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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
You could be reading the book in the middle of winter and still find yourself sweating from Nesbo’s suffocating description of Bangok weather.
Up until the middle of the book I was certain that I’d give it 3 stars, but then I read the last 200 in one evening.
Overall, I’d characterize it as fairly good as far as crime novels go, but I can’t help but compare it to The Bat and find it lacking. It doesn’t delve as deep into the Thai world as it did with the Australian world, but I appreciated that he didn’t try to paint Thailand in a positive light just because the book is based there. The structure of the book wasn’t too different from the previous one either. I enjoyed the mention of events and characters from The Bat, it added a sense of continuity, without alienating the readers who don’t follow the Harry Hole series. I liked the diversity of the characters, all of them were fleshed out satisfactorily and all of them contributed to the progression of the story.
Sometimes the events were a bit far-fetched, and even though they were obviously written to keep us on edge, they left me apathetic. No, I didn’t worry that the protagonist would drown handcuffed to the bottom of the pool, let’s get it over with.
Concerning the crime and the “whodunnit” aspect, I was pleased with the way it tackled such a difficult issue, and I hadn’t guessed the murdered (though I rarely do) until the actual revelation. The whole storyline tied up adequately in the end. It also had a respectable amount of deaths, always a plus for me.
Finally, in relation to the previous book and the series as a whole, I liked that we got a better glimpse into Harry’s family. It’s obvious that Nesbo takes his time building that world.
Not a masterpiece in general, from what I’m told Nesbo’s talent doesn’t unfold until the next book. A pretty good read nonetheless, and it definitely makes me want to read the next one.
Up until the middle of the book I was certain that I’d give it 3 stars, but then I read the last 200 in one evening.
Overall, I’d characterize it as fairly good as far as crime novels go, but I can’t help but compare it to The Bat and find it lacking. It doesn’t delve as deep into the Thai world as it did with the Australian world, but I appreciated that he didn’t try to paint Thailand in a positive light just because the book is based there. The structure of the book wasn’t too different from the previous one either. I enjoyed the mention of events and characters from The Bat, it added a sense of continuity, without alienating the readers who don’t follow the Harry Hole series. I liked the diversity of the characters, all of them were fleshed out satisfactorily and all of them contributed to the progression of the story.
Sometimes the events were a bit far-fetched, and even though they were obviously written to keep us on edge, they left me apathetic. No, I didn’t worry that the protagonist would drown handcuffed to the bottom of the pool, let’s get it over with.
Concerning the crime and the “whodunnit” aspect, I was pleased with the way it tackled such a difficult issue, and I hadn’t guessed the murdered (though I rarely do) until the actual revelation. The whole storyline tied up adequately in the end. It also had a respectable amount of deaths, always a plus for me.
Finally, in relation to the previous book and the series as a whole, I liked that we got a better glimpse into Harry’s family. It’s obvious that Nesbo takes his time building that world.
Not a masterpiece in general, from what I’m told Nesbo’s talent doesn’t unfold until the next book. A pretty good read nonetheless, and it definitely makes me want to read the next one.
A good read and not as depressing as many of this authors other books.
A mixed bag of feelings about this. I certainly enjoyed it more than the first book in the series, a book I disliked so strongly I nearly didn’t bother about this one at all despite it sitting on my Kindle having been purchased by someone else. It has an undercurrent of nastiness that works well, mostly; occasionally it becomes too much, like in an unnecessary torture scene near the end. The plot doesn’t always make sense, and the way it all comes together feels convoluted. But the climactic action sequence is brilliantly done; utterly gripping, and full of the right sort of confusion that feels authentic to how such things must be experienced by those involved. It’s a brave approach to take, and it pays off superbly. Reservations notwithstanding, this has probably done enough to encourage me to try book 3 some time.
less problematic than the first one! enjoyed this a lot actually
The only reason I've given only four stars is because I've heard the later books are better. I truly enjoyed this book and was completely entertained. I guess Scandinavians are just talented at murder mysteries. Will be reading more of his books.
classic jo nesbo
classic detective .... smart, caring, flawed... oh so flawed, but...
i like harry. he's a grittier character than kurt wallander. neither can maintain a relationship without someone getting hurt...or killed.
classic detective .... smart, caring, flawed... oh so flawed, but...
i like harry. he's a grittier character than kurt wallander. neither can maintain a relationship without someone getting hurt...or killed.
Ok I gotta say it ~ there's something about Harry. I just love this irascible guy and all the twists and turns in each case he works. What I like about the reveal at the end of the mystery is that as Harry is explaining 'how he knew', he'll say something like, "remember when..." and describe a scene from earlier in the book which draws helps the reader remember the scene do a palm-to-face and say, "How did I NOT SEE THAT!". The problem with my love of Harry Hole is that, by all accounts, he is a self-sabotaging SOB so even though he solves the case, he inevitably focuses on the loss or problems in the case and harasses himself for not solving it sooner so fewer lives would be lost. This inverted perception of success or failure often results in Harry making choices that are not good for him. Luckily, he is a fictional character and usually comes out the other side of these mistakes - at least so far!
This was better than Harry Hole #1. The plot made more sense-- but it's still needlessly complicated. Characters were interesting. I liked the Thai setting. But a whole lot is revealed right at the end--which I find annoying a a detective novel. It is also a bit too violent for me. The focus on pedophilia and rape was also relatively unpleasant. It's all told from the man's POV.
Another good Jo Nesbo Harry Hole story. I recommend reading these books in order due to the onegoing story lines, but this one was not translated to English previously. A complex and challenging story that takes place in Thailand with Harry sent there to investigate the murder of the Norwegian ambassador. The child porn angle of the story could have been more developed, but as usual, the relationships between the different characters and Harry were well done.