Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo - book review
Considering that this was the second in the list of 11 (till now), I guess, probably this is the book that formed the strong template for the other novels in the Harry hole series. It has everything that the rest of the series borrows into, probably the only few of the lot with actual deduction scope for Harry, the repeated twists towards the end which hurriedly try to hoodwink the reader and rest of the characters to believe that they’ve found the villain only to be fooled further and the James Bond like womanizing character of Harry, only change being, he really falls in love with the lady characters who only end up getting murdered, fueling his alcoholic rage. There is a racist undertone as well, which propagates across his other novels too, especially when it comes to referencing the only muslim character from Pakistan or the way the detailing about Thailand and Thai people being addressed in this novel. It may not be intentional and those characters could originally be factual representations of real life situations and people. But considering that as an author, he not only trashes the flesh trade industry of Thai but balances out by painting most of the perps as peads, who are Norwegians, makes the presentation ambiguous.
Is the intent and theme of the series, especially this novel, is to explore the dark underbelly of the forgotten people of the society? If that is the case, why make the setup all the way across to Thailand when the same can be based out of Oslo? In the first book, Bat, also similar dilemma arises. Nesbo goes to great details in explaining about the rainbow culture of Sydney and accepted racist lifestyles of Australians and their ill treatment to aborigines. While the latter part is mentioned at a fleeting reference, how aborigines misuse their freedom is explained in as much detailed manner possible. If one has to treat the novel as just another crime story with the setup in just another region, it may not mean much. But considering that from book 3 onwards his entire series rests and revolves around Oslo alone, makes one wonder, was it a forced change or where Australia and Thailand the only foreign countries Nesbo ever visited.
Story wise, it begins like an Oscar movie, tracing the backstory of an young girl, forced into flesh trade by her own parents. The casualness and the sheer lack of any melodrama in those portions lead to the first paragraph. Its constructed in a way as if, that is the accepted norm in Thai society. The girl’s customer, the Norwegian ambassador, ends up dead and enter Harry as the man of the moment to solve the case. Despite all the power struggles at home front and people being shady and not so forthcoming with information, the knotty thread of deceit and lies slowly untangle and ends in Harry knocking out the villain. There are some serious logic flaws in the investigation but all things considering that this is one of those novels, where harry actually does some investigation and deduction work, those loopholes can be forgiven. The storyline deals with nauseating setup of children being forced into this kind of unmentionables and thankfully Nesbo spares us of the details.
Gils verdict – unless you are binge reading the series, would never recommend this book. Boring for most part of it and singularly uninteresting set of characters. With this the 11 part series comes to end. I still have some more of Nesbo’s other novels to finish. Hope to find sometime down the line for them as well.
Is the intent and theme of the series, especially this novel, is to explore the dark underbelly of the forgotten people of the society? If that is the case, why make the setup all the way across to Thailand when the same can be based out of Oslo? In the first book, Bat, also similar dilemma arises. Nesbo goes to great details in explaining about the rainbow culture of Sydney and accepted racist lifestyles of Australians and their ill treatment to aborigines. While the latter part is mentioned at a fleeting reference, how aborigines misuse their freedom is explained in as much detailed manner possible. If one has to treat the novel as just another crime story with the setup in just another region, it may not mean much. But considering that from book 3 onwards his entire series rests and revolves around Oslo alone, makes one wonder, was it a forced change or where Australia and Thailand the only foreign countries Nesbo ever visited.
Story wise, it begins like an Oscar movie, tracing the backstory of an young girl, forced into flesh trade by her own parents. The casualness and the sheer lack of any melodrama in those portions lead to the first paragraph. Its constructed in a way as if, that is the accepted norm in Thai society. The girl’s customer, the Norwegian ambassador, ends up dead and enter Harry as the man of the moment to solve the case. Despite all the power struggles at home front and people being shady and not so forthcoming with information, the knotty thread of deceit and lies slowly untangle and ends in Harry knocking out the villain. There are some serious logic flaws in the investigation but all things considering that this is one of those novels, where harry actually does some investigation and deduction work, those loopholes can be forgiven. The storyline deals with nauseating setup of children being forced into this kind of unmentionables and thankfully Nesbo spares us of the details.
Gils verdict – unless you are binge reading the series, would never recommend this book. Boring for most part of it and singularly uninteresting set of characters. With this the 11 part series comes to end. I still have some more of Nesbo’s other novels to finish. Hope to find sometime down the line for them as well.
Comments
And yet, you have brought a writer to light through your multiple reviews and nicely illustrated the good and the not so good in his books. Well done Gils.