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Nemesis (Harry Hole #4)

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 9,800 ratings · 964 reviews

Captured on closed-circuit television: A man walks into an Oslo bank, puts a gun to a cashier’s head, and tells her to count to twenty-five. When he doesn’t get his money fast enough, he pulls the trigger. The young woman dies—and two million Norwegian kroner disappear without a trace.

After a drunken evening with his former girlfriend, Anna Bethsen, Police Detective Harry...more

Paperback, 512 pages

Published January 31st 2012 by Harper Perennial (first published 2002)

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Nov 30, 2012 Wordsmith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Nordic Thriller Aficionados

Shelves: ranking-2012-reads-processing, part-of-series, police-procedural, thriller-intrigue, lit-scandinavian, ebooks-kindle, award-winning-book-or-author, star-four, death-violent, favorite, norway, bestsellers, have-reviewed

One of The Sites Harry Is Sure To Visit At Least Once Per Novel:

  Vigeland Park Oslo, Norway

This is actually the second in the series and I have to say I found it better overall than a couple of his later ones. It is interesting going backwards and read of the events alluded to in Harry's future. Witnessing the beginning of his relationship with Rakel, probing the roots of the animosity between him and certain co-workers, indeed, the department in general. Yes, Harry gets his man. But at what co...more One of The Sites Harry Is Sure To Visit At Least Once Per Novel:

  Vigeland Park Oslo, Norway

This is actually the second in the series and I have to say I found it better overall than a couple of his later ones. It is interesting going backwards and read of the events alluded to in Harry's future. Witnessing the beginning of his relationship with Rakel, probing the roots of the animosity between him and certain co-workers, indeed, the department in general. Yes, Harry gets his man. But at what cost? Prices can be so high and let's not forget about inflation.

A decent series, actually better than most.

Another Oslo Site I Feel I've Come To Know Very Well:

  Frogner Park Oslo, Norway

Harry does get around....

  Oslo, In The Evening:

(less)

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Jeffrey Keeten I'm way behind on this series. I've only read two. I did just get my whole first edition set back from Murder by the Book signed by Mr. Nesbo. So now...more
Nov 29, 2012 08:26am

Wordsmith I do too! Actually, I spent far too much time just last week pondering this same question. I was curious if I could literally break it down; the inher...more
Nov 29, 2012 09:02pm

Aug 18, 2012 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, translated, 4-stars, read-in-2012, read-in-teenties, harry-hole, reviewed

Harry Hole returns in the fourth book in the series by Jo Nesbø (although only the second, translated ably, by Don Bartlett) and follows on from Redbreast . Some time has passed between the two novels, although it's not entirely clear how much - not enough to change the other people around him too much or for him to have ruined his relationship with Rakel (surely only a matter of time) or to have forgotten the murder of his partner, Ellen, but enough for there to be a new girl on the force - Bea...more Harry Hole returns in the fourth book in the series by Jo Nesbø (although only the second, translated ably, by Don Bartlett) and follows on from Redbreast . Some time has passed between the two novels, although it's not entirely clear how much - not enough to change the other people around him too much or for him to have ruined his relationship with Rakel (surely only a matter of time) or to have forgotten the murder of his partner, Ellen, but enough for there to be a new girl on the force - Beate Lønn - an expert in video analysis.

Nemesis is two crimes in one; a bank robbery, where the robber executes one of the bank staff when his request to get the money within a certain amount of time isn't met. The other, an ex-girlfriend of Hole's, Anna, who he meets up with for drinks is found dead in her apartment - apparently suicide - however Hole's memory of the evening is a total blank. So while investigating the bank robbery with Lønn, he's also trying to continue the investigation into the death of Anna without implicating himself to his colleagues, and not forgetting the ongoing investigation into the death of Ellen that he's struggling to keep alive.

So far, so confusing. One cop, three cases, but, Nesbø didn't think that was confusing enough. The three cases are intertwined, common threads and characters appear and disappear from one case to another and so on. Hole's own blackouts further confuse the second case, and finally, every time Hole decides he's solved a case, you soon realise he hasn't. The two main cases both have twists, even their twists have further twists. Until you're thoroughly confused. The robbery is solved half-way through the book. I assumed this was to free up the rest of the book to concentrate on the Anna and Ellen cases, but nope, Hole's got the wrong man (and not for the last time). If you can keep up, both the main cases have very clever resolutions, although the Ellen case really never gets much further than in Redbreast - there are hints and clues provided to us the reader, but Harry never really gets anywhere. Fingers crossed that Waaler, the Prince, gets his comeuppance in the next book.

Gripping and well paced, even as confusing as it was. You're never quite sure how closely the cases are connected, or who is guilty, is getting framed, or is just lying to us, right until the end. (view spoiler)(less)

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Oct 12, 2011 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: yikes

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 22, 2012 Radka rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pár poznámek k Nesbømu (jednou se třeba naučím i ty recenze)

Když jsem četla svou první nesbøovku (Nemesis), nemohla jsem se zbavit pocitu, že i když mě kniha baví, k dokonalosti jí cosi chybí nebo možná spíš přebývá. Při četbě Pentagramu jsem pak dospěla k závěru, že se nejspíš jedná o promyšlený autorský záměr: psát knihy dost dobré na to, aby je lidé četli, ale zároveň všelijak nedokonalé a tedy i vzbuzující naději, že v příští knize se zadaří lépe.

