The Devil's Star
By Jo Nesbo
(Harper, Hardcover, 9780061133978, 464pp.)
Publication Date: February 17, 2010
Categories: Mystery & Detective - General
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Oslo is sweltering in the summer heat when a young woman is murdered in her flat. One finger has been cut off and a tiny red diamond in the shape of a pentagram—a five-pointed star—is found under her eyelid. Detective Harry Hole is assigned the case with Tom Waaler, a colleague he neither likes nor trusts. He believes Tom is behind a gang of arms smugglers—and the murder of his partner. But Harry, an off-the-rails alcoholic, is barely holding on to his job and has little choice but to play nice.
Five days later, another woman is reported missing. When her severed finger is found adorned with a star-shaped red diamond ring, Harry fears a serial killer is on the loose. Determined to find the killer and expose the crooked Tom Waaler, Harry discovers the two investigations melding in unexpected ways. But pursuing the truth comes at a price, and soon Harry finds himself on the run and forced to make difficult decisions about a future he may not live to see.
One of the brightest stars of Scandinavian crime writing, Jo NesbØ has been compared to Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly, and Henning Mankell. His novels are bestsellers throughout Europe, acclaimed by critics and revered by aficionados of thrillers and mysteries. Brilliantly plotted and paced, The Devil's Star shows NesbØ at his absolute best, combining powerful emotional resonance with truly stunning suspense.
Jo NesbØ is a musician, songwriter, economist, and author. He is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including the Glass Key, the Riverton Prize, and the Booksellers Prize, and one of his Harry Hole novels was voted best Norwegian crime novel of all time by Norwegian readers. He lives in Oslo.
"A complex tale of murder, revenge and betrayal . . . perfectly paced and painfully suspenseful. . . . Readers will delight in Hole, a laconic hero as doggedly stubborn as Connelly's Harry Bosch, and yet with a prickly appeal all his own."
-Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A gripping tale of political intrigue and sprawling global corruption. . . . With plenty of shootouts and intensely described chase sequences, The Redbreast certainly delivers."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Nobody can delve into the dark, twisted mind of a murderer better than a Scandinavian thriller writer."
-Vogue
"Superb."
-Daily Telegraph (London)
"In crime fiction terms, the ongoing Harry Hole is epic along the lines of something Count Tolstoy might have dreamed up. . . . Tremendous emotional resonance."
-Toronto Star
"A well-crafted rollercoaster of a book. . . . Nesbo sets a cracking pace, the shambolic Hole is exasperating and endearing by turns, and a series of spectacular plot twists lead to a thrilling finale. Highly recommended."
-The Guardian (London)
"An elegant and complex thriller . . . Ingenious design. . . . Nesbo's book eloquently uses its multiple horrors to advance a disturbing argument: suppressing history is an open invitation for history to repeat itself."
-New York Times Book Review
"The dense plot is supremely detailed. . . . A crisp, clean translation. . . . Satisfying."
-New York Times Book Review
"[A] beautifully executed heist drama. . . . Expertly weaving plot lines from Hole's last outing to feature the inspector, The Redbreast (2007), Nesbo delivers a lush crime saga that will leave U.S. readers clamoring for the next installment."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Jo Nesbo is my new favorite thriller writer and Harry Hole my new hero."
-Michael Connelly
"Nesbo returns with another novel that is every bit the multitextured, complexly plotted, psychologically rich thriller that made Redbreast such an unqualified success. . . . No doubt about it: Nesbo belongs on every crime-fiction fan's A-list."
-Booklist (starred review)
"Nesbo offers up another top-notch mystery thriller, thickly layered, perfectly plotted, and briskly paced to keep readers hooked. With ties to events in The Redbreast, this is an excellent sequel. . . . Recommended for all fiction collections and essential for Scandinavian crime lovers."
-Library Journal
"Readers new to this whitehot series will be impressed by Nesb's generous plotting and his insight into dark places in the human soul."
-Kirkus
"A fine novel. . . . THE REDBREAST certainly ranks with the best of current American crime fiction."
-Washington Post Book World
"Jo Nesbo has a credibly scary line on the power of corruption, and his complex plot culminates in a nail-biting episode with overtones of The Day of the Jackal."
-The Independent
"Nesbo has a knack for Euro noir."
-Entertainment Weekly
"[A] bold, ambitious thriller. . . . It's well worth sticking with the story; both the hero and the villain are as compelling as the portrayal of Norwegians doing whatever it takes to survive the war and then paying the price. Nesbo bids fair to turn Norway into serious competition for Sweden as Scandinavia's crime center."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Reading THE REDBREAST is like watching a hit movie. . . . The pacing is swift. The plot is precise and intricate. . . . THE REDBREAST is surprisingly witty at times and often grim. But it's always smart."
-USA Today
"Readers now can savor NEMESIS. . . . Nesbo's storytelling abilities are incomparable. NEMESIS is crime novel as art form and great entertainment."
-USA Today
"Bucks the trend. Nesbo's long-range plotting is careful, and the debate about the Norwegian elite's behaviour during the war cleverly managed."
-London Review of Books
"Astonishingly confident. . . . The Devil's Star scores with an intriguing plot and Nesbo's mastery of pace and tension."
-The Times (London)
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