Heading down the Norwegian crime story Hole

Everyone says that if you like crime fiction, murder mysteries, and the like, then definitely check out Norwegian crime fiction. And Jo Nesbo is one of the best in the business (or so I’m told). His main character is Oslo detective Harry Hole. Apparently American and English publishers decided to start translating the books that came later in the series first (set in Oslo), for whatever reason. However, this was the first book – and Harry has travelled from Oslo to Sydney to investigate the murder of a Norwegian expat.

Harry teams up with an Aboriginal detective with the Sydney PD to track down the killer. Of course her boyfriend is the first suspect, doubly so because he may be mixed up in drugs. Harry gets involved with a witness and friend of the victim, and shares his deepest secret with her: he’s an alcoholic, and his drinking caused the death of a colleague of his and injured an innocent bystander. He’s not drinking now (now). Harry also meets his partner’s protege, a young boxer.

The investigation points to a potential serial rapist, after the team realizes there has been a series of young, Nordic-looking victims. One of the only other things that the rapes have in common is the presence of a traveling burlesque act starring a man who used to hang out at the bar where the victim worked.

There are fights, chases, red herrings, and a few more victims, before Harry figures it out. If the rest of the series is as visceral as this one, I’m going to need to take long breaks in between books.