Sama jsem právě takhle uvažovala, když jsem s...more

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Feb 09, 2009 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nesbo, Jo. NEMESIS. (2002; U.S. 2008). ****. Nesbo is an international best-selling author from Norway. His earlier book, “The Redbreast,” was his initial claim to fame. Although not well-known to American readers, he has picked up a solid cadre of fans who will swell his audience through word of mouth. This novel takes his detective hero, Hole, of the murder squad, into the world of the gypsies. It all starts out with a bank robbery, where the robber, later termed the Expediter, holds a gun to...more

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Dec 11, 2008 Reinhold rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

Der dritte Kriminalroman (nach Der Fledermausmann und Rotkehlchen) von Jo Nesbø kann leider nicht an die Qualität seines unmittelbaren Vorgängers anschließen. Hatte er mit Rotkehlchen ein wirklich herausragendes Werk vorgelegt, so ist Die Fährte leider nur mehr Mittelmaß.

Der alkoholkranke Polizist Harry Hole soll in Parallelermittlungen gemeinsam mit einer brillanten Kollegin, ein Tötungsdelikt im Zusammenhang mit einem Bankraub aufklären. Während das Raubdezernat von einem brutalen Bankräuber a...more Der dritte Kriminalroman (nach Der Fledermausmann und Rotkehlchen) von Jo Nesbø kann leider nicht an die Qualität seines unmittelbaren Vorgängers anschließen. Hatte er mit Rotkehlchen ein wirklich herausragendes Werk vorgelegt, so ist Die Fährte leider nur mehr Mittelmaß.

Der alkoholkranke Polizist Harry Hole soll in Parallelermittlungen gemeinsam mit einer brillanten Kollegin, ein Tötungsdelikt im Zusammenhang mit einem Bankraub aufklären. Während das Raubdezernat von einem brutalen Bankräuber ausgeht, ahnt Harry dass hier etwas nicht stimmt und ermittelt in Richtung Mord. Neben diesen Untersuchungen wird Harry voll und ganz von einem ganz anderen Fall in Beschlag genommen. Eine seiner früheren Flammen wird tot in ihrer Wohnung aufgefunden und alle gehen von Selbstmord aus, bloß Harry nicht. Er ist fest überzeugt, dass es sich um Mord handelt und beginnt mit Ermittlungen auf eigene Faust, behält aber die Tatsache, dass er diese Frau kannte für sich. Die Spirale beginnt sich zu drehen und zieht Harry in ein Gewirr aus Indizien die er bald nicht mehr vernünftig ordnen kann. Schließlich ist er selbst nicht mehr sicher, ob nicht vielleicht er selbst seine frühere Freundin auf dem Gewissen hat. Die Auflösung dieses Falles ist dann allerdings leider sehr an den Haaren herbeigezogen - vielleicht logisch aber letztlich sehr theoretisch und zu sehr von Zufällen abhängig.

Sprachlich und stilistisch kann Nesbø ebenfalls nicht an den Vorgängerroman anschließen. Was ihm dafür ebenso gut gelingt, ist die Entwicklung der Charaktere und insbesondere des Protagonisten. Keine der entscheidenden Figuren ist klischeehaft gezeichnet, jede hat ihre guten und schlechten Seiten - diese Personen sind nicht bloß schwarz und weiß, sondern eben auch grau in unzähligen Schattierungen. Ebenfalls sehr gut entwickelt Nesbø die Rahmenhandlung weiter. Nicht zu viel aber auch nicht zu wenig werden Geschichten im Hintergrund entwickelt, wie z.B. die Geschichte rund um einen korrupten Kollegen.

Was ist also die Quintessenz? Das Buch kann man nicht uneingeschränkt empfehlen, dazu hat es zu viele Schwächen, man muss aber auch nicht abraten. Wenn Sie die Geschichte des Harry Hole bereits kennen und den Protagonisten wieder einmal begegnen wollen, so ist das Buch sicherlich O.K. Das Buch ist letztlich ein mittelmäßiger aber kein schlechter Krimi. (less)

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May 06, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I very much like this author. I've read more recent items, then went to this earlier one. I like the Norwegian atmosphere--always so gloomy and gray, and chilly. Best of all is the detective Harry Hole. Quite a fascinating guy, and like all hero detectives, flawed in many areas. I do have to wonder how a real police department would handle him. I'm certain he would have been fired long ago for his bad behavior and alcoholism. But he keeps plugging on. What I liked about this novel in particular...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Barbara Tiede rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm just mad about Harry, so even though this isn't one of my favourite Nesbos, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It apparently follows on from Redbreast. Some time has passed---not enough for Harry to have forgotten the murder of his partner, Ellen, but enough for there to be a new girl on the force, Beate Lønn, an expert in video analysis with an inherent talent: she never forgets a face. Harry is still in a relationship with Rakel.
Nemesis is two crimes in one; a bank robbery, where the robber executes...more

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Mar 14, 2013 William rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While this is the fourth Harry Hole novel, it reads like a sequel to Redbreast, which is the only other one I have read.

