The Redbreast

By: Jo Nesbo

Narrated by: Robin Sachs

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 won the Glass Key prize for the best Nordic crime novel when it was first published, and was subsequently voted Norway’s best crime novel. The Devil’s Star, Nesbø’s first novel featuring Harry Hole to be translated into English, marked Nesbø as a writer to watch in the ever more fashionable world of Nordic crime.

Great Crime Novel

This is a really exciting crime novel. I think the audio format was especially good for this book. The plot jumps around in time a bit. Chapter one happens before the next several chapters, and so on. Listening, instead of reading, heightened the sense of suspense.

Vivid mystery that provides a cultural and history

Would you listen to The Redbreast again? Why?

Yes... to pick up some of the historical and cultural nuances I may have missed. Plus, the readers voice is so rich, it is fun simply to listen to him.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes... it just did!

Which scene was your favorite?

Too many to mention

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, but I was generally on edge anticipating which shoe would be the next to drop.

Any additional comments?

All Nesbo books, particularly those feature Harry Holle, are wonderful.

Pay Attention!

This is one you almost need to listen to twice unless you are truly engrossed. It really comes together at the end with a surprise, but to appreciate that surprise, it helps to have a solid recollection of the rest of the book. I will listen to this again.

Difficult story; fantastic narrator

This was the first Harry Hole novel I listened to. It was the narrator's brilliant performance that hooked me into listening to more in this series. Perfect tempo, pacing, character speech & pronunciation, and a just-there undercurrent of suspense throughout. The story itself, however, is too complex for me in the format of an audio book. Next time I come back to this book, I'll get a hard copy to follow along with it.

I'm hooked!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The first book I've read in the Harry Hole series and now I'm hooked! Intelligent and interesting, it's a thriller with thought.

Have you listened to any of Robin Sachs’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Robin Sachs is by far the best narrator of audible books! I'm currently listening to each of the Nesbo books he narrates.