Nemesis by Jo Nesbo - book review

I lost track of time of when I started reading this book, which felt so long back that, when I finished reading it, was wondering when I actually began reading it. From the three books that I’ve read, tedious is a simple word to describe the sheer volume of content bombardment in Nesbo’s novels. Probably it’s the effect of the translation or may be the style of Scandinavian authors, every single novel covered the weather for good measure almost treating it as a par character. The extent of detailing the minutest of items, like how art directors of period films take notes, is another common feature. Except that here, it would be any other room in any other house. The darkness, the corners, the phone stands, tv cabinet, wine cellar, lifts every single one of them have such detailed description that, anything that you may imagine comes with corrected version. Any more description on smoking, the next novel might warrant a censure on putting a statutory warning content.

The advantage of these novels is that, you get two three stories for the price of one. Firstly, there would be the main theme, the story behind the title, next would be the running series, feeding the story from one book to another and third might be an addendum, which usually the novel could’ve lived without. In Nemesis, there are two characters in love, both hell bent on revenge and the way they avenge themselves form the twin plots. The way they achieve their means is also different, while one commits suicide other one commits murder. The common character to both these hostile characters being the hero, Harry. I thought, having read the series in random order revealed some key spoilers. But apparently the villain is revealed to the readers in this novel itself but for Harry, who continue to chase the elusive killer across novels.

Few things that stand out in the novel is the cultural inputs it brings to the plate. The role of gypsies, how the general public view them and the treatment meted out to them across generations is something which is stark and detailed. Both the bank robbery, with which the novel unfolds and the murder that follows,  has several “whodunit”s identified during the course of the investigation and each of them dies before being brought to justice. Just as you are about to think, why the book is still 45% more to go when the accused is already is found out and is dead. It’s the murder investigation that makes it a twisted and interesting read as it involves three accused with Harry himself being one of them and but for him, the other two end up killed for various reasons. The best part being, all three of them are lovers of the deceased at some point of time. The climatic twist as to who the original killer would clearly be unexpected and is forcedly unique.

Gils verdict – Just like the other two books, this one makes a lengthy read and unlike the other novels, it starts with a bang and is quite pacy till it plateaus out in the middle, only to pick up break neck speed towards the end. If you can really plough through till the end, you wouldn’t be disappointed.