“Norway’s finest crime writer…Nesbo entwines a Second World War ghost story with a modern hunt for an assassin in a clever and entertaining way that teases and taunts to the very end…Nesbo clearly demonstrates his skill at executing expertly-crafted, well-paced thrillers that he sustains to the very end in a compelling fashion…” “as first novels go, The Redbreast and The Devil’s Star are as accomplished as any reader is likely to experience” Daily Express “It requires some skilled plotting, but Nesbo brings it off, and Harry, with his quirky sense of humour, is a likeable hero despite his many flaws” Sunday Telegraph “A complex, utterly captivating story” Evening Standard “Exciting, witty, melancholy and thought-provoking” Daily Telegraph “A complicated story of passion, lost love, betrayal and murder” The Times “Scary…culminates in a nail-biting episode with overtones of The Day of the Jackal” Independent “A page-turner you won’t want to put down” Time Out

Having read the Stieg Larsson trilogy, I wanted to try another of the now well-known Scandinavian Crime writers, so I pulled The Redbreast off the shelf. The reviews are correct, it is quite complicated, but even I managed to follow the plot over a few nights (it is quite long at 600+ pages). Whilst not quite up to the Larsson standard, I did enjoy it if finding it a little downbeat and frankly depressing at times. Which poses the question who would want to live in the Scandinavia posited by these writers..and what is it with all the neo-Nazis who seem to populate the countries! I suppose it gives us a clear morality and a good excuse for dastardly deeds and retribution. But there comes a point when enough is enough. I think I may have reached it with Larsson, Nesbo et al…….