Saturday 11 February 2012

Redbreast

Finished February 10
Redbreast by Jo Nesbo, read by Sean Barrett
This is the first Jo Nesbo book I've read, but he's been on my "want to read" list for a while. At first reading this as an audiobook required more concentration as the book moves between different time periods, but it soon started to flow for me.
This book is the third in the series featuring Harry Hole (pronounced Hulla) and includes a high profile incident involving Harry and the aftermath of that incident. Harry is reassigned to a surveillance position, and becomes interesting in a report of a rare and very expensive gun that seems to have entered the country surreptitiously. There is some question of a connection of this gun to recent neo-Nazi activity, and we find ourselves being led back to World War II. Norway was an occupied country, and Norwegians fought on both sides of the war. This novel includes the issues surrounding that time period, Norway's image around that and the myths about how Norwegians behaved during the occupation. Harry's investigation regarding the gun takes him to both South Africa, where the gun came from, and Vienna, where he believes the gun's new owner once was.
There are also issues around Harry's former partner, who dies in this book, and Harry's love life. Intriguing, complex and with an amazing plot, this novel has me hooked on the series.

2 comments:

  1. Someone else also read this for the European Reading Challenge and it sounds really, really good. I read a non-fiction book about Norway's resistance movement and thought it was very interesting.

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  2. It was my first Jo Nesbo book, but I'm sure it won't be my last.
    I've read some nonfiction in this area too, and am also interested because my paternal grandfather was of Norwegian background.

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