The Devil's Star

by Jo Nesbø
452 pgs  (Harry Hole series #5)

The Devil's Star is the fifth installment in Norwegian author Jo Nesbø's crime series featuring detective Harry Hole. This time Harry is brought out of his alcohol-infused stupor to track down a serial killer in Oslo.

It begins when a young woman is found shot dead in her apartment. One of her fingers has been severed and a red star-shaped diamond is discovered under one of her eyelids. Five days later an actress goes missing. When her finger arrives at the police station wearing a ring with a red star-shaped diamond, Harry realizes more victims will likely follow. Sure enough, with the precision timing Scandinavians are known for, they do.

But finding and stopping the killer isn't the only thing Harry's trying to do. He's also trying to expose one of his colleagues, Tom Waaler, whom Harry believes is behind many of the illegal weapons being smuggled into Oslo. He also believes Waaler was behind the killing of Harry's former partner.

For those not familiar with the series, this one's probably not the one to start with. Not because it's not a good book. It's as good, if not better than it's four predecessors. But a reader would be better served getting to know Harry and his tumultuous life through the earlier books before reading The Devil's Star. It's also important to know the backstory between him and Waaler.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