by Jo Nesbø
Part of Harry Hole, book 3
First published 2006
Oslo police detective Harry Hole faces a case that stretches from World War Two battlefields to modern Norwegian streets. A killer moves through the city, connected to dark secrets from the nation's past. Hole must piece together how wartime betrayals link to present-day murders. The investigation becomes a race against time as Hole discovers he's tracking more than just a murderer. He's trying to defuse a deadly legacy that threatens to explode decades after the war ended. The case forces Hole to confront how the shadows of Norway's history still reach into the present. As bodies pile up, Hole realizes the killer's plan goes deeper than revenge. The detective must stop both a murderer and prevent a catastrophe rooted in his country's most painful memories.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: race-against-time, uncovering-the-past
Setting: Oslo, Norway
Period: World War Two, Modern Day
519 pages · Paperback · Harvill Secker
Content warnings: violence