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The Redbreast (Harry Hole #3)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 17,064 ratings · 1,551 reviews

From one of the most celebrated crime writers in Europe comes an epic new novel, brilliant in scope and design--a deep and fearless investigation of betrayal spanning two centuries and three continents.

Police Detective Harry Hole has made a terrible mistake. An embarrassment in the line of duty has pulled him off his usual beat. Reassigned to mundane surveillance tasks, he...more From one of the most celebrated crime writers in Europe comes an epic new novel, brilliant in scope and design--a deep and fearless investigation of betrayal spanning two centuries and three continents.

Police Detective Harry Hole has made a terrible mistake. An embarrassment in the line of duty has pulled him off his usual beat. Reassigned to mundane surveillance tasks, he reluctantly agrees to monitor neo-Nazi activities in Oslo. But as Hole is drawn into an underground world of illegal gun trafficking, brutal beatings, and sexual extortions, he soon learns that he must act fast to prevent an international conspiracy from unfolding.

Trapped in the crosshairs of the man with all the answers, Harry Hole plunges headlong into a mystery with roots deep in the past. His investigation takes him back to Norway's darkest hour--when members of the young nation's government collaborated with leaders of Nazi Germany. Dredging up a painful history of denial, Hole turns his attention to the Norwegian troops who fought for Adolf Hitler on the Eastern front. Branded by their countrymen as traitors, the soldiers who survived the brutal Russian winter--the hunger, fear, cold, grenades, and snipers--returned home as scapegoats of a nation's atonement. Sixty years later, old grudges and betrayals appear to have been laid to rest, until Hole realizes that someone has begun to pick off the surviving soldiers one by one.

With only his troubled, guilt-ridden conscience as a guide, Hole must move quickly through the traps and mirrors of a twisted criminal mind. But as his sanity slips in a slow burn of anger and alcohol, his mistakes continue to pile up. And if he fails to quicken the pace, Norway's darkest hour since World War II just might lie in the future.

In a tightly woven plot that takes readers from the icy steppes of the Russian front to a seemingly peaceful springtime in modern-day Oslo, Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbo delves into a sinister national history with uncommon bravery. Transforming shades of moral gray into an explosive palette of characters, Nesbo holds readers in suspense until the final pages. His deft orchestration of parallel narratives knows no match in the genre, and his thematic reach exceeds even the most ambitious thrillers on the market. With the U.S. publication of "The Redbreast," American readers will learn what European readers have known for a decade--that Nesbo's writing is "quite simply brilliant" ("Weekend-Avisen," Denmark).(less)

Hardcover, 520 pages

Published November 20th 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers (first published January 1st 2000)

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Oct 07, 2010 Bibliophile rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fiction, mystery-and-suspense, scandinavia, cop-stories

The Redbreast is actually the third of Jo Nesbø's detective novels featuring the alcoholic Harry Hole (who is on the wagon for most of this particular novel), but alas, it was the first to be translated into English. Nevertheless, it works fine as a standalone, though the impact of one particular event might have been greater had we been able to read about the character in the two previous novels. Anyway ... back to The Redbreast, which involves Nazis, both Old Skoole and Neo-, a couple of touch...more The Redbreast is actually the third of Jo Nesbø's detective novels featuring the alcoholic Harry Hole (who is on the wagon for most of this particular novel), but alas, it was the first to be translated into English. Nevertheless, it works fine as a standalone, though the impact of one particular event might have been greater had we been able to read about the character in the two previous novels. Anyway ... back to The Redbreast, which involves Nazis, both Old Skoole and Neo-, a couple of touching love stories, mistaken identities, corrupt police officers and a marvelous and beautifully written evocation of wartime on the Russian Front during World War II. Though perhaps there are occasions where Nesbø relies a tiny bit too much on coincidence, this is a fantastic mystery - I was kept guessing until the very last page and I had to read this lengthy novel quite compulsively until I finished it. (One particular mystery that we, the readers, know the answer to is not actually solved in the book, so clearly it will be a theme for later.)

