Great crime fiction. (The Devil's Star - Jo Nesbo)

Member Name: FraggleFan

Product:	The Devil's Star - Jo Nesbo
Date:	14/09/08 (90 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pace, characters, plot.

Disadvantages: None

My sister lent me this book a while ago and I only recently got around to finally reading it. I'm a huge fan of crime and mystery fiction, so I'm not quite sure why it took me so long. Possibly because I'd never read any of his books before, or maybe because it was set in Oslo, although I'm not quite sure why this would have made any difference. Anyway, now that I have read it, I'm so glad that I did!

*The Author*

Jo Nesbo is apparently Norway's most successful crime writer. He has a very fancy website at www.jonesbo.com which takes ages to load, but does give you quite a bit of information about him, including a detailed autobiagraphy and bibliography. I suppose all that's necessary to be said here is that he's Norwegian, his books have been translated into thirty languages, he's critically acclaimed and has won numerous awards for his books. He has a recurring character in a number of his books, called Harry Hole, and this book, The Devil's Star is included in the series of Harry Hole novels.

*The Plot*

This is not the first book in the Harry Hole series, but it is the first book I have read. This did not leave me at a disadvantage, however, as the previous relevant information was concisely laid out so that I knew the necessary details, but were not belaboured so that people who had already read the previous books were bored. Harry Hole is a cop, of the down trodden variety. Alcoholic and in an absolute rut after the death of his police partner, who he believes was sacrificed by another policeman, Tom Waaler, in order to cover his dodgy dealings. Hole is determined to reveal Waaler for the criminal he is, although this proves to be difficult as Waaler is everything Hole is not - beloved of the top brass, media friendly and successful. No matter what Hole does, it only makes him seem petty and as if he has a grudge against Waaler for his success. This results in Hole sinking further into his alcoholic bingeing and eventually leads to the break up of his relationship. Finally, after covering for him for a very long time, Hole's boss writes a letter to ask for his resignation. It's currently on the desk of his commander, awaiting a signature. However, it's holiday season in Oslo and Hole has three weeks before the commander comes back to sign it. He has to prove himself and he has to reveal Waaler for the crook he believes him to be.

A series of murders begins to shake Oslo in this warm, holiday season, and they seem to have certain things in common. The removal of a finger and the presence of a five pointed star, or the Devil's Star of the books title. Hole and Waller are put on the case together simply because there are no other qualified people around. Hole begins to see connections and clues, proving he is the better detective, although his revenge is never too far out of his sight. The murders begin to escalate and it's only a matter of time before the murderer is caught, but were the clues too easy to put together?

*My Opinion*

I'm not sure what I was expecting in this book, but to say I was impressed is a very big understatement. I have never read a book in this genre which is so expertly and brilliantly paced. The balance between explanation and drama is delicately poised to perfection. At no point was I bored, despite many disparate plot points coming together throughout. Nor was it a book that left the drama to the last few pages, leaving you feeling excited but ultimately disappointed. This novel built up the drama throughout, steadily and surely adding slightly more and more until the finale.

The characters are well defined, despite already being explored in previous novels, the characterisation is just enough to let you become genuinely interested in the people they portray, but not so detailed that you know what they had for breakfast. Unless of course it's relevant. Apparently boiled blood tastes like egg - bleurgh! The character of Harry Hole, in spite of being somewhat of a cliche - alcoholic detective anyone? - is superb. You really start to care about him and the people in his life. And the bad guys are not charicatures of the bogey man, but real people that are evil, and all the more frightening for it.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime writing, especially those who are sick of the tired treadmill that many writers in this genre seem to currently be stuck on. A breath of fresh air and I'll be seeking out his other books to read immediately.

Published by Vintage books. Price £6.99 (unless you've got a sister like me!).

Summary: Crime storytelling at it's best.