The Devil's Star (Fiction-2005), The Redbreast (Fiction-2006) and Nemesis (Fiction-2008)
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Since Stieg Larsson burned the Lisbeth Salander trilogy into my consciousness, I have been reading Scandinavian thrillers. They have led me into cold, miserable, frozen, snowbound terrain, always correlated with a compelling psychological component – depression, suicide, religious mania. Finally, I discovered Jo Nesbo, and The Devil's Star (2005), The Redbreast (2006), and Nemesis (2008). Written in Norwegian and translated in the indicated years, these works are celebrated worldwide. For myself, the most rewarding discovery is Inspector Harry Hole. The plots are chronologically connected, based in Oslo, but each book stands alone. The thread is the inspector. He is an unforgettable, completely convincing, alcoholic. His detective work is brilliant, assisted or not by carefully etched characters in the police department. The plots, as complex as anything I have read, are exhausting, and often Harry's blackouts are welcome relief. There are political and family histories and relationships to challenge the mature. For example, I have never appreciated the layered complexity of Norway's World War II experience.
Back to Harry, I have moderate knowledge of alcoholism. I learned much from these stories. He is always thirsty, under pressure to have a drink. He drops out for weeks. He suffers from horrific nightmares. He practically eats cigarettes. His personal hygiene is deplorable, but his mind operates in a parallel universe, most productive when inexactly focused. He has just enough administrative support, based on brilliant sccesses, to survive self-destruction, to be allowed return to supervised special duty. His integrity is unquestioned. He takes extraordinary pride in his work, never accepting the easy obvious. His values are beyond reproach. Who will forget his loyalty to his Downs sister.
I wholeheartedly recommend Jo Nesbo.
Review by Martin Waldron