Normally, I love Jo Nesbo.

This book was WAY off the mark for me. It was far too gruesome, disjointed, and confusing. I'm bored with John Lee's narration. If you've never listened to Harry Hole novel, don't start with this one. It's not typical of the author. There are many others that are better. JMHO

18 people found this helpful

Nesbo's Harry Hole Rules The Genre

I read and listen to plenty of wonderful authors, particularly in Mystery/Police Procedurals. Few if any approach Jo Nesbo' Harry Hole series for characters and intriguing mystery. With the exception of the second and third in the long series, Cockroaches and Red Breast, each of the novels is a 5 star adventure.

The Thirst is one of the better storylines, featuring chilling and horrific murders, great police work and a great conclusion. The suspense is masterful. In other words, if this is your first novel in the series, you will not miss a thing. If this is your 12th venture, you will not be disappointed.

14 people found this helpful

A long time fan of Jo Nesbø

I've been a fan of Jo Nesbø since 2005 when Book 5 of the Harry Hole suspense/police procedural series became the first Nesbø novel to be translated into English. The title of that novel is The Devil's Star. Along the way I have been disappointed in some of Nesbø's earlier Harry Hole novels such as The Redbreast and to a lesser degree Cockroaches, but Nesbø remained one of my favorite authors. But novels 5 (The Devil's Star) through #10 (Police) all earned 5 stars. Along the way in 2014 Nesbø released The Son which in my opinion is his best novel ever although it is not part of the Harry Hole series. So between 2003 and 2014 Nesbø had 7 suspense novels in a row that rated 5 star. (He also has written several children's books, a 2 novel series and some other stand alone novels since 2003.)All of Nesbo's novels have now been translated from his native Norwegian to English.

With this Harry Hole novel, The Thirst, Nesbø breaks his string of 5 star suspense novels. Hole is now retired from police work and gone into teaching as well as being married. He is still an alcoholic, but that appears to play a smaller role in his life than ever before. He seems happy with his life for the first time ever. In The Thirst Harry Hole agrees to help the police with a case. Part of my issue with this novel is that it develops too slowly; the first half of the book is boring. Another issue is that it involves serial murder by the killer acting as a vampire by biting victims necks with metal "teeth" and drinking their blood. The novel is also gruesome and crude in other ways in will not describe. Nevertheless, The Thirst is a good novel with lots of twists, suspense and action. I expect much better than good from Jo Nesbø!! The narration is 5 star.

12 people found this helpful

Tasty Red Herrings!

I was a bit worried that Harry Hole had his life too much together now to make for a satisfying Harry Hole read, but not to fear, Nesbo has spun a great tale without sending Hole back into the depths of personal-life-misery. Planting truly effective Red Herrings is an art form and makes all the sense to me that a fine Norwegian author would excel in all things herring, I was taken by surprise more than once. I can never stop listening to the Nesbo books until work/necessity calls and this one was no different, another excellent turn for Harry Hole!

9 people found this helpful

Tedious, Unoriginal and Poorly Narrated

I am late to the Harry Hole party but was enticed by the hype and history of the series. Well, perhaps this wasn't the book to start with, but I am 11 hours into it and am reluctantly bailing out. In part this is owing to the reader, John Lee. I am sure Mr Lee is a nice guy but he is the worst reader I have ever encountered in my many dozens of Audible books. He has the most annoying artificial way of intoning his words that makes any character's voice sound like a superficial twit. No one IRL talks like his characters. Sadly, I had previously encountered his narration and had the same reaction, but had forgotten his name. The minute I opened this book and heard him again I cringed. Really, he is terrible. Nevertheless, if the story ever got moving along I might have overlooked the problematic reading, but it just drags and drags. Plus it's nothing original - just the old "ace detective bedeviled by an old nemesis" story. Adding some iron teeth (seriously?) to the villain can't salvage it. Perhaps the next nine hours might have turned it around, but life is too short for me to slog through and find out. I'm done.

7 people found this helpful

Pretentious narration

After enduring first six chapters of overly dramatic voice performance, I just couldn't continue listening. John Lee's comical delivery of each character's voice was unbearable.

5 people found this helpful

My least favorite Harry Hole novel

What did you like best about The Thirst? What did you like least?

Maybe it is me but as much as I've liked the Harry Hole series, this one failed for me. I guess I am more attached to the self-destructive Harry. This reborn version of Hole with his tenuous grasp on normalcy, just does not excite or interest me as he used to.

Would you be willing to try another book from Jo Nesbo and Neil Smith - translator ? Why or why not?

Absolutely. Not so much this book but the series is still one of the best in the genre.

Would you be willing to try another one of John Lee’s performances?

I have never been a fan of John Lee but, unfortunately, he reads many of the books I want to hear so I have to bare with him. He is not terrible but he over-emotes, is too dramatic and his brogue is annoying. It sounds like his tongue has torn loose in his mouth and wobbles about wetly as he speaks.

Any additional comments?

I'll probably end up waiting a year or so then reading this unless a new narrator is selected, in which case I might try that guy.

5 people found this helpful

Hole Is Back

Always happy to see a new Hole. This one pleases me until the climactic confession, which loses all plausibility. On the other hand, it's not literature, it's genre, and there's plenty of plot centered on vampirism, a nice way for Nesbo to tip his hat to that subgenre without crossing over into fantasy. So give Nesbo a pickled herring for his effort and a shot of aquavit.

5 people found this helpful

Always loved Harry but

Any additional comments?

I may just try reading this one in hard copy. I don't know what it is about John Lee but I find him impossible to listen to. His voice is pleasant enough but his delivery is stiff, pompous and off-putting. My mind has been wandering and I find that I'm getting an emotion-free experience of the characters, which it the opposite of what I've drawn from every other Harry Hole book. Returning this one with 12 hours to go.

5 people found this helpful

Still a great read!

I have been a long-time fan of Jo Nesbo and this book was as satisfying as any of the others. The narrator did an excellent job and the ending was totally unexpected, so I was engaged for the entire book. Harry Hole is an exceptional creation and never fails to interest me. I anticipate many more books from Nesbo.

4 people found this helpful