Nesbo is meticulous in plot-construction. This Hole opus has multiple plots, all of which twist and shift as the story develops. The outcomes, while generally surprising, are not in tension with what you already know as the reader. I have to give Nesbo high marks for that, and for them, I could give the book four stars. For people who like this kind of thing, it could even get...more While this is the fourth Harry Hole novel, it reads like a sequel to Redbreast, which is the only other one I have read.

Nesbo is meticulous in plot-construction. This Hole opus has multiple plots, all of which twist and shift as the story develops. The outcomes, while generally surprising, are not in tension with what you already know as the reader. I have to give Nesbo high marks for that, and for them, I could give the book four stars. For people who like this kind of thing, it could even get five. Unfortunately, I did not read it with as much pleasure.

Despite my respect for what Nesbo creates, this is the last one I will read. To begin with, 474 pages is simply too long for a mystery (ok, a police procedural). Instead of the multiple story lines, why not reduce the number a bit and make the book a reasonable length?

I had difficulty wanting to read the book on many occasions when the air of impending menace was overwhelming. Nesbo is attracted to characters who border on being psychopaths, and he also does not shy away from gore. Evil lurks in both the Harry Hole books I have read, and this is undoubtedly attractive to readers who enjoy being scared. However, I am not one of those.

You know in reading Nesbo that the good guys can indeed get killed. Mostly they don't, but because it happened in "Redbreast" I read this one thinking this could recur. That really got in the way for me.

And finally, the entire plot hinges on one choice Harry makes, and it is so obviously a stupid one that it undercut the effectiveness of the book for me. I just could not see why he did it, and if he hadn't, the rest of the book would not have happened.

In short, this is a terrific book for people who like movies which terrify the audience. It is also an effective police procedural. But I'm glad I've finished this and can go on to something I can read with less anxiety and simpler pleasure.

One last comment, after looking at some other reviews. Virtually all the reviews in English are very positive, but quite a few in other languages are not. I wish I had the linguistic ability to read some of those. Oh well.(less)

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Dec 28, 2012 Anita rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, police-procedural, psychological-thriller

A bank robbery ends with the shooting of a teller and Harry Hole runs a murder investigation in parallel with the Robberies Unit. He is teamed up with a young female officer, Beate Lonn, who grew up in the same area of Norway as Harry, and who has an eidetic memory for faces. Harry is back on the booze while his girlfriend Rakel and her son Oleg are facing down the courts in Russia, where she is trying to win custody of her son. While the cat is away, the mouse decided to play, as they say, and...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Keith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Here is another mystery by a Scandinavian Author. Wow. It doesn't have the color of the "Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" because the main character isn't as memorable as the woman in that book. But the story and mystery in this book is far better written, in my humble opinion. The main character, inspector Hole, will become another famous detective. He has issues, but then everything around him becomes part of the story. Not only do we have the mystery, but we have the murder of his partner, Ellen,...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Lori rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fic

Nemesis is the second of Nesbo's novels translated to English, but the third of the Harry Hole series. While this installation is not as strong as the first book, Redbreast, I definitely will be reading more of this series.

Two crimes are juxtaposed in this plot, a bank robbery/murder and an apparent murder of passion. The motivation for the second is quite foggy, and becomes even foggier once the perpetrator's identity is discovered, after many red herrings are contrived along the way whose only...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Gloria Feit rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There have now been several Harry Hole novels, but this was only the second to be published in the United States (the first was "The Redbreast"). Both demonstrate the author's uncanny ability to continually lead the reader astray with one red herring after another before disclosing, in a final twist, a most unexpected dénouement.

In the present novel, these principles apply to two separate story lines. One involves a bank robbery in which a woman is shot in the head. The other finds a woman with...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Paul Curd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-edition, crime-and-mystery, fiction

There really should be a health warning or spoiler alert printed on the cover of this book. It is the third of Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole series of detective novels to be translated into English. The first was The Devil's Star, but actually The Devil's Star turns out to be the third in the series and very much the sequel to Nemesis. For some reason, the novels have been translated and published in the UK out of sequence (I guess the reason is they published the best one first to test the water . . .)...more There really should be a health warning or spoiler alert printed on the cover of this book. It is the third of Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole series of detective novels to be translated into English. The first was The Devil's Star, but actually The Devil's Star turns out to be the third in the series and very much the sequel to Nemesis. For some reason, the novels have been translated and published in the UK out of sequence (I guess the reason is they published the best one first to test the water . . .). Unlike most detective series novels, you really do need to read Nesbø's Harry Hole books in the correct order to get the most from them. While each novel stands alone to a certain extent, there is a thread running through them that is best followed chronologically. So if you haven't read the first in the series, The Redbreast, maybe you should do so before you read this book!

Nemesis begins with grainy CCTV footage showing a masked man walking into a bank and putting a gun to a cashier's head. He tells her to count to twenty-five. When he doesn't get his money in time, she is executed. No forensic evidence is recovered, but the Oslo police treat the incident simply as a bank robbery gone wrong and the investigation is assigned to Rune Ivarsson, the arrogant Head of the Robbery Unit. Maverick detective Harry Hole, however, has spent the whole weekend studying the CCTV videotape and believes the case should be treated as a murder, which means it should be investigated by the Crime Squad (of which he is a member). As a result, Harry is temporarily attached to the Robbery Unit in a semi-detached role with a brief to pursue the case in parallel to the main investigation.