I seem to read a great deal of Scandinavian crime fiction, but The Redbreast really stood out for me in terms of plot, character development, and writing style. I know I am reading everything in translation, but Nesbø's writing seems far, far more elegant and crisp than Henning Mankell's for example, and it is miles away from the total infelicity of Stieg Larsson's efforts which I always felt would have been best served by some seriously tough love in the editing department. Indeed, because there was a similar sort of Nazi subplot in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I couldn't help but mentally compare that novel to this one, and yet again, I cannot fathom the undeserved popularity of the Larsson books compared to something like this which is actually well-written, has believable characters and a plot that makes sense. Nesbø manages to stay away from the tedious accumulation of unnecessary detail of which both Larsson and Mankell are guilty; all of his characters seem like real people, rather than random collections of cliched plot devices, and wonder of wonders, Harry doesn't actually solve one of the biggest mysteries of the story. Indeed, he only solves the main plot because the criminal wants him to, as opposed to all those amateur detectives who solve cases that have baffled the professionals for years - yes, I AM looking at you Mikael Blomqvist.

In short, highly highly recommended for everyone who likes their mysteries Nordic, their characters fascinating and their writing excellent!(less)

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May 03, 2012 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Michael by: Booksy

Shelves: european-literature, mystery, thriller, crime, detective, hard-boiled, serial-killers, scandinavian-crime, police-procedural, 2000s

When they advertise Jo Nesbø as ‘The Next Steig Larsson’, I’m inclined to pass on this author. But since a lot of people seem to be raving about this author, I thought I better check him out, especially when they class his Harry Hole series as Hard-Boiled. I’ve found the only reason they are calling him the next Larsson is simply because he is another Scandinavian crime writer; which means some overly graphic murders, Nazis and an expected twist. The Redbreast is the third book in the Harry Hole...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Harry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective-mystery, favorites

Here's the thing about the recent popularity of Scandinavian writers and if you're a Nordic Thriller aficionado you couldn't care less about the distinction: the novels are depressed, somber, filled with ennui, a lack of humor, with flawed characters if not suffused with a strong tendency towards determinism; in short, whether you're reading Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell, or Jo Nesbo you are likely reading Literary Naturalism. If you live in Scandinavia you might consider this par for the cours...more

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

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

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

First off, there would never be a main character in an American mystery novel called Harry Hole, unless it was a crime-solving porn star, but it seems to work just fine, for this Norway based police officer. Harry is a tough, complex, hard-drinking cop, who may have discovered a possible assassination attempt.
I am not going to reveal very much here, because one of the joys of reading this terrific Scandinavian thriller, was never knowing where this baby was going. It’s a very ambitious novel, sp...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Cathy DuPont rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cathy by: Harry Roolaart

Granted, I readily admit that I am not cosmopolitan.

Learning other languages (haven’t tried the Rosetta Stone) has always been a challenge for me never being successful---try as I may. Fortunately (or not) here in north Florida, knowing English is good enough although I do know my fair share of ‘red neck’ since north Florida is the center of the universe for the dialect. (Please don’t spread that around although I think it's already known.)

With that said, at times I found myself a bit lost read...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Lisa Lewis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, set-in-places-i-want-to-go

In my mild but persistent infatuation with books set in Scandinavian countries, I learned about Norway's answer to Stieg Larsson: Jo Nesbo (too bad I don't have a font that would put the little line through the "o"). Nesbo is a crime fiction writer like Larsson, but unlike Larsson, he is prolific and very much still alive. His Harry Hole detective series (I know, the name must sound different in Norwegian) has something like 12 books thus far, so I was hopeful that I would find a new series to l...more

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Jul 16, 2008 Tattered Cover Book Store added it · review of another edition

Recommended to Tattered Cover by: Neil

Shelves: staff-recommends

Neil says:

My new favorite cop, up there with Arkady Renko, is Harry Hole, something of a sad sack Oslo policeman who has, nonetheless, inspired moments of lucidity. There are people out to get him but his skillful moments keep him just ahead of the pursuit.

