The Jealousy Man and Other Stories by Jo Nesbo 2021

Nesbo, like Lee Child, was one of my ‘go to’ mystery writers.  His flawed and down-trodden Norwegian detective, Harry Hole, was a favorite until the stories go so dark, violent, and unsettling that I stopped reading him.  Then, along came this thick volume of stories so thought I’d give him another try.

A mistake!  He’s even more twisted and violent than in his novels. Many of these stories take place in a dystopian future where cartels and corporations have replaced nation states and where violence and lawlessness prevail.  Some of these stories are more science fiction than mysteries, but the overall impact is a real downer.

I won’t enumerate the plots, many of which are clever and tightly structured, but all of which are not good bedtime reading.  Not sure who this book would appeal to, but if you read it and enjoy it, you might want to sign up for some kind of therapy.