Lurking somewhere at the back of all this is an event that took place in Nesbø's earlier novel, The Redbreast. In The Redbreast, Harry's partner and close friend, Ellen Gjelten, is beaten to death with a baseball bat. As a result, Harry had an alcoholic relapse, something he is still recovering from at the start of Nemesis. In Harry's opinion, the case of Ellen's murder had never been cleared up satisfactorily. Harry had found incriminating evidence against a suspect, but before justice could take its course Inspector Tom Waaler had shot the suspect dead in an alleged fire fight. Harry doubted Waaler's story, and felt the dead suspect's motive for killing Ellen was never satisfactorily explained.

But Ellen is dead, and Harry needs a new partner. He is assigned another female detective Beate Lønn, whose father had been an Oslo cop shot on duty during a bank raid a few years earlier. When Harry first meets Beate she reminds him of a corpse Ellen and he had once fished out of Bunnefjord. Is this a foreshadowing of events to come? Will history repeat itself?

Meanwhile, Harry's girlfriend is away in Russia, sorting out a messy divorce. While she is away, and the investigation into the bank robbery/murder is just beginning, Anna an old flame gets in touch with Harry. He meets her for a drink and goes for a coffee back to her house, where he admires a series of paintings Anna is working on. She has called the paintings Nemesis, after the goddess. A few days later, Harry goes back to Anna's for dinner, but the next morning he wakes up at home with a terrible hangover and no memory of the past twelve hours. The same morning Anna is found shot dead in her bed. Harry investigates the case without revealing his association with the dead girl, but then he begins to receive threatening e-mails by someone who seems to know there is more to Anna's death than the police suspect. Is someone trying to frame him for Anna's murder?

This is a very complex (or maybe that should be complicated) novel. There are several plots and sub-plots, clues and red herrings, and many a twist and turn. It is very well written (and the translator should get an honourable mention here) and on the whole an enjoyable read. But it is a very long book at nearly 500 pages. Around about page 300 I was beginning to wilt under the complexity of it all. But just as I was starting to run out of stamina, Nesbø introduced a shocking new element relating to Ellen Gjelten's murder and reinvigorated the story.

The ending is a puzzle, and I scratched my head over it for a while before discovering that all is revealed in the third book in the series, The Devil's Star.
(less)

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Nov 25, 2011 Linda Branham Greenwell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-crime, fiction, psychological-thriller, scandinavian-mystery

I've been reading this series in the wrong order... but I still like them :)
In this story, Harry Hole, the detective in the series has many crimes occurring at one time - including one involving himself.
Harry is kind of the misfit in the police departments and does things by his own rules, which infuriates some of the other detectives. Harry is alcoholic - currently in recovery - but wakes up one morning feeling as if he has been drinking and doesn't remember what happened - and then finds that...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Slávek Rydval rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-english-authors, read-2011

Světový zájem o severskou kriminálku zřejmě rozpoutal Stieg Larsson svým Miléniem. Bohužel to má i ten důsledek, že se k nám ze Skandinávie tahají romány, které lze bez okolků označit za silně podprůměrné čtivo pro masy (a tedy intelektuálně člověka sotva obohacující). Jedním takovým zastupitelem, který je (naprosto špatně) kriminálním románem označován, je Nemesis od Joa Nesboa.

Povězme si, co vlastně nutí vydavatele knihu zařadit do kategorie kriminální žánr:
1) Je z prostředí (kmininální) polic...more Světový zájem o severskou kriminálku zřejmě rozpoutal Stieg Larsson svým Miléniem. Bohužel to má i ten důsledek, že se k nám ze Skandinávie tahají romány, které lze bez okolků označit za silně podprůměrné čtivo pro masy (a tedy intelektuálně člověka sotva obohacující). Jedním takovým zastupitelem, který je (naprosto špatně) kriminálním románem označován, je Nemesis od Joa Nesboa.

Povězme si, co vlastně nutí vydavatele knihu zařadit do kategorie kriminální žánr:
1) Je z prostředí (kmininální) policie.
2) Vyšetřuje se tam zločin.
3) Obsahuje všechna možná klišé:
a. Hlavní vyšetřovatel je problémový (zde alkoholik).
b. Nevraživost na pracovišti mezi některými kriminalisty.
c. Hlavní postava s sebou vláčí svou nevyřešenou minulost.
d. Vyšetřování nakonec vedou dva týmy. Ba co víc, a to je jedno z nejtrapnějších klišé, spolupracovník hlavní postavy připraví na ni léčku.
e. Hlavní postava jde proti předpisům a nakonec uspěje.
f. Doplňte si další, kniha to splňovat vesměs bude.

Co však knize naopak markantně chybí, je bod, který dělá kriminálku kriminálkou a co určuje i to, zda jde o kvalitní knihu: čtenář má mít neustále možnost přemýšlet o tom, kdo zločin spáchal a neměl by se to pokud možno dozvědět dříve než na posledních pár stránkách. Na to je ale zřejmě Nesbo hodně špatným spisovatelem, neboť Nemesis je prachsprostý deníkový záznam jakéhosi loupežného přepadení. Pokud vypluje na povrch nějaká skutečnost, hned je rozebrána a čtenář je někam nasměrován, aniž by třeba chtěl, aniž by dostal možnost pochybovat, přemýšlet. Pro čtení na deku na pláž možná dobré, resp. lepší než bulvární deník, ale jinak?

