The Redbreast: A Harry Hole thriller (Oslo Sequence 1)

I thoroughly enjoyed my reading of The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo. I immediately noticed that the translation by Don Bartlett was flawless. This is a multi-layered, complex yet utterly convincing mystery. The Redbreast is, I believe, the third in the series, but the first to be translated into English.

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I noticed a few references to previous cases, but nothing interfered with the flow of the story.

Harry Hole, through no fault of his own, has caused a international situation that his superiors decided is best handled by first promoting him and then sidelining him to a desk and paperwork. In the course of his daily grind he reads a report that resounds within him and sets him on a trail to track down a smuggled high-calibre rifle that is often used by assassins. Harry, in his dogged way, soon is stirring up people and events from both the past and the present. The investigation leads him to the dark days of World War II as he follows the twists and turns of a very disturbed mind.

Powerful and vivid, I was amazed at how quickly I flew through the pages of this book. This was my first experience with Harry Hole and I am already looking forward to my next meeting with him.

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This is the third in the detective Harry Hole-series. And no doubt it's one of the best scandi-crimes I've read so far. I like the writing-style of Jo Nesbo - a lot of humour and chapters ending with funny remarks or good cliffhangers - but make no mistake - there's also some very brutal and

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shocking murders.

Our hero makes a mistake in the first chapter - which ironically enough end in a promotion to the intelligence service - a job he's not that keen on. He's somewhat of a loner, brisk, quick-tempered, cynical and lovesick.

The novel follows two timelines - one from a group of Norwegian men who have enrolled with the Nazi-German forces to fight the Russians at the eastern front.

And up to date Harry Hole is trying to solve a murder that seems to have something to do with a neo-Nazi group. What is the connection?

I liked the detailed descriptions from WWII-battles on the eastern front - which also contains a beautiful love story. Sometimes I wished we could stay there a little longer.

It's a long novel with an ambitious plot and many characters to sort out. But I think Jo Nesbo delivers and hold it all together with some good surprises along the way.

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When Norway's crime squad wants to quietly remove Harry Hole from the public's - and especially the press's eye - they promote him to investigator with the POT (Security Service) to essentially push paper around. In the process of pushing this paper around, Harry finds himself assigned to watch a

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neo-Nazi who escaped prison on a legal technicality and that assignment leads Harry into a serial murder case that has ties to World War II Nazis.

Jo Nesbø's The Redbreast is a complex novel involving two plots - one present-day Oslo, Norway, one World War II Eastern Front - that creatively swerve around, over and under each other for about 400 pages and then collide to create a spectacular conclusion. Each time the plots come close to each other, the reader moves a little closer to understanding the outcome, to solving the case. And THEN the plots twist. Right up to the end Nesbø is throwing twist after twist into the fold, which keeps the pace quick and the action sharp. This is a long book in page numbers, but those pages almost turn themselves. And don't get lazy reading this one; there are no lulls or unimportant parts.

The characters who inhabit this novel are rich and multi-dimensional. I've heard many people complaining about the cliché alcoholic cop. Harry Hole is a recovering alcoholic, but he doesn't fit any of the clichés. His relationships with others is probably what builds his character the most. When he leaves the crime squad, he is also leaving his partner and confidant, Ellen. Harry's relationship with his sister also helps to define him. He isn't a rebel or a maverick, and while he, at times, is on the outside looking in, he actually wants to belong. He desperately wants that light on his answerphone to be lit up when he comes home.

One of the elements I found most stunning about this novel were the various parallels of man to nature. The imagery the nature analogies present is stunning, and their purposes multi-faceted. They are presenting themes in the novel but they also work to create foreshadowing. The novel ends on bit of a mysterious note, one that makes the reader suspect that we haven't heard the last of Harry Hole. And that's a good thing in my opinion.

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The Scandanavians are geniuses in the crime-writing world; this book is 500+ pages and I couldn't stop reading until I had finished the entire thing. It is so very credible that I couldn't put it down. The characters are very well drawn, the story grabs you and doesn't let down, and the writing is

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excellent.

The book starts with one story line featuring Harry Hole, a police detective, and his partner Ellen, who are on surveillance detail in Oslo while the US President is meeting with others there. Harry finds himself caught up in the middle ofa messy situation leaving a Secret Service agent dead; but because the US doesn't want the word to get out that there was a screw-up, Harry is promoted to the Security Service (the POT) where he has his own office and pretty much does nothing but read reports and decide which ones need further study. However, he finds one report that captures his attention -- a rather unique weapon is found that turns out to have been an old Marklin rifle, actually outlawed because of its incredibly destructive power. It's also a very expensive weapon, and Harry gets on the trail immediately, but his investigation leads him into some dark and ugly areas.

