Title: The Redbreast
Author: Jo Nesbo
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
1944: Daniel, a soldier, legendary among the Norwegians fighting the advance of Bolshevism on the Russian front, is killed. Two years later, a wounded soldier wakes up in a Vienna hospital. He becomes involved with a young nurse, the consequences of which will ripple forward to the turn of the next century.
1999: Harry Hole, alone again after having caused an embarrassment in the line of duty, has been promoted to inspector and is lumbered with surveillance duties. He is assigned the task of monitoring neo-Nazi activities; fairly mundane until a report of a rare and unusual gun being fired sparks his interest. Ellen Gjelten, his partner, makes a startling discovery. Then a former soldier is found with his throat cut. In a quest that takes him to South Africa and Vienna, Harry finds himself perpetually one step behind the killer. He will be both winner and loser by the novel’s nail-biting conclusion.
The Redbreast is an intriguing novel. With a mix of Crime, Mystery, Thriller and a spoonful of Historical Fiction, the book was a fine read. The plot is complex with intertwined characters. And though the story follows our protagonist, Harry Hole, the supporting characters also have important subplots going on which support the main plot. This is a major plus point of this novel. The chapters following the old man are very interesting and help in keeping the mystery alive. The pace of the novel is what I didn’t enjoy much. I found the first half quite slow, busy building up the situation. Once I reached the midpoint, the pace increased and the rest of the ride was fun. Also, I could make out who is the antagonist, so it wasn’t much of a surprise to me.
Final Verdict:
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo gets 3.5 out 5 stars from me.