Kniha má na 500 stran, a ačkoliv někteří o ní tvrdí, že ji nemohli odložit z ruky, mně to neudělalo problém nikdy. Ano, čtivá sice je, ale napínavá? Nikoliv. Dozví se člověk něco ze života ze severu? Nikoliv. Vadilo by, kdybych přestal v třetině, půlce, ke konci číst a pak už nedočetl? Ó nikoliv. Má cenu se těšit na další ze série úchvatného vyšetřovatele Harryho? Pche, na světě je tolik lepšího čtení…(less)

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Apr 04, 2011 Cameling rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: murder-mystery, thriller

The complexity of this Norwegian crime fiction is a work of art and certain to keep you at the edge of your seat.

A bank robbery turns to murder and a joint police team is formed to help identify the masked murderer. Studying the surveillance video, the team are baffled and worried as a series of bank robberies with similar MOs take place across Oslo, but without anyone getting killed. As if trying to identify and find the perpetrator of this crime wasn't enough, another death takes place, unrel...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Karen Brooks rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second Jo Nesbo book I have read and I am in awe of this man's talent and ability to draw together a complex plot and develop already strong characters as well as bring fascinating new ones into the mix.

It's two years since the events in The Red Breast and Harry Hole, the tall, alcoholic detective has a new work partner - a young woman with the ability to remember faces with uncanny precision. It's this ability that comes in very handy as Harry is deployed to solve a bank robbery tha...more

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Jul 07, 2010 James Thane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nemesis is a complex psychological thriller that weaves together the strands of two different investigations that prove to be interrelated.

When a teller is shot and killed in a dramatic bank robbery, Oslo homicide detective Harry Hole is assigned to the team investigating the crime. But Harry, a recovering alcoholic with a ton of other issues, does not work well with others and soon finds himself investigating apart from the larger team, assisted only by a young detective and video analyst, Bea...more

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Jul 06, 2010 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-audio-books, 2010-mysteries

Nemesis by Jo Nesbo A. narrated by Thor Knai, produced by Harper Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

The name of this book is apt, as “Nemesis” refers to someone seeking revenge. Harry Hole, Detective, is facing two crimes which seem to be revenge crimes. A bank robbery occurs mostly caught on video within the bank. One of the bank tellers is killed because the money didn’t appear fast enough. But the police soon find that the teller killed was the sister-in-law of the assumed bank robbert, who m...more

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Dec 13, 2009 Andrea Bowhill rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review - Nemesis (Harry Hole, Fourth Book)

Nemesis is a suspenseful, tightly complex twisted plot, full of illusion, nothing is as it seems. Jo Nesbø once again captivates us from the opening chapter with crystal clear visuals, letting our imagination take pictures of everything happening second by second. Were all standing in a bank queue; a robber walks in and quickly controls the area. He directly stands before a female bank cashier she's given twenty five seconds for him to receive his money...more Review - Nemesis (Harry Hole, Fourth Book)

Nemesis is a suspenseful, tightly complex twisted plot, full of illusion, nothing is as it seems. Jo Nesbø once again captivates us from the opening chapter with crystal clear visuals, letting our imagination take pictures of everything happening second by second. Were all standing in a bank queue; a robber walks in and quickly controls the area. He directly stands before a female bank cashier she's given twenty five seconds for him to receive his money, when he doesn't get the cash on time; six seconds too late, she's executed at point blank range, the robber escapes leaving no forensic evidence. Harry Hole is assigned to the case, all he has as a lead is grainy CCTV footage, a playback of the crime in slow motion, what he needs is a fatal mistake, just one discrepancy, until then the robber continues his spree of evil across Oslo.

Meanwhile Harry's girlfriend is in Moscow fighting for custody of her son. An old flame of Harry's gets in touch, they decide to meet up. The first part of the evening remains clear but as the night continues things become blurry with a complete touch of memory loss, how did he make it home? A phone call from a colleague brings nothing but more bad news, his ex has been found in her bed its an apparent suicide. Harry sets about to cover tracks while trying to unravel that fateful evening but as he starts to receive strange e-mails, he realizes someone wants to play a deadlier game!

Nemesis spirit of divine retribution. Jo Nesbø gives us a real brain teasing puzzle that's thrilling and gripping, just when you thought you had it; the plot twists and turns and takes us in many direction with art of trickery, manipulation. This book comes with all things dark, shady characters, crooked policeman, dirty family secrets and sibling rivalry, scars run deep, it's a marvelous story of betrayal and revenge.

Love this author work his very descriptive always changing the view, different reflections and it also comes with brilliant characterization, clear insight, observation and mannerism of people. Harry Hole is a compelling character to read, If you're reading about Harry for the first time, expect a loner, an alcoholic full of cynicism, who tends not to fit in with the office crowd but that's what he prefers, rubbing just about anybody up the wrong way, but he remains likeable. It's that touch of humour that Jo Nesbø adds to his characters and chapters (titles) which gives the novels an edge that rolls so easily into these thrillers, it translates into an English dry sense of humour and flows nicely into all the stories intertwining.

