There was a time when I eagerly looked forward to the latest Jo Nesbo book, a series of 13 books featuring Harry Hole, a troubled, alcoholic inspector with the Oslo, Norway police force who is a one-man wrecking crew for the righteous.  The books, however, became ever more violent and sick, and the last time I tried the new Hole book, it was so wierd and troubling that I stopped after the first chapter.

So I wasn’t immediately drawn to his latest book which I found on the New Books shelves at the Lamont Library at Harvard.  Reading the dust jacket, however, I learned that this was not a Hole novel, so I plunged in.  Great decision as Nesbo has put together a tricky, fascinating plot peopled by seriously drawn and developed characters.  The action takes place in contemporary Minneapolis and the murder of George Floyd and the disaster that is the trump administration is quite in evidence.  Several narrators tell the tale from a Norwegian novelist visiting Minnesota to gather information for his novel to the murderer himself.

The main character, homicide detective Bob Oz is like Hole, a troubled soul—depressed, drinking, sadly divorced, violent, with serious anger issues.  But he is a principled and honest cop and he is committed to finding the serial murderer who has eliminated five seemingly unrelateed citizens. The action is fast and well written and the book is a winner winding down to a thrilling and suprising conclusion.

Great beach read, but make sure you are not interrupted when reading the final 50 pages as it races towards its finale.