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.

5 people found this helpful

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!

4 people found this helpful

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!

2 people found this helpful

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.

2 people found this helpful

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.

1 person found this helpful

Too many stories including the world war two

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I loved "The bat" and I love Harry Hole. In this book the second world war takes up too much space. I did not even listen to half of it because I do not wish to think of his other books as bad ones. If you love hearing war stories you will love this one!

What do you think your next listen will be?

I have a few to choose from: John Grisham, the newest Stephen King novel, Penny Marshall's fantastic "My mother was nuts" alongside another Nesbo... Yes, I listen too way too many audiobooks. As you can see, this book did not turn me away from Nesbo, but since I grew up in Norway I know enough about how badly people were being treated during this war of madness. I do not want to be reminded of it when I am trying to have a good time.

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

He is beyond fantastic. I prefer him over Robin Sachs.

What character would you cut from The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 3?

The war characters.

Any additional comments?

This is the only book in this series that talks about the war. I am so looking forward to the rest of this books. I love Harry.

1 person found this helpful

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.

1 person found this helpful

Beautiful twist in the tale.

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

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

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.