Police by Jo Nesbo

As my blog followers know, I was recently introduced to Jo Nesbo and his character of Harry Hole, a deeply flawed police officer from Oslo, Norway. It was love at first word and now, I am on a mission to read the whole series. I was trying to read these in order but readers know there is a ghost who lives in all houses with books.

Periodically, the ghost of books will misplace or hide the next book in the series, forcing the reader to rip the house apart looking for that book. Unable to find it, you read the one at hand but drive yourself crazy trying to find the other book.

I also have a critic. Her name is Cotton and she is a cat. She is critical of all books. They all have to be shelved or she uses them for potential scratching posts. The more you value a book, the greater the risk that Cotton will scratch the cover for you.

So between ghost and Cotton, I was forced out of order in the series. This novel was a real nail biter too. Police in Oslo are returning to the scenes of unsolved crimes on the one year anniversary and are being systematically slaughtered.

A team is assembled of officers and profilers who have worked with or been associated with or mentored by Harry Hole. Unlike in previous novels, Harry comes into the story a little later and has had a series of events unfold that have changed his life and lifestyle.

It is a real cat and mouse game that the police are playing with the killer. They are also in the game of politics and the higher ups want solutions and results while at the same time, working against the very interests they are working to serve.

Oslo is the backdrop this time. In the other stories I have read so far, Harry has been on the road, solving cases around the world. This time, he is working as a professor at the police training college and advising the force on methods to solve these cases – which he was at first reluctant to become involved in.

Nesbo’s writing is excellent. I haven’t enjoyed a series like this and been so engrossed in some time. I keep coming back for more and I will continue in my quest to find the misplaced book so we I can share another Harry Hole story with you next time. The ghost and the cat, willing.