Translated by Don Bartlett
I read NEMESIS after reading and enjoying Jo Nesbo's latest Harry Hole mystery, THE SNOWMAN (which I'll review next).
An Oslo bank is robbed and the thief holds a gun to a cashier's head. He tells her to count to 25; the number of seconds he allows the manager to open the cash box. When the countdown is exceeded by just a few seconds, the robber shoots and kills the cashier before disappearing with the money.
Inspector Harry Hole is investigating, joined by Det. Beate Lonn who has an interesting talent; she can remember every face she's ever seen.
There are so many things going on in Harry's life. His girlfriend Rakel is in Russia fighting a custody battle with her son's father. While she's away, Harry has been contacted by a former girlfriend to get together for old times' sake. He's determined to remain true to Rakel, but after meeting up with Anna Bethsen, he wakes up the next morning with a blinding hangover and no recollection of anything from the previous evening. Harry's problems are multiplying and the story is heating up when he's called to the scene of Anna's apparent suicide that day.
Nesbo's intricate novel is as much about his imperfect and troubled lead detective as it is about the crimes he's investigating. Harry is a recovering alcoholic who constantly battles his impulse to imbibe; something that is well known to police hierarchy. He's also learning to work with Lonn who struggles with the ghost of how her father died in the line of duty. Harry is dogged by Tom Waaler, a mean and narcissistic character and Harry's long time adversary. Waaler wants nothing more than to take Harry down.
Nesbo deftly weaves all of the plot lines together in a totally satisfying and intelligent mystery.
Pub. Date January 2009
ISBN 978-1-616-83565-1
440 pages
Available in hardcover, paperback and eBook
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