The author also interweaves a story that starts during WWII, at the Eastern Front, when many Norwegians found themselves fighting on the side of the Germans against the Russians. As the two storylines begin to merge, the story really heats up, and you will not be able to stop reading. I can't say more because any minor give away would ruin the whole thing.

The story is very well crafted, the writing is great, and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone enjoys a good, solid mystery. I would also recommend it to those who like Scandinavian writers but who, perhaps, have not yet tried this author.

I just bought the next one, Nemesis, and can't wait to read it.

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It didn't take me long to fall in love with detective Harry Hole. Even though Nesbø paints a less than flattering picture of our main character, Hole is no less than fantastic. Fighting against a drinking problem and enemies he doesn't even know exist, Hole must try to solve a mystery that's

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deeply connected to Norway's involvement in World War II and Norwegian Nazis. Nesbø's writing style, translated by Don Bartlett, is strong and intriguing. And though Hole is the main character, Nesbø doesn't shy away from creating strong secondary characters. I thoroughly enjoyed and loved this book. The only reason I gave it 4.5 stars is because there's a bit of character death that is vital to the plot, but upset me greatly.

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Great Nordic Crime thriller, against the backdrop of Norwegian guilt over capitulation to the Germans during WWII. Goes back and forth between the present and WWII to slowly add to our understanding of the context of the crimes. Briskly written but not a simple novel. The cop, Harry Hole, is a

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modern day Norwegian, operating according to his own quirky code of justice. Very suspenseful and with some interesting digressions such as discussions of bird behavior. Sometimes a bit too complex--hard to keep track of all the characters but that is a minimal flaw far outweighed by the overall excitement of the book. Won the best Nordic Crime Novel and Norwegian book clubs voted it the best Norwegian Crime Novel ever written.

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This is the first thing I’ve read by the Norwegian writer, Jo Nesbo, and it is very good. According to the blurb, The Redbreast was voted “Best Norwegian Crime Novel Ever Written” by members of Norwegian book clubs. This is a taut, well structured mystery with good characters and interesting,

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but plausible, plot twists that keep the pace moving. Police Detective Harry Hole, promoted to Inspector during this story for reasons of bureaucratic expediency rather than simply for his recognized talents as a detective, has had his problems with alcohol and a tendency to swim against the current. But here he falls into a mystery that has its roots way back in WWII when contingents of Norwegians fought for the Germans on the eastern front, in this case the northeastern front near Leningrad. Many of these men were imprisoned after the war as traitors, but Nesbo explores the moral certainties that are not always all that clear. A number of these men are still alive and become involved in the plot when Nesbo starts to investigate the secret importation of a special sniper rifle. Nesbo is also very good on the machinations of bureaucracy, the manipulation of issues and people sometimes for private aims, the one-upmanship that underlies the veneer of polite exchanges. You get a feel for Oslo, and for the challenges of modern Norwegian society integrating people from widely diverse ethnic backgrounds as well as the backlash that sometimes provokes. The main mystery is solved and Harry saves the day in some fast, action-packed moments at the end, but Nesbo does not wrap up all the loose ends. I assume, and hope, that Harry returns to pursue those. Recommended reading.

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This third installment in the Harry Hole-series is when Nesbø hits his stride with the character. The format, weaving together one story from World War II with a story in the current time of the novel, is made virtually flawless by the Nazi/neo-Nazi connection. Such a great story with fantastic

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characters and it's as close to unputdownable as you can get. I especially appreciate how Nesbø isn't afraid to kill off characters that have endeared themselves to the reader - not because I want them to die, but because I'm constantly kept on my toes. Looking forward to see how The Prince messes up Hole's life in Nemesis/Smärtans hus.

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Although a good book it is not Nesbo's best.I am greatful I read some of his other novels prior to Redbreast as I probably would not have bothered to read anymore if this had been my first exposure to Nesbo and I would have missed out on some of the most bizarre killings and wonderful thrillers

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written.

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I wasn't immediately drawn into this story. I felt like maybe something was missing from the translation to English. I wound up really enjoying it - In the end it was solid, though not entirely resolved. I appreciated the ending and how it stands on its own. This book was a gift and I didn't know

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the author or that it was a series, so I'm looking forward to starting another of these books now.

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Officer Harry Hole is in the protection squad for the visit of the American President to Norway. Following an accident he is promoted to Inspector and reassigned to a new department. As he investigates the smuggling of a rifle, the story switches from the wartime Eastern Front, Neo-Nazi groups and

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murders closer to home.