In Redbreast, despite hopes by his superiors that they've finally got him sidelined where he won't cause any more trouble, Harry finds himself on the tail of an assassin who drew first blood sixty years ago in the trenches before Leningrad as...more

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Mar 29, 2013 paris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

أمنح هذه الرواية 3 نجمات
بسبب الجزء التاريخي المدهش الذي تضمنته (عن الحرب العالمية الثانية ) ..
للمعلومات الجديدة التي امتلأت بها..
معلومات كثيرة أعرفها للمرة الآولى مثلَ أن النرويج حاكمت الجنود الذين قاتلوا مع النازيين في الحرب العالمية الثانية بتهمة الخيانة العظمى .
حوكم جنود قضوا ما يقارب أربع سنوات في حصار لينينغراد في شتاء قارس وجوع مضن ، حاربوا من اجل وطنهم . .
نجوا من الموت وعادوا ليجدوا انفسهم موصومين بالخيانة .
ما يمكن ان يجعل هذه الرواية مختلفة قليلا .. هو تلك الحبكة التي اكتشفنا من خلالها...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Eyehavenofilter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: love-these, jonesbo

If I had slowed down to warp speed I would have realized that this is #3 in the H. Hole series. Dang! Anyhoo!
Nesbo makes me burst out in manic laughter in one paragraph and cringing, swallowing hard trying not to lose lunch it in the next!
It's like a suicidal rollercoaster ride that started out as a kidde ride and took a turn for terror when I wasn't looking, and I loved every minute of it!
The decisions that people made were classic "OMG that's sure to have happened SOMEWHERE in the world at l...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Georganna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books

Took me awhile to get into this, but it started my love affair with Harry Hole. The twists and turns of Nesbo's plots and excellent development of the main character (Hole) far surpasses the Swedish books that have been so popular. My biggest challenge is keeping the Norwegian names straight.

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Apr 25, 2011 Melinda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Solid 4. mystery. Nesbo offers us an intricate, complex and sad story about war, love, betrayal, and insanity. The protagonist, Harry is an aging icon of the 'new' Norwegian police force representing the old way of dectective work- rsch,listening,observation,and talking. This story gives abundant rich details of Norway and the ills of it's history & progress. Some of parts of the books are mundane and drag resulting in over 500 pages. Would recc if you liked Stig, Mina, Hill, Fossum this is...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think Jo Nesbo is a better writer than Stieg Larsson, although I enjoyed the Millenium series. This author requires some concentration, as the plot is quite complex, but it is worth it. I loved the characters and the Oslo setting. Not only do we get a well-constructed mystery, but also learn a bit of history. Looking forward to other books in the series.

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Nov 19, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Book Description

Detective Harry Hole embarrasses the Norwegian police force during a U.S. Presidential visit so he is reassigned to the Norwegian Security Service as an Inspector (a promotion that gets him out of the way and is supposed to shut him up). Assigned to investigate what should be a rather mundane case, Hole instead finds himself getting embroiled in a possible assassination plot that has its roots in World War II—involving some Norwegians who served on the Eastern Front in the servic...more Book Description

Detective Harry Hole embarrasses the Norwegian police force during a U.S. Presidential visit so he is reassigned to the Norwegian Security Service as an Inspector (a promotion that gets him out of the way and is supposed to shut him up). Assigned to investigate what should be a rather mundane case, Hole instead finds himself getting embroiled in a possible assassination plot that has its roots in World War II—involving some Norwegians who served on the Eastern Front in the service of the Germans. Plunging Hole into the world of Norway’s current crop of neo-Nazis and the men who served on the Eastern Front, he finds himself involved in a complicated case that gets more complex and confusing as time goes on—as well as threatening the lives of those that Harry holds dear.

