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Sera
Jul 23, 2013 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
The first book in the Harry Holey series provides a nice set-up for the rest of the series. We learn much about Harry's family, his one true love, Kristen, and the issues that he has had with alcohol. Harry's alcoholism affects his career and provides the reason why Harry ends up in Australia, trying to find the killer of a Norwegian woman. The story itself is a bit weak on plot, and "whodunit" is anticlimactic in the large scheme of the story. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book overall and will ...more
Astrid Lim
I don't know why I couldn't really get into this nordic noir thingy. I don't even like Girl with Dragon Tattoo! But since I need to read it for Popsugar challenge, I braved myself and jumped into Harry Hole's adventures (based of some recommendations from other readers).

Turned out, I still couldn't get it. The plot is so slow and the descriptions are a bit of a bore. The twist ending and action seemed too much like a Hollywood flick, and perhaps, because the story was written in the 90s, the in
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Nadine in NY Jones

He felt as though he were sitting in a submarine at the bottom of a very deep ocean. The sea was pressing in, around him the creaks and bangs had already started. He could only hope the hull would hold, that a lifetime's training in self-discipline would finally reveal its worth. Harry thought of the souls that became stars when their earthly shells died. He managed to restrain himself from searching for one star in particular.


Harry is just so broken, he's trapped, he gives in, but then he t
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Ra
Jan 16, 2017 rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: scribd, audio-book
A Scandinavian mystery set entirely in Australia.
Background information on Australian and Aboriginal culture interesting. The fight scenes were unrealistic. I found the final plan to catch the culprit also extremely unprofessional, the Australian police went with the idea as if it was normal, and this adds to unbelievable aspects.

I would call this a gritty mystery. The main character is as damaged and dysfunctional as it can get. His life is also unbelievably riddled with tragedies. I will rea
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Andy Plonka
Jan 02, 2018 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: src
I wish this title had been available in English a long time ago before I read The Redbreast. Harry's history is quite important To this series and some of his problems would have made a lot more sense to me when I read the latter book. ...more
Jen
The first in a mystery series that a friend recommended. I liked the character of Norwegian police detective Harry Hole (pronounced hoo-leh), but I found the story just OK--about a 1/3 of the way in, I began periodically to check the number of pages left to read. I did enjoy the final act and the epilogue though. I look forward to reading more books in the series, especially later ones where Hole is solving cases in his native Norway. I guess I prefer my dark and moody detectives in dark and moo ...more
Windy
Mar 16, 2018 rated it it was ok
Only ok for me. Too slow moving with Harry taking too long to work it all out
Tania
Aug 10, 2013 rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: 2015
Sara
Dec 10, 2013 rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition
Yiga
Jun 04, 2014 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Katy
Jul 31, 2014 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Isabel
Feb 20, 2015 marked it as to-read
Pam
Apr 23, 2015 marked it as to-read
Doina
Oct 05, 2015 marked it as to-read
alana
Mar 03, 2016 rated it it was ok
Shelves: scandinavia, crime
Lorri
Oct 23, 2016 rated it liked it
Annie
Aug 21, 2017 rated it liked it
Shelves: read-in-2017
Jennifer
Jun 02, 2021 rated it really liked it
Renate
Apr 16, 2022 rated it liked it
Sivan
Sep 22, 2022 marked it as mystery  ·  review of another edition
Kristen
Jul 09, 2023 rated it really liked it
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