This is an intriguing story and I found the switches from modern to history interesting. There were enough twists and turns to keep me absorbed and while the mystery is solved there are some strands left open for future development.

This is the first book I have read by Nesbo but will definitely be reading some more. The only thing I didn't like was the "next Steig Larson" plastered on the front. Why? It was nothing like it - both good books in their own right but one about a policeman, one about a journalist. One set in Norway and one set in Sweden (and elsewhere). There are both crime books but then so are alot of other books! Just to warn people that if you didn't like Larson you may still like Nesbo and if you did like Larson you may not like Nesbo!

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Eastern Front, 1941, the siege of Leningrad. An SS battalion of Norwegian volunteers faces the Russians in the fierce colds of the winter. On their right flank, on the German side, is a battalion of Australian soldiers, on their left flank a battalion of Dutch soldiers. They were are all brought

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together to fight against Communist Russia with determination.

This is not alternative-history fiction. I caught an interview with the author Jo Nesbø on the radio, he was explaining how his father was among the Norwegian volunteers who fought on the side of the Germans. When Germany invaded Soviet Russia in 1940, volunteers with anti-communist verve joined the Nazi army. They arrived from all over the world.

"The Readbreast" knits together three story lines. The siege of Leningrad in 1941, a military hospital around Vienna of 1944, and contemporary Oslo. Detective Harry Hole is involved in an investigation that comes across a deal of a sale of a remarkably powerful weapon -- Märklin rifle. The hunt for a mysterious client and figuring out his potential targets leads him into the world of Norway's Neo-Nazis, with their admiration for the Norwegian SS volunteers from 1941, and digging into the stories of the volunteers themselves.

Along the way we get into the world of Harry. His cynical humor, his affectionate and brotherly feeling for his friend Ellen, he is a flawed by his past addiction but aspires to be good.

The plot is elaborate but not impossible to follow. The fact that the books is a translated work is the only downside worth considering.
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Harry Hole is introduced in this thriller. He has had a difficult recent experience and is reassigned to a less demanding role than his previous crime branch position, but given the rank of inspector. The book begins with a series of apparently unrelated events, including a couple of murders, and

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several chapters set in WW2 trenches where a group of Norwegian volunteers are fighting with the Germans against the Russians. Meanwhile, in 1999, an elderly, dying man acquires a powerful assault rifle and apparently means to carry out a number of assassinations in his final days. Harry’s colleague, Ellen, discovers that Inspector Tom Waaler appears to be implicated in one of the murders. Unfortunately, Waaler finds out that she is on his trail, and has her eliminated. Thus, Harry has another mystery to solve. Rakel Fauke provides the love interest in an intriguing and (eventually) fast moving and complex story which maintains the tension until near the end, when a number of loose ends are tied up (but not including a solution to Ellen’s death).

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Great story! This was my second Jo Nesbo book and even though they were from the same series, they were completely different. This story was even better than the first with a rich, complex plot and characters. Great story well worth the read.

The 3'rd in the Harry Hole series can easily be read independently. Apart from a bit of disconnectedness in the beginning due to the very short chapters and lots of time and character jumps, it is a well written police crime taking place in present day Oslo, with roots back to WWII.

The novel starts

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with the American president visiting Oslo, leading to the political promotion for Harry. He uses his freedom to pursue a case that noone else deem important, only to discover that it is connected to a series of murder.
While he is hidden away in the PET (the Norwegian police investigation agency) Harry is chasing down the illegal import of a Märklin rifle, bringing him in contact with neo nazists and old socialnationalists fighting on against the communists in WWII.
The motivation of the murder is not always clear, but since this is part of the story, it never seems like an artificial plotdevice.
Harry is a sympathetic and credible character whose lone and barren lifestyle may have been easier to understand in context of the previous books in the series.
THe plot is entertaining and tightly woven, and the characters are well fleshed out and engaging.

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A complex and compelling crime thriller. But keep a notepad handy to keep track of the names! A good story, deep characters and an authentic atmosphere.

This mystery set mostly in Oslo, Norway, takes the reader back and forth from the present to WWII Eastern Front where a number of native Norwegians in the fighting force deploy to the Eastern Front once Norway is occupied by Germany. Detective Harry Hole is promoted for political reasons early in

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the story, and as a result has the freedom to work on a case with nefariousness in many characters. An extremely rare assassin's rifle seems to be smuggled into Norway, and that sparks Hole on to unraveling a mystery of who's who among a small squad of WWII relics.

