Being a Detective in Nesbo Style

I‘ve got the only bookshelf in my home library fully dedicated to one author. Nevertheless, I‘m left speechless while trying to compose this post. And it‘s not that I find his literature worthless, on the contrary – it is so good that the gap between his novels always seems unbearably long and a pleasure of reading so consumingly short.

Meet Jo Nesbø, the Norwegian who introduced a new star detective to the world. Nothing like a scrupulous Hercule Poirot, master of deduction Sherlock Holmes or contemplative Jules Maigret, detective Harry Hole from Oslo Police has become my new hero in the peakless heap of contemporary crime fiction. And I‘m quite sure not for me alone.

It is difficult to create a new personality who will fascinate millions of people, and the best example is new British series of Sherlock. This name doesn‘t require tons of advertising, and the hints that it‘s a modern version of the old master of deduction draws attention immediately. However, what they got is a hyperactive, narcissistic and neurotic young man. On the other hand, Jo Nesbø had no need to revive anybody – Harry Hole is a typical citizen of this modern stressful world with his convictions and virtues who doesn‘t stand for comparison.

He is destined to be alone (well, this is a common main character pattern in the crime literature, no doubt), having no friends, no family, except his sister, although being an attractive catch for all sorts of women, which he usually don‘t mind. Harry Hole is an introvert, a man of weak will and many complexes. However, it might sound inappropriate but these features help him to solve his cases.

Moreover, Harry is nothing like an ideal representative of police force. He has a relentless addiction to alcohol, which is the first thing to comfort him when he fails. Self-destruction is what Harry does to himself, perhaps without thinking, and this theme rolls into a big snow ball book after book.

Thus such a complicated personality with a strong morale (or maybe Jo Nesbø has just depicted an average Norwegian – sorry, I‘m not the one to judge) untangles the most difficult and dangerous cases, which often spring even overseas. Besides, the first Harry‘s case lands him in Australia (The Bat).

Jo Nesbø succeeds not only in developing an excellent detective personality but has a brilliant hand in plotting the criminal fabula. In addition, each of his books turns into self- education for the reader. For instance, in The Bat we get to know Australian natives, their customs and traditions and even pieces of their folklore. The Redbreast reveals tragic destinies of Norwegians during the World War II (have you known that Nazi Norwegians were freezing on the outskirts of Leningrad during the blockade?). While The Snowman plunges us into the realms of psychology, which only proves that bad childhood experiences don‘t vanish in the air but might easily turn into unbelievable evil instead.

The first thing I‘ve noticed is the titles of Jo Nesbø‘s novels – they are always only one word (except The Devil‘s Star), however powerful, menacing and expressing the essence: The Bat, The Redbreast, The Nemesis, The Redeemer, The Snowman, The Leopardand The Phantom (I haven‘t mentioned The Cockroaches on purpose – no English translation yet, no chance to read).

There is one more book by Jo Nesbø – The Headhunters – but it is not from the Harry Hole series. Strange, but this book made the author more famous than ever. It makes me wonder, whether all we need is only easy reading with a rather predictable, though shocking plot?

In fact, while reading The Headhunters I felt I was reading a screenplay, and I was right. Six months later or so I was watching an excellent movie adaptation made in Norway. It tells about an elite headhunter Roger Brown having a hobby of breaking and entering his candidates’ houses and stealing expensive pieces of art in order to satisfy all needs of his beautiful wife. However, the meeting with Clas Greve, the perfect candidate for a position of Roger‘s biggest client, becomes fatal and drags Roger into a cavalcade of murders, hiding, lies and narrow escapes. Of course, the happy ending is a must.

I‘d say nothing special in comparison to other Jo Nesbø‘s novels but maybe it just me fed up with read-and-forget type. The only thing that was really worth my attention was a reference to Inbau, Reid and Buckley Criminal Interrogation and Confessions (1962) with its nine-step interview technique used by FBI in the real life and consequently by Roger Brown in the book. I highly recommend to read the steps before you go to any job interview!

The Headhunters‘ Roger Brown is a smart bastard but his personality development is way short of Harry Hole‘s. However, his emotional snow ball halts as The Phantom becomes the last case for Harry where he must make a lethal decision. Does it mean that Jo Nesbø has spent out all his imagination of Harry Hole‘s topic and a new star detective will sink into oblivion? They say, you should know when to stop. I’d say, is this the time indeed?