by Jo Nesbø
Part of Harry Hole, book 6
First published 2013
Christmas crowds gather on an Oslo street to listen to Salvation Army musicians performing in the bitter cold. A gunshot rings out through the holiday music. One of the singers drops dead, killed by a bullet to the head fired at close range. Detective Harry Hole takes the case but finds himself working with almost nothing. No suspect emerges. No weapon turns up. No clear motive presents itself. The investigation pulls Harry deeper into danger as the killer grows more desperate to avoid capture. His search leads him far from Norway to the war-torn regions of former Yugoslavia. When Harry returns to Oslo, he discovers the true horror waiting for him. The city's homeless addicts and religious believers share something in common. Both groups wait for someone to save them from their suffering. That salvation might bring them new hope or swift death.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: detective, investigation, mystery
Setting: Norway, Oslo, Yugoslavia
Period: Christmas
397 pages · Hardcover · Knopf
Content warnings: violence