The Redeemer

A Harry Hole Novel (6)

By: Jo Nesbo, Don Bartlett - translator

Narrated by: John Lee

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole is coming soon to Netflix • Inspector Harry Hole pursues an assassin bent on revenge in this “fast-and-furious” installment (The New York Times Book Review) of the bestselling series.

Shots ring out at a Salvation Army Christmas concert in Oslo, leaving one of the singers dead in the street. The trail will lead Harry Hole, Oslo’s best investigator and worst civil servant, deep into the darkest corners of the city and, eventually, to Croatia.

An assassin forged in the war-torn region has been brought to Oslo to settle an old debt. As the police circle in, the killer becomes increasingly desperate and the danger mounts for Harry and his colleagues.

Critic reviews

“Fast-and-furious.” —The New York Times Book Review

“The pace is relentless.... The plot ... [is] complex without becoming overheated.” —San Antonio Express-News

“Though there’s plenty of twisty plot, it’s Nesbø’s writing—textured, humane, evocative, moody, cinematic—that keeps this thing rolling forward like a toboggan on a steep slope.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

“The Redeemer rocks! Jo Nesbø is my new favorite thriller writer and Harry Hole my new hero. This book had my pulse in the red zone from start to finish.” —Michael Connelly

“Full of shocking chance and nuance, unforeseen twists and ice-crystal clear views of Oslo in winter.” —The Wall Street Journal

“A tour de force.... So tightly constructed and compelling that it’s impossible to put the book down.” —The Globe and Mail (Canada)

“A treat.... Even when you’re positive that the mystery is entirely done and dusted, it invariably turns out that the pragmatic Detective Harry Hole has managed to stay three steps ahead, and there’s more to uncover.” —Time Out

“Nesbø is no ordinary writer.... A complex story, impossible to second-guess, which proves that greed, lust and a desire for revenge lurk within the saintliest of folk.” —The Sunday Telegraph

“Rarely does a mystery novel succeed on so many levels, as the intricate plotting explores psychological and theological dimensions that go deeper than standard notions of good and evil.... Those with an affinity for the darkest and most literary crime fiction will want to get here as soon as they can.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The search for redemption is on—redemption through violence. The deeply flawed Hole is his familiar self: difficult and disrespectful, brilliant and intuitive.... Told in powerful prose, [The Redeemer] never fails to grip.” —Publishers Weekly

“No doubt about it: Nesbø belongs on every crime-fiction fan’s A-list.” —Booklist

a good one

Sometimes it seems that a book and its author are identified as being good. But due to one reason or another the book isn't the first in the series. Once the series becomes popular, the publishers go back and get the earlier books because there is money to be made and, for we fans, it gives us the complete series. At least that's what I think happened in this book's case. There are several books in the Harry Hole series that comes after this book in the series but the audible versions at least came first. My first book in the series was #7, "The Snowman", which got me intereested in Nesbo's Harry Hole series. This book is a good one in the series, it fits into the overall series and if you've listened to some of the later ones, it fills in some of the story. This was a good book, not a great one, and the series and probably Nesbo's writing really get going after thsi book. Make sense? I hope so, bottom line is, if you are a fan you'll enjoy this one. I read in some of the reviews where there were complaints about the narrator, John Lee. The audio producers tell you at the begining of the book that the original narrator, Robin Sachs, died in 2013. The new narrator is one where I knew I heard him before but couldn't think where so researched it and he's the narrator for the two Ken Follett trilogies, which I really enjoyed. It didn't take long to get used to this new narrator and by the end of the book i wasn't thinking about the narrator, rather just enjoying the story.

Worth the effort

I have always enjoyed Jo Nesbo's work inspite of the effort it takes to rearrange my mind to the geographic descriptors. I am a bit of a dullard when it comes to remembering the streets, parks and landmarks critical to the unwinding story. Nonetheless this is my 6th Nesbo and it does not disappoint.

At least research Croatian pronunciation!

The Devil's Star is the only other Harry Hole book I've read, and I thought it was just so-so, not nearly as good as Karin Fossum. But The Redeemer is something else entirely. I may be biased because I lived in Croatia for several years, but the Croatian connection is not the only reason this book is good. Harry seemed so much more likable and complex in this book: he's not just angry-headstrong-brilliant-detective-guy but also showed more vulnerability (and I don't just mean his alcoholism). Plus, you know how sometimes you read a detective novel and you hope for a different type of ending? Here ya go. Not that the mystery is that difficult--I figured out the culprit really easily, which I don't even try to do, normally--but the resolution was really nice. Nesbo's portrayal of Croatian refugees and war veterans is spot-on.

About the narration: the biggest issue for me was the....occasional...William Shatner....pacing. Egregious. Plus, the narrator's "Croatian" accent was just pseudo-Russian, and several crucial Croatian words are mispronounced. I lived in Osijek--near Vukovar--for years, and "Spasitelj" is pronounced SPASitelj, not spaSEEtelj. Bah.

But the narration rarely impeded my enjoyment of the story...I just have a few minor issues with it. This book is well, well worth a credit.

My Frustration Relieved

What did you love best about The Redeemer?

Finally some resolution, but then left with the further mystery of who else may have been involved. Harry is pulling his life together a bit, so one is not left with the feeling that every time it really matters, he will crumble and turn to alcohol.

Any additional comments?

It had been difficult having so many different narrators, and although Robins Sachs was by far my favorite, I understand now that I may need to be more flexible. John Lee has been a close second, and I hope that he will be the narrator going forward with the books that Robin had yet to do.

Nesbo rarely disappoints.

What did you love best about The Redeemer?

Not all about Hole's addiction struggles and demons.

What did you like best about this story?

Nesbo never goes formula, a la Dan Brown, other than Hole always have a love dilemna.

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He tries to make listening just like reading, which is perfect. All I want is to be able to listen to the book in the car, not hear some kind of performance of play. Always. Always. Always.

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

It made me happy to plug in an audiobook that didn't add sound effects and drama by reading, just the book. Just the book.