Frelseren by Jo NesbøMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read this book in paperback under the name of The Redeemer. Frankly, I'm getting hooked on the European crime novel and Harry Hole has become one of my favorite police heroes.
I'm biting my lip here. I am in two places at once. When I write mystery, I pride myself in being able to kill off anyone, if it suits me. I'm actually getting ready to murder the character modeled after myself in my next chapter. I admire that quality in Nesbø. Anyone can end up dead if it suits his story-line.
Yet, I was thunderstruck when I heard the rumor that Harry Hole himself might be in for a rude chopping up. Or something. I haven't read the interview or the articles online yet. I'm putting that off. I'm selfish. I have not had enough of the tall, blond, alcoholic, screwed-up Harry.
The Redeemer was a fantastic read. You might want to research the Salvation Army before you begin. There is a lot more to that entity (religion? cult? organization? charity?) than meets the eye. Better not to stop later and look things up.
Nesbø is an artist, leading the reader through the mystery with clue upon clue - so that the act of reading becomes a little like working a crossword. He holds one's interest with remarkable action scenes and winds up the story nicely - no lose ends - without rehashing.
My hat is off to Don Bartlett, a remarkable translator. He is getting smoother and smoother as the series goes along. It takes a special talent to work with suspense in two languages and to retain that edge-of-your-chair quality.
Bartlett translates many Scandinavian works into English. His American English vocabulary is growing IMHO. He doesn't call those shoes Doctor Martins, anymore, as the Brits do.
I no longer find the Scandinavian place, street, and proper names too off-putting. It was difficult at first but a big map of Oslo helped. I also have a list of northern European given names (along with their equivalents in other languages) and pronunciations. I want to hear that name the mind is reading.
If you are interested, don't begin with The Redeemer. Google Harry Hole and read the series from the beginning. It's worth a lot to be able to see how the characters and the overall plots evolve on the whole.
View all my reviews
