The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo

Author : The Devil's Star
Title : Jo Nesbo
Published : 2003
Publisher : Vintage
Pages : 544
Genre : Crime / Thriller

     A young woman is murdered in her flat and a tiny red diamond in the shape of a five-pointed star is found behind her eyelid. Detective Harry Hole is assigned to the case, alongside his long-time adversary Tom Waaler and initially wants no part in it. But Harry is already on his final warning and has little alternative but to drag himself out of his alcoholic stupor when it becomes apparent that Oslo has a serial killer on its hands.

     Jo Nesbo is by far one of my favorite authors, he manages to work his magic around the long crime fiction novel. He is also an author whose books I never quite seem to be able to read in any sort of order. I think it didn't help first seeing his work in the local book store, so as you would imagine it was the latest in the series then I skipped about a bit. I think If I had started off with his very first books I may have been a little dubious as to continuing with the series. But his books set in his home country are really where these works come to life. So jumping into the fifth in the series I realized that for me at least this was where the books started to feel at home for me. 

     When coming into The Devil's Star Harry is in the depths of that dark past that I had only glimpsed at in the later novels. Witnessing someone in the depths of alcoholism is especially hard. For me I have seen it up close and personal more times than I would care to have. For his part, the way this author sets it out and delvers the character felt too much like my own experience. At least Harry has the ingrained mental capacity to try and solve the case thrown at his feet.  Along the way, I got to see how when presented with certain facts people will to often jump to the most obvious conclusion even if it all seems so absurd. As the reader, it is all to easily done. The author is a master at leading us by the nose this way and that in his merry little game. For me being well established with this cast of misfits was a defiantly a help, as he never really gives much pages space to catch us up. But when you are the fifth book into a series I guess he would expect you to have some basic knowledge.  But with this said you will get your own grip on Harry and fellow police officers in no time. 

     As for the plot, it always astounds me how yet another serial killer in the heart of Oslo can bring such intrigue and curiosity on my part. You would have thought every angle had been covered by Nesbo and the other Norwegian authors. But once again he shines a new light on to an old crime. He has built a world that leads me down so many new alleys and to the depths of the human mind. I think at times I should question my liking of such novels. But then I figure what the heck and go back to the next chapter. What I will say for Nesbo is that his books are never the most bloody of descriptions. He manages to set my imagination on fire with merely hints and at times a more clinical approach to his crime scenes. I particularly like the way he approaches the occult and devils worship within these pages. It never felt like a cliche or that it was played for laughs. It is by far more a grounded approach and tied in well not only with the story he set out to tell me. But also the way in which Harry's alcohol addled mind was at work here. Overall he once again won me over with his subtle way of telling the most vicious of tales. 

     When coming back to a very established series I always find it difficult to know what to put into a review.  I can rave about how great it is and if you have already dipped your toe into this world you will smile to your self with that knowing way. If you have not, on the other hand, I would highly suggest giving it a go. Ether with this one or any of the ones that come after it. The plot will twist and turn your mind so many times in the hunt for a killer. But will also give you a little more to think about, as the best crime fiction always does.