For anyone starting this series I would always recommend from The Redbreast and then following the series through with this book; Nemesis, The Devil's Star and finally The Redeemer. I read all books as they were published out of order which caused no problems either; but to get the full feel of the characters who come and go and references to other story lines it always best to take it from the top.

With added news reports from the Afghanistan War giving us a sense of time making this novel a modern day contemporary thriller another hugely enjoyable read to this series. Nemesis made Publishers Weekly list the best books of the year top 100 for 2009. Highly Recommended

Also adding here a thank you to Don Bartlett for the clear translation in the series.

Andrea Bowhill(less)

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Aug 18, 2012 Mircalla64 (free Liu Xiaobo) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, thriller

inutili intorcinamenti

chi ha detto che un buon giallo deve per forza essere macchinoso?
chi è stato il folle che ha deciso che per avvincere un lettore occorre intrigarlo con interi capitoli di intorcinamenti sentimental/esistenziali del detective di turno?
e già che ci siamo, come mai la maggior parte dei commissari nordici beve come un alpino?
e perchè mai mi dovrebbe interessare leggere dei portentosi doposbronza dell'ispettore Harry Hole?
seconda possibilità che decido di dare al famoso Jo Nesb...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Norwegian police series about Harry Hole, detective. (Whenever he was called Hole, I squirmed.)

Read a review which classed him with the other Scandinavian mystery. The advice was to read the books in order. The first in English was Redbreast, which I just downloaded. (I'd forgotten that advice and just bought the cheapest Kindle edition.)

Nemesis was good. REALLY complicated plot, focusing on a series of bank robberies, one in which a woman is killed point blank in what seems an unmotivated shoo...more

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May 08, 2011 Jody rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, mystery

(First, in the interest of full disclosure, I have the sense of humor of a 14-year-old boy. A series about a guy named Harry Hole is almost more than I can bear. That's what she said!)

But moving on. Nesbo has been called the next Stieg Larsson, and now that I've read two of Nesbo's novels, I think that's an insult--and this is from someone who liked the Millennium trilogy. (Well, except for the detailed tangents to the Caribbean and Gibraltar so Lisbeth could have sex on her terms, or the three-...more

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May 05, 2013 Grazia Omicini rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ogni tanto mi è sembrato di perdere per un attimo il filo della narrazione, non so se per la scrittura, l'impaginazione dell'ebook o per problemi di traduzione (qualche espressione incomprensibile o incongrua qua e là mi fa propendere per la terza ipotesi). La trama è intricata ma un po' meno che nel Pettirosso: due indagini si intrecciano, quella su una rapina in banca e su un omicidio spacciato per suicidio, e si intrecciano a loro volta con un vecchio caso (la morte del poliziotto padre di Be...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Mike Philbin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Seriously? A three and a half act narrative? Now, I've just realised this is why I gave his Leopard 3/5, too.

Nemesis was racing along at a wicked pace: it was considered, meaty, well written. It was a clear five star read by four hundred pages. It got to page 600 and (as far as I was concerned) the story was written, done and dusted. It was in the bag. THE END. The perfect two hundred pages per act, three act narrative.

But then the novel continued for another hundred pages, another half act. I d...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Mor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ощущения примерно как от привычного детективного сериала по телевизору, однако у Несбе даже в ремесленной работе виден талант. В этот раз - презапутанная история, Харри Холе вертится на сковородке, с одной стороны пытаясь разобраться, кто убил цыганку-художницу, с которой он был накануне, с другой - разгадать, зачем во время ограбления была цинично застрелена сотрудница банка. Так как в этот раз инспектор снова не покидает Осло, что не позволяет использовать экзотическое окружение, Несбе пытаетс...more Ощущения примерно как от привычного детективного сериала по телевизору, однако у Несбе даже в ремесленной работе виден талант. В этот раз - презапутанная история, Харри Холе вертится на сковородке, с одной стороны пытаясь разобраться, кто убил цыганку-художницу, с которой он был накануне, с другой - разгадать, зачем во время ограбления была цинично застрелена сотрудница банка. Так как в этот раз инспектор снова не покидает Осло, что не позволяет использовать экзотическое окружение, Несбе пытается добавить красок с помощью Сунь Цзы, цыган, образа Немезиды. Холе мешает глуповатый начальник, а в качестве умного напарника выступает девушка, запоминающая все лица, что видит. Она настолько трогательна, что в конце с содроганием ждешь очередной экзекуции, ведь Ракель Несбе решил оставить в живых. В компьютерах автор, похоже, разбирается плохо, подозрительным выглядит и убийство из мести, но зато какой экшн в подозрении эффектного инспектора Тома Волера, запятнавшего себя еще в предыдущем томе. Вдыхает жизнь в происходящее достоверность образа Харри Холе, взрослость персонажа. Он лжет, ошибается, но вцепляется в дело, словно собака. Все герои достаточно несчастны, чтобы хотелось запустить по небу дождь.