The book is agonizingly slow in the first 50+ pages, almost to the point of being unreadable to anyone but a Harry Hole fan. The author perhaps doesn't realize that in the middle and late parts of the book he can jump quickly from thread to thread, however attempting this in the beginning, using pronouns, with no background, makes for a mostly wasted set of pages. This book could be a lot better with less jumping around in the beginning--and even at the faster paced ending no one is going to call the book 'taut'. The mystery and solution are cleverly written.

The book touches on the evolution of Norway from a monarchy to Nazi-ism back to a monarchy and how the ideals of Nazi-ism uncomfortably touch on politics and immigration in Norway today. The book includes skinhead Neo-Nazi's and the required 'secret financier' enabling the skinheads to pursue their unrest.

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"I wonder if there's a vacancy in a brighter place... if they need a cop in Bergen" (H.Hole)
Say you go to visit Norway. Of course you want to stay in Oslo a few days.
Say you want a unusual guide giving you an overview of the city with the eyes of a native (a very disillusioned one, I should add)

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and a few political and historical insights, keeping always your attention to "on your toe" level.
My choice was Harry Hole (Jo Nesbø's "The Redbreast " character).
He took me around places and showed the good and the bad side of the city, some bars and restaurants included, made me smile explaining me the naive customs (i.e.: cops don't wear weapons? unbelievable but true over there!), thrilled me with the investigation on a terrorist threat connected to some apparently randomic murders, making me feel the taste of a sad winter in a nordic metropolis and the relief of the coming spring... and laying down on the table a down to earth analysis of norwegian sense of guilt toward nazism and a flame out of the problem in the youth suburban culture...... how does it sounds? It worked for me, I enjoyed the mix book/tour to the point I went back to Norway (in the spring this time!) with another Nesbø's masterpiece!!! :)
Only one warning... if you are heart broken, find other ways to enjoy the city... there's a full plenty of'em... Harry's company wont do you any good... his drinking genes and his grim view on the future will make your perpective even murkier...
Salvatore Gagliarde

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“The Redbreast” was my first foray into Scandinavian crime fiction. What a treat! Great local (but I am a sucker for cold, gloomy locales) and dark, murky moods (sucker again). Throw in some history, a complex plot suited for a complex cop and you have got me hooked. Have since started

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buying/collecting more Scandinavian crime fiction as a result of reading this book. Seems the dark, murky mood is their forte. Maybe it is the latitude?

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Having already read The Snowman, I was familiar with Harry Hole and with the author's style. This was an enjoyable novel that led to much Googling on my part about historical events of which I had little previous understanding. The novel displays the typical features of Scandinavian crime tales,

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particularly the stark beauty of the landscape and the morose and broken protagonist. One real problem for me, which I'm starting to think may have been as a result of a serindiptitous misread, is that I knew who the antagonist was from virtually the start and this had a somewhat ruining effect. That said, I'm still eager to read more adventures of Harry Hole.

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Why is there so much great mystery writing from Scandinavia? Here's another one--this time from Norway. The protagonist, Harry Hole (a police detective in Oslo), is just the kind of flawed character I like. And the story is appealingly complex drawing on the past (WWII-era anti-Russian, pro-German

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activities) and the present (neo-Nazism). Great characters. The start of a love story. A gut-wrenching surprise midway in the book. And there's an unsolved plot line that makes me want to get started immediately on the next book.

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This was the first Jo Nesbo book I've read. It was a fine mystery/crime novel. The story is split between Norway in the first decade of the 21st century and Europe during WWII - there was no difficulty in moving from one place and time to another. Am looking forward to the next book in this

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series.

One problem was that this is the third Harry Hole novel, however the first two are not available in the US. Too bad.

One other querk - I wanted to learn how a Norwegian dectective ended up with a non-Norwegian name like Harry Hole.

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There are a lot of great Scandinavian thrillers being translated into English, but Redbreast is in a class of it's own. It is truly fabulous. I cannot recommend it highly enough and from the other reviews it seems that Librarything readers agree.
The novel moves back and forth in time from WWII and

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the present. The history of Norway's occcupation during the war and the Norwegian soldiers who fought with the Germans at the eastern front is fascinating. Inspector Harry Hole is a great character. This book has some similarites to the Stieg Larsson Swedish thrillers in that it deals with present neo-Nazi activities in Norway and Sweden and the history of collaberation with the Germans during the war.

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I read this book during my holiday on the beach. A typical scandinavian thriller: sad and dark in places, not all the good guys survive. Not all the bad guys either, though. Since I don't like happy endings anyway, I liked it!