From My Point of View - Book Review

This one really got me. I'd been starving for a really good crime novel to just bury myself in and this was it. I loved it so much that I bought myself a copy of another book in the same series.

The book is Nemesis by Jo Nesbø. It starts out with a bank robbery in Oslo, which ends in murder, bring Harry Hole from the crime squad into the investigation. But is it just a simple bank robbery or is there more to it than that? Then there's the suicide of his ex-lover, or is it suicide? Where was Harry when she died after all? Harry doesn't remember, he just remebers that he was supposed to have dinner with her. And what about the cop we all know is bad? When's he going to get caught? The story quickly draws the reader into a tangled web of deception and murder that stretches to Brazil and back again.

I love Nesbø's writing. He tells the story so well, I felt like I was right there. The odd thing was that this book had several humorous moments and I don't usually go for mysteries with humor. I like them very serious, but I loved Nesbø's use of humor. I found myself telling people about the funny parts more than the main storyline. I guess his use of humor just appealed to me. The story itself was complex and satisfying. I absolutely LOVED IT.

It's part of the Harry Hole series, and when I say 'part of' I do mean that it is not the first book in the series. I've read online that some readers didn't think the books should be read out of order, but I disagree. Nemesis was the first book of the Nesbø's that I've ever read and I didn't feel lost for a second. When a previous book was referred to there was just enough context given that I knew a little about what had gone on before and was able to continue Nemesis without any confusion at all. It might be nice to read them in order, but not necessary.

Two things are really killing me. First, not all of his books are out in English yet. And the second relates to the first, I can't move on to the the next book - and the end of Nemesis does make you wish you could just keep reading. We already have a copy of The Redbreast, and one of his books, The Devil's Star, is out in English, but is also out-of-print. I'll find a way to get my hands on it though, even if I have to use interlibrary loan. As for the rest of the series, I'm eagerly awaiting the U.S. release dates of his other books.

Elizabeth