Интересно, что наиболее отвратительными персонажами у Несбе выступают люди, воспринимающие женщин как предмет для постели. В предыдущем романе дипломат трахал всех женщин, которые оказывались в зоне досягаемости, не брезгуя шантажом и использованием служебного положения, чтобы их добиться. Здесь красавчик Том Волер оказывается не только сладострастным мудозвоном, но и садистом. Его взгляд на вещи особенно отталкивает за счет сравнения с восприятием одного и того же персонажа его глазами и глазами Харри. Несбе умеет пользоваться литературными приемами, хотя подчас делает это нарочито. Описанные типажи, резко контрастирующие с честным, усталым энтузиазмом Холе, отлично работают. Вот уже два тома Волеру удается избежать тюрьмы. С нетерпением жду, когда он будет наказан.(less)

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Mar 25, 2012 Michal Cemper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: skandinavie, dobrovoln

Pokud existuje Norsko opravdu takové, jaké ho líčí a popisuje Nesbø, vím, kde chci strávit zbytek života. Toť jen na začátek nahlédnutí pod pokličku knihy.

Když Kniha ZLIN vydala Nemesis, první detektivku od Jo Nesbøa na našem trhu, nikdo nemohl očekávat vlnu, která se mezi čtenáři strhne. Již utichající kult vzniklý kolem Larssonova Milénia pomalu utichal, nicméně nová voda, jež Nesbø vlil do našich luhů a hájů nechala povstat kult z popela. Češi mají detektivky rádi, o tom žádná. Každý správný...more Pokud existuje Norsko opravdu takové, jaké ho líčí a popisuje Nesbø, vím, kde chci strávit zbytek života. Toť jen na začátek nahlédnutí pod pokličku knihy.

Když Kniha ZLIN vydala Nemesis, první detektivku od Jo Nesbøa na našem trhu, nikdo nemohl očekávat vlnu, která se mezi čtenáři strhne. Již utichající kult vzniklý kolem Larssonova Milénia pomalu utichal, nicméně nová voda, jež Nesbø vlil do našich luhů a hájů nechala povstat kult z popela. Češi mají detektivky rádi, o tom žádná. Každý správný fotr měl na hajzlíků pár sešitků LSDček - Levných sešitů detektivek.

Snad proto Nesbøvi u nás prochází typická klišovatost, která z jeho ságy o Harrym Holeovi čiší. Nepříjemný, nevyrovnaný avšak zatraceně dobrý polda s nevyjasněnou minulostí, policisti mezi sebou se nemají rádi, přesto, že jde hlavní postava proti předpisům, tak jí nakonec vše projde.

Pro Nemesis je ale charakteristický ještě jeden prvek. Nesbø u psaní přemýšlí, o tom není pochyb. Nejen na úrovni dějové a kompoziční, ale i na úrovni psychiky a morálky postav. Škoda jen, že každou myšlenku není schopný dotáhnout do konce a smysluplně uzavřít. Na začátku to je milé, čtenář si říká, že mu zde autor nechává prostor pro vlastní interpretaci, posléze to začne otravovat a nakonec je to nepříjemné. Přitom témata se zde přímo nabízí - morálka a etika, spravedlnost, začlenění romské komunity do severské společnosti (v případě Raskova na mě opravdu nedýchalo ono multikulturní imigrantům otevřené Norsko, o kterém nás učili ve škole). Proč nám autor chce prozradit tak málo z jeho vlastního náhledu?

Nesbø, potažmo celá skandinávská literární scéna, se stala se svými knihami typická svoji zajímavou kompozicí a prolínáním jednotlivých dějů. Ta je zde praktikována v nemalé míře. Chronologické vyprávění děje prostupováno retrospektivními flashbacky nemůžou nebavit. Jako vedlejší dějová linka zde prostupuje druhé Harryho pátrání po vrahovi jeho bývalé kolegyně. Na konci se tyto dvě linky prolnou a děj zamotají. Téměř optimální poměr napětí, akce, logiky a štěstí jednotlivých postav (hlavně Harryho) při pátrání vás nenechá chladným a při dostatku času je možné knihy přečíst na jedno začtení. Právě proto budu vždy pro to, aby Nesbø psal kratší romány - viz Lovci hlav - které nejsou časově náročné a baví. Číst kolem 500 stránek za jeden večer zkrátka nelze. Knihu čtenář odloží ne proto, že by ho nudila, ale proto, že musí jít něco dělat.

Až na přílišnou klišovitost, která se táhne napříč Nesbøvými detektivkami a náročnějšímu čtenáři tak nedává s hodnocením moc na výběr, zatímco méně náročnější čtenář autorovi zobe z ruky, a nedotaženost některých myšlenek je Nemesis výjimečná kniha, kterou chcete číst, avšak zároveň i kniha, kterou čeká podobný osud jako Larssonovo Milénium. Za pár let po ni štěknou jen příznivci kultu, kterých bude postupně ubývat. (less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Robert Drozda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks

Pozor, vyzrazuji zápletku i rozuzlení díla.

Tak napínavý příběh v brutálním tempu jsem už dlouho nečetl. Skvostné popisy, pozorování, rychlé a přitom přesné charakteristiky, vtipné dialogy, střídání rovin a míst, prakticky neustávající akce. Bohužel mám dojem, že na oltář lehkosti čtení autor položil své postavy, logiku děje a zákony “příběhu s tajemstvím”.

Nevím jak jsou placeni a vytíženi policisté v Oslu, ale zaráží mě, že Harry Hole, typický outsider, alkoholik bez rodiny, lhář a samozřejmě vý...more Pozor, vyzrazuji zápletku i rozuzlení díla.

