The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 3

By: Jo Nesbø

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

Harry Hole, drunkard, loner and brilliant detective is reassigned to surveillance after a high profile mistake. He’s bored by his new job until a report of a rare and unusual gun being fired sparks his interest because of its possible links to Neo Nazi activity. Then a former soldier is found with his throat cut. Next Harry’s former partner is murdered. Why had she been trying to reach Harry on the night her head was smashed in? The investigation leads Harry to suspect that the crimes have their roots in the battlefields of Eastern Front during WWII. In a quest that takes him to South Africa and Vienna, Harry finds himself perpetually one step behind the killer. He will be both winner and loser by the novel's nail-biting conclusion.

The Redbreast. He’s your judge, jury and executioner…And he must be stopped.

©2006 Jo Nesbo (P)2011 Random House Audiobooks

too many layers

After listening to most of Nesbo's Harry Hole books, I came back to the earliest ones. however, I didn't like Redbreast as much as the later titles. it seemed too layered, too complex in sketching out the storyline. maybe it was the audiobook version, but sometimes I was lost, not too sure where the piece fit, or why it was even there. on the plus side, it e revealed the origin of the relationship between Harry and Rachel as well as some other characters

Excellent story and narrater

Excellent plot and narrator was top class
Just 2 little things that we noticed being South African - in the story the south african gets the death penalty in 1999. The death penalty in SA was abolished in June 1995.
The narrator uses a Jamaican accent for the African police officer. The english for the Afrikaans character is spot on

Phenomenal book!

I was absolutely absorbed by this book from start to finish. Easily one of the best crime novels I've ever read/listened to. I love that Nesbo creates such an intricate story that (even with all the pieces given) it still only comes together at the end as a surprise. I highly recommend this book to anyone. The flashbacks were a little hard to follow in the audio version, because the dates and places couldn't be scrolled back to. However, the performance was good enough to carry me along even without being able to leaf back pages.

Where are books #2 and #4?

Just finished Book 3 after my introduction to Jo Nesbo and his star anti-hero Harry Hole in Book 1. This book is situated primarily in Norway with flashbacks to WW2. Am I glad I found Jo Nesbo. It's entertaining, incredibly fast-paced, strong character development and a plot that contains many twists and turns.
Another must read.
And Sean Barrett is a perfect fit for the Harry Hole series.
Please Audible - bring on the other books in this powerful series.

Beautiful twist in the tale.

This one left me yearning for more.
Well narrated.
Beginning to enjoy Harry’s character in this crime story.

Good Harry Hole Book

I enjoyed listening to this book although the plot was bit predicable. The way the charaters were intertwined made for interesting listening. Sean Barrett did a fine job narrating.

Better Still!

If you have read my review of "The Bat" (Book 1 in this series) then you will know that I opted to listen to this ahead of my planned read because I enjoyed Book 1 and, you might have inferred, that I was engaged by Harry Hole as a character (vomit and all). So, was that the correct decision? Absolutely! This is a better book than Book 1.
The plot here is complex and you need to listen to each part carefully. The threads are all there (as they were in "The Bat"), so there is no slight of hand Shaitana-like revelation of the Agatha Christie type, here. In fact, like "The Bat", the perp' is no surprise when revealed, but the why and what for is worth the wait. (Spoiler alert), not every mystery is put to bed here, so I am expecting the unresolved part to feature in future installments.
The plot here is much more Larsson-like. There are neo-Nazis and corrupt officials scattered generously throughout the Norse public service. However, it has it's own distinctive feel. Perhaps it's because Harry's vice (drink) is so much easier to relate to than Blomkvist's (women he has no bases to aspire to - Australians call this "punching above your weight"). We can all have more drink than we need, but can one ever be fortunate enough to love every woman one might have wanted to, especially when one is me? I like Harry more than I liked Blomkvist. I liked this book a lot. My only regret is that (like Larsson) it seems that Nesbo's women don't get a good run in this Scandavian crime genre. Maybe that will change in Book 4. For now, I have had to deliberately stop myself from reading Book 4.
Again, Sean Barrett is very good; proving he can do German accents, too.
Read it at your peril, because you may be compelled to read the next installment, too!

Not a bad yarn

The story is complex, coming together at the end. At times I thought I had missed something and needed to backtrack and listen again. Having listened to The Redeemer first, this story does give the background to 'The Prince, who comes up in the later stories..Some chapters seemed to have missed the final audio edit, to remove small errors in reading. The plots thankfully lack the drum roll and big cash conspiracy, allowing for the individual need to redress perceived. wrongs, to unfold and surface in a very sinister undercurrent. Interesting in regard to WW11. and post war Europe. While Sean Barrett reads Mankell , and Kurt Wallander very well, I am not sure he is right for the Harry Hole. stories.

Fantastic addition to the series

If you could sum up The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 3 in three words, what would they be?

Fascinating, intriguing, complex.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 3?

Learning about Norway's role in WWII was a great historical bonus.

What does Sean Barrett bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His Norwegian accent and pacing bring authenticity to the reading.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely!

A good listen On to the next one

Not as good as the first book but still a good listen.
Sean Barratt as with the first was excellent.