My Thoughts

Although this isn’t the first Harry Hole novel, it is the first one that was translated into English. Therefore, we’re plunged right into Hole’s world with little introduction. We quickly learn that Harry has a drinking problem, which he is fighting with the help of his brilliant young partner Ellen. The relationship between Harry and Ellen was the highlight of the book for me. Their partnership and banter felt authentic and livened up what was often a confusing read.

The confusion part came mostly from the events that take place in flashback during the war. We learn of several events that concern a small contingent of soldiers on the Eastern Front, which we know is related to Harry’s current case. Exactly how they are related becomes clearer as the novel progresses, but I personally struggled to keep up with everything. Nesbø gives his readers a lot of balls to juggle, and I confess I wasn’t always successful in keeping them all up in the air. In fact, I was actually thinking of quitting the book about midway through, but I kept on. Part of my problem was the disorientation of being thrust into a series without being properly introduced to the main protagonist. Another was the Norwegian surnames (which was also a problem for me in the Steig Larsson books.) The other issue was the sheer complexity of the plot and my inability to hold it all together in my head.

However, there were moments where I started really getting into the story, and I began to glimpse what might have attracted others to this author. I liked that Nesbø didn’t choose to tell his story in a completely conventional way. At one point, each chapter is a series of answering machine messages. (This section was brilliantly done and really affected me emotionally.) So, although The Redbreast didn’t set my world on fire, I’m willing to give Nesbø another try. The next book in the series is Nemesis, so I’ll suppose I’ll give that one a go before deciding whether to continue with the series. (For the record, the order of the series for the books that have been translated into English is: The Redbreast, Nemesis, The Devil’s Star, The Redeemer, The Snowman and The Leopard.)

Recommended for: Fans of complex police procedurals, readers looking for the “next Steig Larsson” (for the record, I don’t think Nesbø is the next Larsson but I can see why people make that comparison)(less)

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Feb 24, 2009 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-crime-detection

Nesbo, Jo. REDBREAST. (2000; U.S. – 2006). ****. Police Detective Harry Hole is back. Unfortunately, he’s been reassigned to surveillance duty after the unfortunate incident when he shot a CIA agent by mistake. It doesn’t matter, though, because wherever Harry goes he’s sure to find trouble. This time he’s charged with infiltrating a neo-Nazi organization in Oslo that includes most of the misfits in the country, but is led by sly agents from around the world. Another problem that Harry has to wo...more

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

Shelves: crime

Sehr guter Krimi aus Norwegen

Als mir dieses Buch das erste Mal empfohlen wurde, dachte ich noch: "Schon wieder eine Empfehlung für einen Krimi aus dem hohen Norden, die können doch nicht alle gut sein." Weit gefehlt. Kannte ich früher vor allem Mankell und Nesser so finde ich inzwischen an den weniger bekannten Autoren (z.B. Indridadson oder eben auch Nesboe) noch deutlich mehr gefallen.

Der Protagonist von Nesboe ist ein alkoholkranker Mitdreißiger bei der Osloer Polizei. Sein Name ist Harry Hol...more

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

Nesbo is one of my top five favorite Mystery Writers. His Harry Hole cop character has the generic detective flaws and the generic detective adventures (he is alcoholic and gets beaten up at least once a book) but Nesbo infuses him with great intelligence, humanity and angst. Redbreast also has an international connection that resonates with modern U.S. concern about terrorism without that concern consuming the novel. It also explores Norway's past and its guilt over its Nazi connection (gotta l...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

Detective Harry Hole is a recovering alcoholic, reassigned after a rather serious mishap involving the US Secret Service. In his new role, he is asked to investigate neo-Nazis, but what really piques his interest is the fact a high-powered rifle has been smuggled into Norway. Interwoven with Harry's story is a story of a WWII soldier who fought for the Nazis at the Eastern Front. As both tales unfold, bodies pile up and it becomes a case of identifying the killer.

The Redbreast is the third book...more Detective Harry Hole is a recovering alcoholic, reassigned after a rather serious mishap involving the US Secret Service. In his new role, he is asked to investigate neo-Nazis, but what really piques his interest is the fact a high-powered rifle has been smuggled into Norway. Interwoven with Harry's story is a story of a WWII soldier who fought for the Nazis at the Eastern Front. As both tales unfold, bodies pile up and it becomes a case of identifying the killer.

