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I love the character Harry Hole (pronounced “Hooley��). He’s the Norwegian”Dirty Harry��(if Client Eastwood was a 6��4�� rangy Nordic blonde). This is the fourth Harry Hole book I’ve read, and Nesbo continues his masterful suspense writing. I was a bit confused at the beginning of the book because I didn’t pay attention to the dates. This book takes place a few years before “The Phantom�� “The Leopard�� and “The Snowman��, so there was a bit of character confusion for me. Also, it took about 25 pages to get into the rhythm of the book, but that is partly because it takes place in Norway and I’m not familiar with the geography or Norwegian names. After the first 25 pages (I’m a slow learner), the book was a thrill to read, with many twists and turns; I sailed through it. Nesbo always surprises me. It begins at a Salvation Army summer camp. In Norway the Salvation Army is a prestigious organization. There’s a rape of a young girl, of whom we don’t know the identity nor the identity of the raper. We also learn of a young Croatian boy who is fearless and is named “the redeemer�� due to his work in the Croatian army. The story jumps 12 years to the murder of one of the Salvation Army’s powerful families. As the killer leaves Norway, he discovers he killed the wrong person. This was to be his last job as a contract killer; he determines he must stay in Norway to complete his job. In comes Inspector Harry Hole. Nesbo’s descriptions of Oslo and the Norwegian area are fascinating and easy to imagine. He is gifted in character development. Nesbo has a few far fetched coincidences that further his plot, but I didn’t mind. I was taken for a ride, and I didn’t care one bit. It’s over-the-top in a fun way(remember my Dirty Harry reference); you want to be drawn into the craziness. This is a great read. I thought I figured out the ending, and I was wrong, so very wrong. I love that in a thriller.