.

Eventually the robbery case branches off into a parallel investigation when the suspect strikes again. Hole and Lønn are partnered together in the hopes that they can make an arrest quickly in order to soothe the public. However, the story gets complicated even further when an old flame from Harry’s past comes knocking on his door. Anna Bethesen and Harry Hole have a history. They were lovers for a brief period of time before they went their separate ways. Anna is a self-proclaimed artist with little to no talent. She seeks out Harry’s company one evening and this leads to another twist in the story.

A quick introduction: Harry’s 35 years old and has been on the police force for ten years. He’s regarded as a “blot on the force” by a few of his superiors due to past history and his drinking. He’s a seasoned detective who is often too fond of the bottle. He’s also reluctant to get involved in long-term relationships because of the “six week itch” that he says is due to his two loves — murder investigation and alcohol (as mentioned earlier).

However, he’s currently involved with single mother, Rakel and her son, Oleg. Rakel has had to fly to Moscow to fight for custody of her son when the story starts. The boy’s father wants custody and has a few politicians in his pocket to make things go in his favor but then he has a strike against his character: he’s an alcoholic. The custody case is brief and we are given updates throughout the story. Moving forward, Anna’s return has made Harry feel guilty and he doesn’t care to be involved with her anymore but she convinces him to go out with her one evening. The next day, Harry can’t remember the previous night’s events and subsequently finds himself in a compromising situation.

My take on Nemesis? It’s a damn good mystery and what I’ve mentioned thus far isn’t nearly all of the plot. The plot is complicated and backed by a lot of research and psychological profiling. The story is very suspenseful and it’s psychological suspense at that. The story has plenty of action and is full of intensity and emotion. A lot of quid pro quo and cat and mouse games. The plot is thickly layered and everything is seemingly connected on the surface. The author did a great job in bringing those threads together, too. As everything unfolded I was just left holding my breath at the outcome/ending.

There are quite a few interesting facts or simple truths interweaved throughout the story that I found enlightening and fascinating that served to amp up the tension/suspense or serve character development or in this case, the description of their suspect:

“Good bank robbers are neither famous nor quotable. You’ve never heard of them because they’ve never been caught. Because they are not direct or simple. The one you’re looking for is one of them.”

Or a discussion of the title which I thought was appropriately named:

“Nemesis, the goddess of justice and vengeance.”

“Which the Romans pinched off the Greeks,” Aune said. “They kept the scales, changed the whip for a sword, bound her eyes and called her Justitia.” He went to the lamp. “When, in 600 BC, they began to think the system of blood revenge didn’t work and decided to exact revenge from the individual and make it a public affair, it was precisely this woman who became the symbol of the modern constitutional state.” he stroked the cold, bronze woman. “Blind justice. Cold blooded vengeance. Our civilization rests in her hands.”

Nemesis is a taut suspense novel that actually delivers. Be warned that the events in here concerning Harry Hole’s previous case are addressed in here and seems to be ongoing. Unlike others, I don’t find it essential to read Redbreast first but there are spoilers in Nemesis and that didn’t bother me. As a reader who doesn’t usually read in order, the story was a good standalone despite the related events from the previous book. The author offers up plenty of backstory to catch you up so no worries there.

The weaknesses of the novel lie mostly within the story’s structure. There is a bit of head hopping in here and the cast of characters are rather large. I wouldn’t say it was difficult to keep them all straight but it did provide a bit of a challenge for me to remember who was who whenever I restarted the story. But your main cast of characters had more screen time anyway so that really wasn’t a problem for me.

I don’t understand why the translated versions of these books are not released in any kind of order. The ending of Nemesis left me with the need to start the next book right away (and I will). I already found a ebook copy of The Redeemer which I think is next. As mentioned previous, this book is apart of a series and is told in third person. I liked Harry Hole and would love to read more about him. He is not as dark as say Jack Taylor (Bruen) but he is your typical cop who has issues with alcohol and authority. Nemesis is, however, a lengthy novel that is broken down into five parts but the story moved quickly. Overall, I was pleased and highly recommend this author. My grade, B+. Now I must hunt for the other two novels. Sigh.