The Redbreast is the third book in Jo Nesbø's popular Harry Hole series but one of the first to be translated into English. Thankfully, it works as a standalone, though some plot arcs aren't resolved by the end of the book. Many of the characters feel “lived-in”, a result, I imagine, of having appeared in previous books, and it's great – you get the sense that they were people before the events of the story. At the same time, there's enough description so that new readers won't feel like they're missing out. Previous events are mentioned only passingly; phrases like “what happened in Sydney and Bangkok” are thrown in but what they refer to aren't necessary to the understanding of the plot. No doubt readers of the previous books will get more out of it, but as a newbie I found The Redbreast to be very accessible on its own.

I don't usually read crime novels and I picked this one on the basis of its Norwegian setting. Fortunately, a sense of place did come through – and not in a down-your-throat sort of way – and this adds to the book's charm. If you're looking for a change from the usual American/British settings then you might want to give Nesbø's Oslo a go.

The writing is simple and the chapters brief. The author gets to the point – no purple prose here – and delivers a healthy dose of humour at the same time. Characters are drawn with a deft stroke, their description precise and at times compellingly vile. Despite its length the book is an easy, comfortable read. The narrative jumps between different characters and time lines and the tension builds slowly throughout. I read the book intermittently, but I reckon it's better suited to being read at once – I found myself having to flip back and forth to keep track of who everyone was. As an aside, the WWII plotline starts in the thick of it – being woefully ignorant of WWII I didn't know what was going on at first and who the Norwegians were fighting for. If you're as clueless as I am, then a quick browse on wiki before you read the book might be helpful (basically, Norway was occupied by the Germans and there were Norwegians who fought both for and against them – though of course this is an extreme simplification).

Now I don't mind it when things take time to get going (indeed I prefer it to the common need to dazzle from the get-go), but the “nothing's happening” feeling at the start of the book may put off some readers. The plot and Harry's investigation feel directionless at times, but then I know nothing of being a detective so maybe that's just how it is. I found myself swept along with the book's internal logic and didn't think too hard on whether certain things made sense – which was perhaps for the best. The bits about Harry's personal life were fine, but as regards the crime aspect, I would've liked a bit more of a driving force. It's only towards the end that the book becomes more of a whodunit.

Crime tropes are in plentiful supply: there are Nazis both regular and neo (which the Norwegian angle rendered less off-putting for me), a long-suffering good-hearted boss, a psychologist who advises Harry on criminal minds, races against time, and a myriad of characters and plots connected in ways that are too neat by half. It can get a bit cliched and contrived, but overall the book is still enjoyable.

The Redbreast is a fun and diverting read. It's easy to see why the Harry Hole series is popular. There's nothing especially original going on, but that doesn't really matter. The writing style, the characterisation and the interweaving of plots are the book's main strengths. For those who haven't read Scandi-crime yet the setting might also provide a refreshing change.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Annie Harrison rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Maybe the good writing got lost in the translation, but I found this book's style frustratingly stilted. I like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but this was like drinking Blue Nun - and lots of it.

It was a clever story, and improved with reading. There were quite a few twists and surprises, but the writing was so bland and repetitive. Norway as a place did not become a character - the story could have been set anywhere (obviously history had a part to play). I also became confused by the many chara...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The dark yet "fair" Norwegian detective is back in this complicated thriller from Jo Nesbo, who is Norway's answer to Stieg Larsson and is likely a much stronger and more elegant writer and storyteller. Harry finds himself ostracized from the Oslo Police Department after causing a high profile international embarrassment. Alone and assigned to another gov't department, Harry discovers that a rare, enormously expensive, and explosive rife has been imported into the country -- but for what reason?...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book. Exciting, suspenseful. Hope we can get the first two books in English soon....

