The Devil's Star
A Harry Hole Mystery
Jo Nesbo
Review: Oslo police inspector Harry Hole -- the "lone wolf" of his department -- investigates a series of bizarre murders in The Devil's Star (original Norwegian title: Marekors), the fifth mystery in this series (though only the third available in English) by Jo Nesbo.
A report of blood leaking into an apartment leads police to discover the dead body of a woman, one finger cut off and a five-pointed diamond star found beneath one of her eyelids. Harry, probably the best detective in the department, is assigned to the case and partnered under an up-and-comer, Tom Waaler, a man who Harry -- and Harry alone -- believes was responsible for the death of, if not outright killed, one of their colleagues, Harry's ex-partner. Harry's boss, Chief Inspector Bjarne Moller, had given him some latitude in working the cold case, but no more ... especially when a second woman is found murdered, a finger missing and a red star on her body. Harry, loathe to be working with a man he cannot trust, must set aside his personal demons long enough to identify a serial killer -- and in the process expose Waaler as the crooked cop he believes him to be.
The Devil's Star is as much a character study of Harry Hole as it is a multi-layered mystery involving a serial killer and potential corruption within the department. Harry is full of obsessions, most having to do with alcohol, but he's also cognisant of a woman and her son who love him and recognizes that he must play by a different set of rules if he's to lead a better life. Still, he hasn't earned the title of "lone wolf" for being a team player, and it's fascinating to watch him operate in such a way that brings this thrilling, plot-twisting case -- with its intriguing ties to witchcraft and black magic and the significance of the titular devil's star -- to a close.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Devil's Star.
Acknowledgment: HarperCollins provided a copy of The Devil's Star for this review.
Review Copyright © 2010 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Selected reviews of other mysteries by this author …
Nemesis
Harper (Hardcover), January 2009
ISBN-13: 9780061655500; ISBN-10: 0061655503
Location(s) referenced in The Devil's Star: Oslo, Norway
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The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo
Publisher: Harper
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0-06-113397-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-113397-8
Publication Date: March 2010
List Price: $25.99
Synopsis (from the publisher): Oslo is sweltering in the summer heat when a young woman is murdered in her flat. One finger has been cut off and a tiny red diamond in the shape of a pentagram—a five-pointed star—is found under her eyelid. Detective Harry Hole is assigned the case with Tom Waaler, a colleague he neither likes nor trusts. He believes Tom is behind a gang of arms smugglers—and the murder of his partner. But Harry, an off-the-rails alcoholic, is barely holding on to his job and has little choice but to play nice.
Five days later, another woman is reported missing. When her severed finger is found adorned with a star-shaped red diamond ring, Harry fears a serial killer is on the loose. Determined to find the killer and expose the crooked Tom Waaler, Harry discovers the two investigations melding in unexpected ways. But pursuing the truth comes at a price, and soon Harry finds himself on the run and forced to make difficult decisions about a future he may not live to see.
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