Police

Police is the tenth installment in Jo Nesbø's Norwegian crime series featuring Detective Harry Hole. A serial killer targets police officers in Oslo, drawing them to locations of their past unsolved cases before murdering them in brutal fashion. The investigation forces the Oslo police department to revisit cold cases while simultaneously protecting their own ranks from an exceptionally calculating killer. The novel builds complex layers of tension as the police realize they must solve both past and present crimes to stop the murders. The narrative moves between multiple perspectives and timeframes, exploring the psychological toll of unsolved cases on those sworn to protect and serve. Police examines themes of justice, revenge, and the weight of professional failure through the lens of law enforcement officers confronting their own vulnerabilities.

Readers describe Police as a complex, tension-filled addition to the Harry Hole series with numerous plot twists and multiple storylines that converge. Readers appreciated: - Intricate plotting and misdirection - Detailed police procedural elements - Character development of returning cast - Multiple perspectives that build suspense - The dark atmosphere of Oslo Common criticisms: - Too many subplots make it hard to follow - Violence level feels excessive to some - Length (550+ pages) with slow sections - Requires knowledge of previous books - Some plot points strain credibility Ratings: Goodreads: 4.16/5 (45,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (2,800+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.1/5 (500+ ratings) Reader quote: "Complex to the point of confusion at times, but the payoff is worth it" - Goodreads reviewer Another notes: "The violence goes beyond what's necessary for the story" - Amazon review

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★ "Police" (2013) is the tenth book in Jo Nesbø's internationally acclaimed Harry Hole series, which has been translated into over 50 languages. ★ Before becoming a bestselling crime writer, Jo Nesbø was a professional football player and a stockbroker, and he still performs as the lead vocalist of the Norwegian rock band Di Derre. ★ The novel's setting, Oslo Police Headquarters, is based on the real Victoria terrasse building, which has a dark history as the Gestapo's headquarters during Nazi occupation of Norway. ★ The Harry Hole character was named after an American exchange student Nesbø met in Australia, though the pronunciation in Norwegian is quite different from the English "hole." ★ The book's themes of police corruption and institutional memory were partly inspired by real Norwegian cases, including the infamous NOKAS robbery investigation of 2004.