1944: Daniel, a soldier, legendary among the Norwegians fighting the advance of Bolshevism on the Russian front, is killed. Two years later, a wounded soldier wakes up in a Vienna hospital. He becomes involved with a young nurse, the consequences of which will ripple forward to the turn of the next century.

1999: Harry Hole, alone again after having caused an embarrassment in the line of duty, has been promo...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Mal Warwick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nazis in Norway, a Mysterious Assassin, and an Insubordinate Detective

For many years, Americans have been dipping into the seemingly bottomless store of crime novels from Scandinavia with noteworthy enthusiasm. Not so long ago, Stieg Larson’s trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, dominated the best-seller lists almost as surely as have Harry Potter and the various Shades of Gray. Earlier, many of us got hooked on Henning Mankell’s brilliant creation, Kurt Wallander — certainly, I did, having...more Nazis in Norway, a Mysterious Assassin, and an Insubordinate Detective

For many years, Americans have been dipping into the seemingly bottomless store of crime novels from Scandinavia with noteworthy enthusiasm. Not so long ago, Stieg Larson’s trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, dominated the best-seller lists almost as surely as have Harry Potter and the various Shades of Gray. Earlier, many of us got hooked on Henning Mankell’s brilliant creation, Kurt Wallander — certainly, I did, having read all of those superb Swedish detective novels. Earlier still (1990s), the best-selling Danish thriller Smilla’s Sense of Snow captured wide attention, and in the 1960s and 70s there was the Swedish writing team of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö.

Most recently, there’s been a lot of buzz about a Norwegian novelist, Jo Nesbo, and his anti-hero, detective Harry Hole. The Redbreast is my introduction to Jo Nesbo’s nine novels about his complex and often exasperating fictional detective. I have to say I’m impressed. Nesbo’s plotting is fiendishly complex, and his insight into character runs deep. As a writer, he (or perhaps his translator, Don Bartlett) matches up to any of the other Scandinavian crime writers, and he’s a damn sight better novelist than most of the Americans who write best-selling murder mysteries.

In The Redbreast, Harry Hole finds himself on the trail of a would-be assassin. Not only is the assassin’s identity unknown to him, but so is the target. To begin with, all he knows is that someone has paid a fortune to acquire what is described as the assassin’s rifle of choice, and he’s determined to discover who bought it, and why. Meanwhile, having screwed up a major assignment and created an international incident in the process, Hole is ordered to investigate a neo-Nazi organization and sidetrack his work on the rifle. Naturally, he ignores the orders and doggedly pursues the trail of the overpriced murder weapon. His journey yields a new perspective on Norway during World War II, when the country was occupied by Nazi Germany and many misguided young Norwegians volunteered to fight for the Third Reich. The historical references are both integral to the story and fascinating for an American whose experience of Nazism has come exclusively from books and film.

Previously, I reviewed on my blog (www.malwarwickonbooks.com) the second and third books in Larson’s trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. I’ve also reviewed Mankell’s The Man from Beijing, The Pyramid and Four Other Kurt Wallender Mysteries, and The Troubled Man, the last of the Kurt Wallander novels. (less)

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Jan 19, 2013 Mike Barker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: light-stuff

I have been reading Nesbo's book kind of in backwards order, not purposefully, but mostly because that is how I have encountered them at the public library's stacks. This process made me appreciate working through this book, because so many questions that have cropped up over the past few months of my reading finally got answered. Mostly they had to do with Hole's sometime-partner, Ellen. This is the novel in which she is killed, though plenty of questions remain about her death. Many of them re...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wanted to start by suggesting that people read this series in order, if possible. The first book is The Bat, which has been available since October 2012. The second book, The Cockroaches, is not yet available in English.

The Redbreast is the third in the Harry Hole series. I like the character; who differs from some of the other gloomy, troubled, obsessed fictional detectives in that his self destructive streak runs quite a bit deeper than is typically the case.

The Redbreast has an intricate...more I wanted to start by suggesting that people read this series in order, if possible. The first book is The Bat, which has been available since October 2012. The second book, The Cockroaches, is not yet available in English.

