Nemesis: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 4

By: Jo Nesbo

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

Grainy CCTV footage shows a man walking into a bank and putting a gun to a cashier's head. He tells her to count to twenty-five. When he doesn’t get his money in time, she is executed. Detective Harry Hole is assigned to the case. While Harry’s girlfriend is away in Russia, an old flame gets in touch. He goes to dinner at her house and wakes up at home with no memory of the past twelve hours. The same morning the girl is found shot dead in her bed. Then Harry begins to receive threatening e-mails. Is someone trying to frame him for this unexplained death?

Meanwhile the bank robberies continue with unparalleled savagery. Gripping and surprising, Nemesis is a thriller by one of the biggest stars of Scandinavian crime fiction.

©2011 Jo Nesbo (P)2011 Random House Audiobooks

Still trending up - with a bullet

Book 4 is the best Harry Hole story to date. Again I have had to deliberately restrain myself from reading Book 5 at once. That has to be a good sign. The plot is a continuation of Book 3 (The Redbreast), but not just an episode from a TV drama that begins, "Last time on ...". The new story is a complex one. The plot is carefully crafted. Harry, apparently happy, just can't resist an old flame and from there the set up begins.
The clues are all there. I'd think I'd figured it out, then, blam, suspect dead. I'd think I'd figured it out, then dismiss it and think again. Somewhere along this process, I did figure it out, but I wasn't sure until Harry revealed the truth.
Harry is the harbinger of the truth. He's as unlikely a harbinger as any, but this far into our relationship, he's now a comfortable part of the big picture. A new character is introduced, too; another unfortunate woman in Harry's seedy life. Tom Voller (aka David Hasselhoff) returns, as do Mueller and the rest of the team. There is new and old.
Sean Barrett continues his portrayal of Harry. He is growing on me. By Book 5 I expect him to be a 3.5 and by Book 6, a 4. There are no complaints.
One warning, these books are addictive!

Jo Nesbo at his best

In the tradition of the great European crime novels like "The Laughing Policeman", "Smilla's Sense of Snow" and Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series, Nesbo continues with his Harry Hole novels in this terrific new entry.

Hole, struggling with his alcoholism as well as his new love relationship and the death of his partner, finds himself caught up in trying to solve a murderous bank robbery while trying to convince his superiors that his partner's death is - contrary to their belief - still unsolved and that he should be allowed to pursue an investigation into it.

This is a compelling entry in the series, with rich characterizations and impeccable plotting.

Sweet Jesus, why isn't this a TV show?

Where does Nemesis: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 4 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best. Intricate plot that didn't strain credibility, great narration with consistent character voices, unpredictability.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Nemesis: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 4?

The long explanation of the two major crimes.

Which character – as performed by Sean Barrett – was your favorite?

Tom Voller. Just menacing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were times I had to turn it off for a while because i knew something bad was coming.

Any additional comments?

This is only my 3rd Harry Hole book (for some reason I skipped the flashback #2 but will go back to it at some point). It's hard to see how Redbreast wouldn't make a great 1st season to a 10 episode Netflix show and Nemesis being season 2. I can't wait to download the next one and see some resolution of some dangling storylines. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about!!!

A well-told story

If you could sum up Nemesis in three words, what would they be?

Complex, engaging, enjoyable

What other book might you compare Nemesis to and why?

Headhunters because its a complex story that brings the reader along slowly and confidently

Which character – as performed by Sean Barrett – was your favorite?

Harry

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Outstanding

Typical Harry Hole! Clever, full of suspense with intelligent, real characters. An easy plot to follow but filled with clever twists and turns. A must read.

I’m hooked

Extremely captivating story.
I am completely vested. Really well structured. I experienced so many emotions. This should be a mini series.