by Jo Nesbø
First published 2014
Sonny Lofthus sits in his Oslo prison cell, listening to inmates confess their sins. For twelve years he has served as their unofficial priest, absolving guilt while feeding his heroin addiction. The drugs keep flowing because Sonny serves a purpose. He takes the blame for crimes committed by others, protecting a network of corrupt police, lawyers, and prison staff. All of them answer to the Twin, Oslo's most powerful crime boss. Sonny accepted this life after his father, a police officer, killed himself rather than face corruption charges. The heroin numbs the pain of that loss and his own imprisonment for crimes he never committed. But when Sonny discovers a shocking truth about his father's death, everything changes. He escapes from prison and sheds his compliant persona. Now he hunts the people who destroyed his family and stole his life. The corrupt network that once controlled him becomes his prey. The question remains whether the criminals or the police will reach him first.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, redemption, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Oslo, Norway
Period: Contemporary
407 pages · Hardcover · Knopf
Content warnings: addiction