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brynebo's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. Gorgeous in parts. Slow in parts. Extremely unsatisfying ending.
julianne89's review against another edition
3.0
I am torn as to this book! Took me a while to get into it, since the pacing is uneven. And the ending left me entirely confused.... (no spoilers, I promise). But I do support others' reviews that the characters, especially Sheldon, shine bright and the writing is engaging and vivid. It is for these reasons that I stuck through to the end: to see what would become of our Jewish octogenarian transplant.
hillersg7's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliant read. Thriller with a wide range of emotional content. I loved it.
plan2read's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting mashup of Norwegian and American fiction styles. It seems novel to see WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Serbian-Croatian conflicts all succinctly explored in less than 300 pages, with a dash of Scandinavian police work thrown in for good measure.
andrew61's review against another edition
4.0
I can't recall where I had this reccomended to me but it was a very enjoyable read. The main character Sheldon Horowitz is an 80+ American ex marine sniper in the Korean war who has moved to live in Oslo with his granddaughter and her husband. He inadvertently becomes involved in a crime and ends up fleeing the city with a young boy who he has to protect. Whilst it is a thriller/crime novel it packs into it's 290 pages a lot more so we struggle with Sheldon's demons including aging physically, bereavment, and his Jewish identity post WW2 and guilt, also father son relationships. I don't want to give away the ending here but it is the right ending and allows the reader perhaps to reflect on the book and a very interesting character. I hope Miller writes more.
natesea's review against another edition
4.0
This is an excellent crime, come family, come aging, come cultural novel. An aging Vet grappling with memory finds himself having to call on dormant training in a foreign world to save a child and what remains of his family. I agree with reviews calling this a literary crime novel with a pace as fast as The Dragon Tattoo series. Good stuff.
rcriii's review against another edition
4.0
The murder is not the mystery in this book. The mystery is whether Sheldon Horowitz is who he says he is, or suffering from demetia and delusions. Sheldon is in his 80s, a Korean war vet. If we believe him, he hid his medals and war experience on his return, telling his family he was a clerk. When he told his story late in life his family did not believe him, thinking him suffering the onset of dementia. It is not entirely clear whether we should either. In a telling scene, the detective investigating the crime reads Sheldon's military records (obtained from America to help in the search), but we are not told what is in them.
Sheldon takes in his neighbor and her son, as they flee the man who raped her. The man strangles her while Sheldon and the boy hide in a closet, prompting Sheldon to flee with him on a journey across Norway.
The book is a serviceable thriller. The author at least avoids the common mistake of making superheroes of his characters. Sheldon is clearly an 80-year-old man, resourceful but also fortunate to be underestimated on account of his age.
Sheldon takes in his neighbor and her son, as they flee the man who raped her. The man strangles her while Sheldon and the boy hide in a closet, prompting Sheldon to flee with him on a journey across Norway.
The book is a serviceable thriller. The author at least avoids the common mistake of making superheroes of his characters. Sheldon is clearly an 80-year-old man, resourceful but also fortunate to be underestimated on account of his age.
christiek's review against another edition
4.0
I love the multiple points of view and almost all the characters (even the bad guys). Sheldon/Donny's flashbacks and ghosts are marvelously done and enrich this superbly plotted novel.