The Devil's Star

Starred review from January 18, 2010
A serial killer taunts Harry Hole in Nesbø's searing third crime novel to feature the Oslo police detective to be made available in the U.S. (after Nemesis
). Still suffering from alcohol-fueled demons and obsessed with hunting for evidence against a clearly dirty cop, Hole grudgingly agrees to help look into the murder of a woman whose finger has been amputated and a red diamond stuck under her eyelid. More bodies follow, with the murderer leaving identical five-pointed diamonds (the titular devil's star) at each crime scene. At first the killings appear to be random, but Hole soon discovers an ominous pattern. Nesbø brilliantly incorporates threads from earlier novels, including Hole's often tumultuous relationship with his lover, Rakel, without ever losing the current story's rhythm. Even with—or perhaps because of—his flaws, Hole is arguably one of today's most fascinating fictional detectives. 5-city author tour.

The cover of this book states optimistically that Jo Nesb┐ is the next Stieg Larsson. Not likely. Its Oslo setting is appealing and well rendered as are some of the supporting characters. However, Police Detective Harry Hole is unappealing--he's his own worst enemy, and his alcoholism is given far too much emphasis. This is the third in a trilogy after THE RED BREAST and NEMESIS. Narrator Robin Sachs does his best with various accents, but the story is repetitious as Harry tries to clean up his personal life while searching for a serial killer who places a red diamond on each victim. With the wealth of outstanding Scandinavian novels from which to choose, look elsewhere for "the new Larsson." S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine