by Jo Nesbø
Part of Harry Hole, book 12
First published 2019
Harry Hole's life has collapsed. Rakel, the woman he loves, has left him for good. The Oslo Police have relegated him to cold cases when he wants to pursue active investigations. His real focus is Svein Finne, a serial rapist and killer he once helped convict. After more than ten years in prison, Finne walks free, and Harry knows the man will kill again. Then Harry wakes up after a drunken blackout. Blood covers his hands. The blood isn't his. This discovery launches Harry into a nightmare that will test every limit he thought he knew. As Finne resurfaces to continue his violent work, Harry must navigate his own potential complicity in murder while fighting to protect those he cares about. The case forces him to confront both his demons and a killer who has shaped his entire career.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, flawed-protagonist, redemption-arc
Setting: Oslo, Norway
Period: contemporary
464 pages · Hardcover · Knopf
Content warnings: murder, violence