Hardcover, 519 pages
English language
Published Aug. 8, 2006 by Harvill Secker.
The next Stig Larsson? I'm afraid so. Disappointing, and highly unbelievable.
Fantastic Norwegian murder mystery/thriller. Loved everything about it-the characterization, the historical aspects, the story itself. I made the mistake of finishing this late at night right before going to bed and I found my brain going round and round afterwards. I couldn't stop thinking about it. The obvious comparison to [b:The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo|2429135|The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)|Stieg Larsson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293975922s/2429135.jpg|1708725] can't NOT be mentioned, but Nesbo's writing is so much less dense. There's a lot less detail, and that's definitely not a bad thing in a murder mystery. I really can't wait to read more in this series.
Absolutely brilliant, weaving together the involvement of some Norwegians in a German military unit in the past, neo-Nazis in present-day Norway, and assassination plot, and (perhaps the best part of all) the life of detective Harry Hole, There are bits that are a bit contemplative, bits that are wild thriller scenes, and bits that are incredibly moving. I'm happy that more of this series is being translated into English. Highly recommended.
