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Yvonne was born,
raised and educated in
the Detroit, Michigan
area. Her working
career was spent
in the Information
Technology sector,
retiring from
C o m p u w a r e
Corporation as
Managing Director.
Yvonne has
traveled extensively
throughout Europe, the Mediterranean
and Caribbean. She enjoys following her
favorite sports teams and roots for the
Detroit Lions!
The Knife by Jo Nesbo
Book Review by Yvonne Mott
If you have never read Jo Nesbo, this novel
is a good selection of the classic Nordic author’s
flair for detail as he provides a spinning tale of
murder, mystery and deceit.
His style is not a traditional straight forward
account of facts, but he weaves a rather veiled
trail of numerous clues
leading to the climax of
his novels. The reader
needs to adjust to Nesbo’s
writing style, which
tends to jump around
a bit but never loses its
main thread. The reader
needs to be patient as
the quality, intrigue and
multiple mysterious
details shine through
to mark Joe Nesbo as a
brilliant and imaginative
storyteller. He maintains
this style while developing his characters and
using them throughout many of his novels.
Jo Nesbo’s latest murder mystery requires his
primary protagonist Harry Hole to conjure up
all his intuitive detective skills and considerable
investigative experiences to catch the murderer
of his beloved wife Rakel! The Knife is a major
departure from script for Nesbo who in previous
Harry Hole novels kept main characters
appearing in subsequent episodes.
Rakel, the love of Harry’s life, was the fountain
that sustained him. Her son Oleg, from a previous
marriage, was loved by Harry as if he were Harry’s
own. However, as we know from previous Harry
Hole sagas, Harry is an often recovering alcoholic.
So, when Harry falls off the wagon after his last
murder case results in threats to Rakel and Oleg,
Rakel asks Harry for a separation.
The Knife begins with a scene in a wildlife
store with a man buying a camera to watch
for an animal frequenting his remote cabin.
The store has a live camera feed on a stretch
of river in order to catch the spring spawning
run of trout and salmon. The camera catches a
flashback event that conditions an astute reader
for a future thrilling event.
Chapter 2 introduces Svein Finne, a
psychopathic serial rapist/killer whose sole
purpose in life is to impregnate as many women
as he can to bear children to continue his genes.
If they attempt to end their pregnancy, he kills
them. Harry had previously arrested Finne but
after serving 20 years Finne had been released
and disappeared from the police radar.
Enter Katrine Britt the head of Crime Squad
and who also had a brief fling with Harry. Harry
had been suspended from the department due
to his preference for Jim Beam but was now
trying to convince Katrine to give him a high
profile murder case in order for him to get back
to meaningful police work.
Katrine now has the dubious duty to inform
Harry of Rakel’s murder! As Harry begins to
absorb the reality of Rakel’s death he realizes
that as her estranged husband he is a prime
suspect for her murder. Katrine’s husband,
Bjorn a fellow detective, had rescued Harry from
a drunken bender at the local pub the night of
Rakel’s murder and therefore helped establish
an alibi for Harry. Harry begins to wonder if
in some drunken state he may have actually
committed such a terrible act. Harry calls Oleg
to inform him of Rakel’s death; Oleg catches the
next flight to meet Harry.
Harry then visits the crime scene, the home
where he lived with Rakel and Oleg before their
separation. Bjorn is there and walks Harry
through the crime scene details even though
they both know this is not acceptable procedure
for a suspended detective. Bjorn explains the
cause of death was multiple knife wounds
with the murder weapon possibly being a
knife missing from the kitchen rack. Harry tells
Bjorn about the hidden wildlife camera he had
installed in the tree behind Rakel’s house, but
they find it destroyed on the ground below the
tree. Harry wonders if Svein Finne may be back
and trying to settle an old score with Harry, one
in which Harry had shot and killed Finne’s son
who was also a psychopathic killer.
At Rakel’s funeral Harry meets Roar Bohr,
Rakel’s previous job supervisor and finds him
a bit suspicious. Harry is also consoled by an
ex-lover, Kaja Solness, who invites him to come
and visit her. The list of possible jealous lovers
or revengeful suspects is growing. Harry goes to
see Kaja, who was once a murder detective, to
seek her advice as to what she thought a motive
for Rakel’s murder might be. Kaja had recently
returned from a tour of Afghanistan and knew
Roar Bohr to be a special forces, covert operator.
Apparently Bohr becomes attached and
protective of women with whom he worked.
Harry visits an old friend, Stale Aune, a
psychologist who had worked on many murder
cases with him. Harry hoped Aune could help
him recover any suppressed memories he may
have about Rakel’s murder. He also contacts
Alexandra Sturdza who had previously helped
him compare DNA samples of Svein with old
murder and rape cases. Alexandra invites him
over; however, Harry avoids involvement and
leaves after Alexandra provides some very
enlightening DNA evidence.
Harry invites Kaja Solness to visit the crime
scene with him. Together they discuss motives
for Rakel’s murder and potential suspects, with
Roar Bohr being considered as he and Rakel had
exchanged numerous phone calls on the days
before her murder. They search for the missing
murder weapon and the memory card from the
destroyed wildlife camera. The discovery of the
memory card provides a timeline for the murder
but the shadowy images cannot identify the
perpetrator, or perpetrators!
Harry visits the Jealousy Bar, an
establishment he previously owned and still
frequents. His best childhood friend, Oystein
Eikeland, tends bar and enjoys the same rock
and roll legends as Harry. The new owner,
Ringdal, offers condolences and informs Harry
that he had asked Rakel, who had previously
worked at the bar, to stay on as chairperson.
After discovering that Rakel had visited Ringdal
in regards to selling him some special bar glasses
Harry decides to dive deeper into Ringdal’s
involvement. Harry secretly enters Ringdal’s
house and finds disturbing clues to Rakel’s
presence there.
Harry is an audiophile with a large collection
of vinyl albums. He listens to the likes of
Prince, Marvin Gaye and the Ramones. He is
obsessive in the manner in which he manages
his collection, sorting them by artist and date
of purchase. When he decides to listen to the
newest Ramones album, a gift from his friend
Bjorn, he finds a blood stained knife tucked
between the covers of the collection. Now
Harry begins to think he may be suffering some
unconscious involvement in Rakel’s murder
resulting from his alcoholism or previous drug
abuse. He begins a downhill spiral into thinking
he needs to spare Oleg the unthinkable fact
that he Harry may have killed Oleg’s mother. He
begins to plan a suicide that would appear to be
an accidental death.
Now the novel rewinds to the opening chapter
where the wildlife camera has captured a scene
whereby a car is being spun through the river
rapids like a rubber raft. Harry had planned his
suicide by a car and truck accident but changed
his mind at the last minute only to have his car
veer off into the river. Harry survives the river
plunge and makes his way back home. Harry
contacts Alexandra to get final DNA results from
her research. The surprising results give Harry all
the evidence he needs to solve Rakel’s murder!
However, just when the reader is amazed by
the brilliance at which Harry deduced the who
and why Rakel was murdered, Nesbo devotes the
remaining chapters of his novel to Harry’s wellconceived
plan to protect the ones he loves, and
meet out street justice to those who would harm
the innocent!
While the ending is bitter sweet, this Harry
Hole novel keeps the reader thoroughly involved
to its final chapter! ☐
No. 138 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. p.31
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