Tak napínavý příběh v brutálním tempu jsem už dlouho nečetl. Skvostné popisy, pozorování, rychlé a přitom přesné charakteristiky, vtipné dialogy, střídání rovin a míst, prakticky neustávající akce. Bohužel mám dojem, že na oltář lehkosti čtení autor položil své postavy, logiku děje a zákony “příběhu s tajemstvím”.

Nevím jak jsou placeni a vytíženi policisté v Oslu, ale zaráží mě, že Harry Hole, typický outsider, alkoholik bez rodiny, lhář a samozřejmě výtečný detektiv se silně vyvinutým smyslem pro čest a vyšší mravní principy nosí ošoupané manšestráky a vlastní nepojízdné auto ala Colombo, zatímco hlavní padouch několika dílů série, jeho kolega, se vozí v červeném sporťáku, je hlavou organizovaného gangu pašeráků zbraní, prodává heroin po kilech, organizuje bankovní loupeže, střílí nepohodlné komplice a pořádá SM orgie na bílých kožených gaučích, aniž by to někomu bylo divné. Kdy to ten chlap stíhá? Ale i kdyby, “prozradit” čtenáři, že on je ten “vrah” už po 15% textu (čteno na kindle), to se prostě nedělá.

V Nemesis se splétá několik kriminálních příběhů dohromady. Hodně to pomáhá v udržování čtenáře v napětí a rychlému spádu knihy. Obraty a zvraty, překvapení, prudký vývoj postav ze svědků v podezřelé a z podezřelých v mrtvoly. Jen nesmíte zvolnit, protože pak se objeví švy sešité jen tak halabala, výpadky v logice a celé strany psané jen pro efekt obrazu nebo situace. Všichni se se všemi znají, kdysi se potkali, spali spolu, zastřelili si otce nebo aspoň bydleli ve vedlejší ulici. Oslo pravda není veliké, ale taková koncentrace osudových průsečíků skoro vyvolává obavy o různorodost norského genofondu.

Uvěřitelnosti rozhodně nepřidávají postavy, které Harrymu přihrávají. Barvotisková figurka cikánského barona, krále podsvětí, filosofa a šachisty se smutným dětstvím Raskola, který z vězení dokáže zařídit cokoliv je zrovna třeba. Anny, Harryho bývalé milenky, neúspěšné umělkyně závislé na heroinu, která sice žije jen pro lásku a vyrůstala v maringotce, ale umí během několika minut připojit Harryho telefon, “starý křáp, ze kterého se dá jen volat” k notebooku a naprogramovat ho, aby v určitých intervalech sám odesílal strašidelné emaily Harrymu. Kvality norského vzdělávacího systému a tarify Telenoru jsou zřejmě na úrovni. Harry sice obratem angažuje kamaráda z dětství, vysloužilého hackera (to je náhodička), aby odesilatele vypátral a zaplatí za to nehoráznou sumu peněz, ale zablokovat, lokalizovat, nebo se aspoň podívat na výpis volání z telefonu, který zapomněl na místě vraždy, ho nenapadne. Je to prostě bohém a rebel co se radši nechá pokousat psem a odletí pátrat na víkend do Brazílie.

Možná to jsou prkotiny, ale pokud nepodlehnete rychlému a zběsilému tempu, docela drhnou. Postavit rozuzlení u několika zápletek na motivu záměny sobě si podobných sourozenců a motivaci “pachatelů” na citech a vztazích, které nijak nevyplývají z předchozího děje je ovšem těžkým prohřeškem proti pravidlům žánru. Nemesis je určitě výborně a čtivě napsaný thriller, který se bude dobře vyjímat na HBO, ale rozhodně ne detektivka.(less)

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Sep 14, 2012 Shari rated it 3 of 5 stars

My professor says that one of the lucrative engines still alive and well in Scandinavia today is the mystery genre. Like the rest of the Western world the Scandinavian countries are struggling with difficult economic issues, but their mystery writers are doing well.

Nesbo, Norwegian, presents a protagonist, Inspector Harry Hole, who is scruffy, quietly brilliant, brutally honest, hard-working, innovative, and imperfect, as all good heroes should be. There is a large cast of characters, both good...more

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About Jo Nesbø

Jo Nesbø is a bestselling Norwegian author and musician. He was born in Oslo and grew up in Molde. Nesbø graduated from the Norwegian School of Economics with a degree in economics. Nesbø is primarily famous for his crime novels about Detective Harry Hole, but he is also the main vocals and songwriter for the Norwegian rock band Di Derre. In 2007 Nesbø also released his first children's book, Dokt...more

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Quotes from Nemesis

“With regard to power, women don’t have the vanity men have. They don’t need to make power visible, they only want the power to give them the other things they want. Security. Food. Enjoyment. Revenge. Peace. They are rational, power-seeking planners, who think beyond the battle, beyond the victory celebrations. And because they have an inborn capacity to see weakness in their victims, they know instinctively when and how to strike. And when to stop. You can’t learn that...” — 17 people liked it

“Losing your ife is not the worst think that can happen. The worst thing is to lose your reason for living.” — 2 people liked it

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Nemesis (Harry Hole #4)

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