The Son
Monday, June 23rd, 2014
The Short Take:
This terrific mystery/thriller departs from Nesbø’s Harry Hole detective series and is — hard to believe — even better. Taut, suspenseful, but without the repetitive gunfights and car chase scenes so many thrillers rely on. Rewarding to the very last line.
Why?
I have nothing against gun fights or car chases in mystery/thrillers, but they are rather predictable, and certainly relied on heavily. This book is true to the genre but also refreshingly different.
The title character is a young man who has lived in jail for 12 of his 30 years — a strung out junkie with a mystical quality that leads others to tell him secrets and ask forgiveness. When he embarks on a mission of revenge, you don’t know quite what to expect from him. And, he keeps you off balance all the way through.
Nesbø has already made quite a name for himself with his Harry Hole series (despite the unfortunate name). I find these dark police thrillers set in Nesbø’s Norway to be far superior to Stieg Larsson’s “Girl With…” books, though with a similar DNA.
So far I’ve read three Harry Hole novels and enjoyed them all very much. This one was even better. It’s not just about the crimes, it’s about love, forgiveness, and facing dead ends.
A Little Plot:
When Sonny Lofthus’ policeman father committed suicide over his corruption, it sent The Son into a tailspin of self-destruction and incarceration. He’s living only for his next fix when a fellow inmate tells him it wasn’t suicide but murder that took his father away. His father wasn’t corrupt but killed for fighting corruption.
That sets Sonny on a path of revenge; not just for his father but to right other wrongs he has taken the rap for as well.  Chief Inspector Simon Kefas is on his trail. A woman is about to fall in love. Nesbø keeps you guessing right to the very end. Excellent.
For more about Nesbø and his books, click here.