The Redbreast is the third in the Harry Hole series. I like the character; who differs from some of the other gloomy, troubled, obsessed fictional detectives in that his self destructive streak runs quite a bit deeper than is typically the case.

The Redbreast has an intricate plot that cuts back and forth between the story of a group of Norwegians who fought for Germany in WW II and a present day murder mystery with roots in that earlier period of history. The dilemma of the Nazi collaborators in Norway and other Scandinavian countries is one that may be unfamiliar to many Americans.

Russia was a greater threat to these nations than was Germany, so they had no choice but to ally with the Germans against Russia whether they agreed with German politics and aspirations or not. These men fought, often reluctantly, against the interests of their own countries and then had to find ways to live with what they'd done once the war was over and they returned home. I found that aspect of the story interesting and specific to the Norwegian setting.

Overall, I thought the book was well written and fairly well translated. I had some issues with awkward language in another of the books, but this one seemed to flow a little more smoothly. One problem for the American reader may be that the translator favors British slang over American when dealing with informal dialog.

I did not see a lot of commonality with the other series frequently mentioned in conjunction with Nesbo's books. His writing is tighter, more polished than Stieg Larsson's. Harry Hole is an edgier, angrier cop than Henning Mankell's depressed, introspective Kurt Wallander and urban Oslo is a very different setting from Mankell's windy, lonely Scania. Read them for what they have to offer in their own right and not because they're part of a trend.
(less)

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Nov 16, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: translations

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...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Nigel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was looking for some holiday reading and thought I'd try Jo Nesbo. "The Next Stieg Larsson" the cover proudly claimed. Well I would not go that far based on this book. This one, number 3 in the Harry Hole series, was written around 2000. Harry Hole! He could have come up with a better name! So his books have been around for a while without as far as I can see, great take up in the UK. I suspect there has been a post Larsson, "Scandinavian authors are great" marketing push and he is now benefit...more

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Sep 08, 2012 James Thane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, jo-nesbo, scandinavian

Jo Nesbo may be the best Scandinavian crime fiction writer going these days. He's created in Detective Harry Hole an interesting, deeply flawed protagonist who may remind American readers of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch.

The Redbreast is the third novel to feature Hole, and it's a complex story that moves back and forth between the Second World War and the turn of the Twenty-First Century. In the earlier action, a group of Norwegian soldiers are fighting for Hitler's Germany on the Eastern Fro...more Jo Nesbo may be the best Scandinavian crime fiction writer going these days. He's created in Detective Harry Hole an interesting, deeply flawed protagonist who may remind American readers of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch.

The Redbreast is the third novel to feature Hole, and it's a complex story that moves back and forth between the Second World War and the turn of the Twenty-First Century. In the earlier action, a group of Norwegian soldiers are fighting for Hitler's Germany on the Eastern Front. The tide of the war is turning against them; casualties are increasing, and the ties among the men are tested severely. One of the Norwegian soldiers winds up wounded in a hospital where he falls in love with a beautiful nurse and begins a romance that will reverberate through the next fifty years.

In the present day (actually, 1999 and 2000) Oslo Detective Inspector Harry Hole makes a tragic, if unavoidable mistake. For this, and to save the government from being embarrassed, he is "promoted" into the Security Service. He becomes involved in an investigation of the neo-Nazis who are active in Oslo. One of them, a thug named Sverre Olsen, has been recently acquitted of a brutal assault on a small technicality, but clearly other crimes are in the works.

Along the way, Harry discovers that someone in Oslo has recently come into possession of a very rare and extremely expensive sniper's rifle. He has no idea who the owner is, or what he intends to do with the rifle. Harry only knows that this can't possibly be good.

As Hole tries to track down the rifle and figure out what the neo-Nazis are up to, the two story lines collide, leading to a great climax. The story is very well-told; the characters are fully developed, and the suspense is virtually non-stop. Any reader of crime fiction is almost certain to enjoy it.

A word of caution: If you are interested in reading any of Nesbo's Harry Hole books, it is critically important that you read them in order. There are developments in each of the books, particularly regarding the characters, that will spoil a good deal of the suspense if you read the books out of sequence.

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Aug 28, 2012 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is excellent. Forget the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
I really shouldn't like an alcoholic detective whose clothes don't seem to fit but Harry Hole (despite the appalling name) is the most intriguing and somehow relatable character I've read in a long time. I was gripped and having such a good time reading this that I forced myself to slow down. I couldn't bear the thought of the books running out.
It's a murder mystery with several sub-plots running through it, a few that are not brought t...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Anita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: police-procedural, mystery, suspense-thriller

The comparison of this author, Jo Nesbo, with Stieg Larsson, leaves me shaking my head. Based on this book, Nesbo is a standout in the genre, whereas Larsson's books left us with a new type of protagonist. But back to The Redbreast.

This is the first of Nesbo's books I have read, although there are allusions to something that has happened to Harry before (and I understand this is not the first book in the series, just maybe the first translated to English??). I like the Harry Hole character, the...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Rachelle Urist rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like many other Goodreads reviewers, I found the book confusing. I liked Jo Nesbø’s cutting back and forth in time, but I couldn’t keep all the names and matches straight. I liked learning about Norway’s collusion with the Nazis during WWII, but I wanted more details. Nesbo writes as though his readers are conversant with this part of his country’s history. Which Norwegians were sent to the Eastern Front to fight for the Germans? Why? And why were they later deemed traitors?
I like Inspector Harr...more Like many other Goodreads reviewers, I found the book confusing. I liked Jo Nesbø’s cutting back and forth in time, but I couldn’t keep all the names and matches straight. I liked learning about Norway’s collusion with the Nazis during WWII, but I wanted more details. Nesbo writes as though his readers are conversant with this part of his country’s history. Which Norwegians were sent to the Eastern Front to fight for the Germans? Why? And why were they later deemed traitors?
I like Inspector Harry Hole. (Note: this week’s NYTimes ran a feature on Nesbø who’s first name is pronounced “Yoo” and who’s character’s name, Hole, is pronounced “HOO-leh.” I like Rakel. I really liked Ellen and was sorry she had to go – though I appreciated Nesbø’s skill in executing that part of the story.
While THE SNOWMAN was notable for taking a very convoluted story and keeping it crystal clear throughout, this complex story does NOT stay clear. Nesbo redeems himself at the end by clarifying everything, but that didn’t redeem the book, which regularly frustrated me by leaving me out in the cold.
While I’m deeply impressed with Nesbo’s craftsmanship, his world view, his meticulous research into every aspect of his story, I was disappointed that he chose a convenient device, the culprit’s diary, to solve the case. Too easy. A bit cheap, as literary conceits go. On the other hand, it got the job done relatively quickly, and by the end, I wanted it all wrapped up already.
For readers who enjoy John LeCarré, this book will have great appeal. I find LeCarré daunting and impenetrable. Obviously, this inability to penetrate the mysteries of such writers is my own insufficiency – a failure of imagination, as Athol Fugard might put it. From the many accolades this book has earned from literate sources, I know it’s a better book than I could see. For people like me, who don’t readily follow these densely packed convolutions, the book is challenging in a way that doesn’t enhance its appeal.
Read THE SNOWMAN.
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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 The Redbreast

“And the rest of the story?" he asked, trying to force a smile. "Is that like everything else in POT, on a need-to-know basis?"
She nodded.
The waiter came to their table, but must have sensed his timing was off and went away again.
She opened her mouth to say something. Harry could see that she was on the verge of tears. She bit her lower lip. Then she put the napkin down on the tablecloth, shoved her chair back, stood up without a word and left. Harry remained, sitting and staring at the napkin. She must have been squeezing it in her hand for some time, he mused, because it was crumpled up into a ball. He watched it slowly unfold like a white paper flower.” — 4 people liked it

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The Redbreast (Harry Hole #3)

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