The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbø, a Mysterious Review.

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.

Nemesis
Harper (Hardcover), January 2009
ISBN-13: 9780061655500; ISBN-10: 0061655503

Cockroaches
Vintage Crime (Trade Paperback), February 2014
ISBN-13: 9780345807151; ISBN-10: 0345807154

The Devil's Star

A Harry Hole Mystery by Jo Nesbø