Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Crime

Scandinavian crime novels are almost a subgenre all their own. Every year more and more novelists are being translated into English so that we can enjoy these wonderful stories.
I have just finished Nemesis by Norwegian author Jo Nesbo and starring Detective Harry Hole. Hole is your typical fictional detective, he smokes, is a loner at work, has troubled relationships, is a recovering alcoholic, is a little overweight, and tries to understand the meaning behind evil and why it is committed.
In this novel (number four in the series but the third one translated) Harry is brought in to help a bank robbery investigation where the robber kills the cashier. While this investigation is ongoing an old flame of Harry's arrives in town and they catch up. The next day she is found dead and Harry begins to receive threatening emails. Someone is trying to frame him, and while Harry tries o clear his name the bank robberies continue.

Nesbo has written a great thriller that is full of twists and red herrings. Harry is a great character and the reader wants him to succeed, if only because it will annoy certain people on the police force. Overall an amazing read and I'll look forward to reading more of Nesbo's novels.

No comments:

Post a Comment