Harry Hole book # 12

Hole is a legend in the Oslo police force and is notorious for his heavy drinking and by now his wife Rakel had enough and has kicked out, Harry is on his own.

“Knife”, is another dark twisted mystery by Nesbo. The opening scenes involve an old man at a hunting shop, a gruesome sexual assault and Hole waking up with blood on himself after a drunken night at a bar but even before he sobers up, he is hit by a tornado Rakel has been murdered. His colleagues want him to stay out of the case because they can’t rule him out as her killer. The preliminary evidence points to Svein Finne, a long career rapist and murderer. Staying out of this case is not an option,“ The only thing Harry can do is investigate murders and drink”.....and he will do just that....

This story takes most of 450 pages or so in order to tell us how these moments fit into the puzzle, so be patient it is a long and heavy read.....in the final 100 pages the many disparate threads are so cleverly pulled that it is hard to stop reading. “Knife” is real Nesbo and this story has everything I have come to expect by him: a layered plot, a gritty atmosphere, an immerse pacing, plenty of red herrings and our beloved trouble detective. This has to be Nesbo’s darkest story and the most emotionally affective. It is told with a razor- sharp prose and is populated by fully shaped psychologically believable characters.

Knife is brutal, raw and nerve wrecking. ( )

It's kind of amazing that there's never a single character in these books that I even remotely like. So bleak. In the wrong mood it's intolerable and in the right, fascinating. ( )

Most likely the best Harry book yet ( )

Oh, Nesbo's taken us all on one hell of a journey with Harry Hole, the finest detective in Oslo. Knowing that Knife is, in all probability, Hole's last book lends it a poignant note. Thestory opens with a bang! Harry's been dumped by Rakel. Whaaat! Why did that happen? After all these years of putting up with his alcoholism, intensity, even the Snowman, Rakel gives him the boot. Things resolve a bit and, then, you're hit with another Wham! Rakel's dead. Whaaaat!The book is amazingly written with Harry focussing so much on Sveine he misses the clues in front of him. And the end. Oh. It's a whopper. I did not see that coming at all. Sweet, innocent Holm. Nooooo! Though the story does make sense. But why, why did Nesbo do this? He does leave us with a few potential prospects to choose for Harry, but I wanted him to be with Rakel forever. Oh, well. Tragedies do tend to stay with us. I love you, Harry Hole. ( )

How interesting is being attacked by a rapist/murderer and live in fear when he keeps watch on you to make sure you have and then keep his baby. Jo Nesbo as Harry Hole will also be around to keep watch.

Jo Nesbo's stories have slipped considerably. He appears more misogynist with a feeling in story of pleasurable pain.

I used to appreciate the suspenseful writing. ( )