“The Redeemer” by Jo Nesbo and Don Bartlett (translator) – Gun Salvation
However, it seems that the curse of all great detectives has now struck him too: rest is the last thing he will get.
During a Salvation Army concert which took place on the streets of Oslo quite innocently, the singer was mysteriously and brutally murdered for all to see by a point-blank shot to the face.
Surprisingly enough, no suspect could be identified, no motive for the murder could be found, nor was the murder weapon discovered. With all of these revelatory clues at his disposal, Harry pushes onwards and quite soon finds himself going as far as Yugoslavia on his quest for the truth.
However, what he doesn’t suspect is that the true evil and darkness that lurks behind the hearts of men awaits for him back is Oslo, amongst the homeless junkies, vagrants and Salvationists that have claimed the streets.
Such is the premise, in a nutshell at least, of The Redeemer, the fourth Jo Nesbo novel, translated into English by Don Bartlett. It seems that with every Harry Hole book Nesbo has an easier time finding himself and determining where he wants to go.
Up until now, each Harry Hole novel improved on the last one, whether it was in the way the characters were presented or the interest generated by the story itself, and this time is no exception.
The Christmas setting makes this novel feel a bit special and actually quite unsettling, especially when it is juxtaposed with the insanity of the villain as well as the grizzly and harrowing life Oslo’s less fortunate citizens are leading.
In comparison to his previous books, at least in my opinion, the pace is a bit faster, focusing almost exclusively on the investigation and the frantic journey it sends detective Hole on.
As we have become accustomed with Nesbo, the characters are very vividly-described, with each one of them having some kind of special distinguishing mark or feature, making many of them actually quite memorable.
As usual, the villain is really a piece of work, once again bringing up the subjects of inherent evil in humanity and committing atrocities for the mere sake of committing them.
I definitely recommend it to those who liked Jo Nesbo’s previous works or are looking to get to know Harry Hole, the latest addition to the lineup of superhuman detectives in literature.
 | Jo NesboPersonal site Jo Nesbo is a Norwegian musician and book writer who has gained a solid foothold in his native country, selling more than 1.5 million copies of his novels in Norway (9 million worldwide) and having them translated in more than 40 languages. One of his more famous books is The Headhunters, on which a very successful 2011 film was based. |
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