Tuesday 7 July 2015

Jo Nesbo: Phantom review

Harry Hole is back and he's on fine form! After the disappointment of Headhunters, my faith in Nesbo is fully restored by an excellent book, the seventh in the Oslo series.

Harry returns to Norway after three years, drawn by the news that Rakel's son, Oleg, is in serious trouble. Things haven't gone well for Oleg since Rakel kicked Harry out - he's a junkie, in love with a junkie, arrested for shooting another junkie. Can Hole find the real murderer?

Tuesday 31 March 2015

Jo Nesbo: Headhunters

I'm a big fan of the Harry Hole books so was curious about a standalone Nesbo novel, especially after the film of the book garnered so many good reviews. Well, folks, Headhunters is a letdown.

All the elements of a Nesbo are there - there are some good characters, some good ideas, a couple of very good scenes but the whole is unconvincing and downright clumsy at times.

Monday 23 February 2015

Penguin Little Black Classics

Someone at Penguin is on the ball - there's a new set of books out on the 26th February, the Little Black Classics - 80 small volumes at 80p, marking Penguin's 80th anniversary.

Skimming the list via the elegant Little Black Classics website, I see a good number that I don't already own and will definitely be grabbing. I have a fair number of the Penguin 60s set, much thumbed over the years on gloom-ridden train and bus rides (I do hate commuting and these are so easy to slip into a pocket).