Jo Nesbo

[whatkungfuthat]

I am halfway through The Redbreast at the moment and I am loving it so far. I checked amazon and it seems its the first part of an 'Oslo series' and that there are other series with the same character, Harry Hole.

Has anyone read the others? Should I go right back the beginning or can I just carry on with the Oslo ones?

they are all pretty good apart from the one about the Norwegian Nazi. I started reading that at the same time as the shootings in Norway, not great timing!

I think the snowman is the one to start with.

Thanks, I think that might be the one I am reading now (about an old man who fought on the frontline with Germans).

You are absolutely fine with starting with The Redbreast - there is one earlier one that's finally been published in the UK called The Bat but Redbreast is the first of the Oslo trilogy part of the Harry Hole story. In story order it's:

(The Bat)
The Redbreast
Nemesis
The Devil's Star
The Redeemer
The Snowman
The Leopard
Phantom

All thundering good reads but they do get progressively more toe-curlingly violent as the series goes on!

The Devil's Star and The Snowman are both very creepy and enjoyable. I read the series in the wrong order because I picked them up second-hand but they make more sense if you read The Redbreast first.

Thanks for the replies. I've just finished The Redbreast so I'll look for the others. Disappointed that its come to an end, I worked out the 'who' just not the 'why' fairly early on.

I haven't read Phantom yet. It is going to be one of my summer holiday books. I like detective series like this and the Inspector Banks novels where there is character development from book to book as well as the mystery. I read a James Lee Burke recently and really liked it so I think Robicheaux will be my next detective of choice.

I've read them all, loved them. Love Harry Hole also.

Read them in the order Mimble suggests if you can. He often refers back to older cases and situations - just briefly but it 's nice to know what happened before.

Other books that I've read since seem extremely slow moving with a lack of action! I wish there were more.

Did read a good one recently Mo Hayder- Poppet. Truly gripping and well worth a read.

May have to give James Lee Burke a try. Where are they set mmack?

The one I read was The Tin Roof Blowdown. It was set in New Orleans during Katrina. It was very well written-more of a Charlie Parker/Banks/Hole level than James Patterson level IYKWIM.

I read a really horrible Mo Hayder one once that put me off reading any others. I have read some quite horrific crime stories but this one seemed to be sensationalist for the sake of it iyswim? I can't remember the title.

Love Jo Nesbo and have read all of them.

The Redbreast and The Snowman are my particular favourites.
The Leopard is also great but there is horrible violence.

I also loved Headhunters by the same author but not about Harry Hole. It was made into a film but I haven't seen it. The plotting is amazing.

My Norwegian friend says its pronounced Yo Neshbo or something similar. Apparently he's also the singer in a rock band in Norway but she thought it was no loss to music that he took up writing instead.

I've got Headhunter and Phantom sitting on my holiday reading pile and looking forward to those.

I heard Jo Nesbo being interviewed on Front Row once and yes, it's Yo Neshbo and Harry Holler in Norwegian.

I have read and loved the Jo Nesbo books. My partner spotted a couple in the local charity shop and bought them for me. Unfortunately they were in the original Norwegan but I had already read the translations and gave them back to the shop. It's the thought that counts.