This book just didn't do it for me. I normally love Jo Nesbo but this one was hard to get through. I wanted to love it but very long chapters and very long paragraphs made it hard to get into it and read it. I will definitely read more from this author but this one was difficult for me.

I have not read all of Jo Nesbo's books nor in the right order. So I was a little surprised to learn that Harry Hole had left the police to be a teacher. Nevertheless, you can read books in the order you want, without disturbing the reading or understanding of story.

In The Thirst, Harry is called, with a lot of pressure, to resume service to track down an individual whose crimes and violence reminds him of his nemesis, the one that has always escaped him. He therefore agrees to return to service, to finish this chapter of his life.

So we find the Harry we know but in a happier style than usual. Because Harry, for once, believes in the possibility of happiness. He is much more Zen and it changes but feels good.

About the crimes, as bloodthirsty and vampiric as possible, and the story, always as well put together, they will keep you on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end. Sure, it's not for the faint hearted what with the bloody details, but it's worth it. And what's more, I really liked being led by the nose by Jo, who, in a very Whodunit style, sows the clues, let us discover some protagonists's thoughts, lends them do some actions that can not be more suspicious, making me believe regularly that I had found the culprit. Ha ah! You wish!

In a nutshell

The Thirst... as in the thirst for violence, blood, revenge but also the thirst for tranquility and happiness. This is a good title that Jo Nesbo has found here for a good novel that's very captivating. A book for thirsty... of thrills!

I don't know what it is about this Scandinavian genre of crime fiction is so satisfying, Nesbo is in fitting company alongside Mankell or Larsson. Great read!

As someone who is completely unfamiliar with this series, I felt I was at a disadvantage. There were all of these subplots and character interactions that I didn't feel like I grasped 100%, so my experience fell a bit short. That being said, this is still a very well-written and engaging thriller. I was swept up in the chase from the beginning and could not put this book down. I really liked Harry's character; he is so flawed yet so perfect in his role as a detective. The mystery itself was really well executed and I enjoyed watching it all come together. All of the characters were well developed and I enjoyed finding out how everyone was connected, even if my understanding was superficial compared to that of a fan of the series. This novel has definitely shown me what I am missing, and you can bet that I will be getting myself into this series as soon as I possibly can!

2.5 star read.

I am a Harry Hole fan. I've enjoyed Jo Nesbo's books for several years, and was therefore excited to get an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley.

Oh Harry...

Perhaps the charm of Harry Hole has simply worn off ... or maybe it was more that I found Nesbo was trying too hard to create an ending that would leave you hanging ... thereby nicely setting up book 12.

If you've never read a Harry Hole novel - don't start with this one. You need to know the players and you need to have the backstory. Otherwise you might spend most of your time wondering who is who, rather than trying to figure out "who done it". This is a book that isn't standalone, and that having a relationship with the characters is pretty necessary.

If you have read Harry Hole before - this one is pretty "meh". The actual crime is super gory (and they go into quite a bit of detail) + there are several subplots (are they necessary??? not 100% convinced) + it almost felt frantic (too wordy, too overly descriptive where it wasn't necessary, and a lot of rush and repeat).

Overall - I love Harry and I really enjoy Jo Nesbo thrillers, but this one was just "ok" - the final twist was decent, hence a 2.5 rating rather than a 2 star one.

http://www.themysterysite.com/showreview.php?r_id=725
and the front page of the site for a while

This is a creepy, gripping, upsetting and fabulous crime novel by Nesbo who clearly knows what he is doing in this genre. Book eleven in a series, it is possible to read this book as a stand-alone and thoroughly enjoy it, but the feeling after the final words of the book was a desire to go right to the start and read all ten books that came before The Thirst.

We are introduced to a vast cast of characters who have their own quirks and foibles but seem human and real all at the same time. Harry Hole (pronounced Hoo-leh) is a retired detective working now in the Police Academy with a great reputation within the Oslo Police for finding the killer, sometimes using some rather unorthodox methods. Katrine Bratt is another character who takes a lead role in this book, as the newly minted Detective Inspector who is the lead detective in the investigation into the brutal murder of Elise Hermansen and was part of the team that worked with Hole when he was an active police officer. There are many other characters in this novel; both reoccurring and new that are introduced to the story line with little preamble. All of them weave a story that keeps the reader spellbound.

There is the twist for the reader of knowing exactly who the killer is early in the piece. The real suspense comes from waiting for the police to put the pieces together which takes relatively little time and then the race to capture the culprit before he strikes again. This is a fast paced book, taking little more than a week to go from the first murder to the final scenes, which are hypnotic. They are page turning and impossible to put down.

This is a fantastic book, even for those who do not often read the crime genre. It will keep you rapt from the first page to the end, and each twist comes as a surprise. And the ending clearly hints at another book to come in the series, that this story isn’t quite finished and filed away as tidily as the police department might wish to think. It’s all very exciting and the wait for the next book seems interminable.

Harry Hole is back - it's been a while and Harry is content, living with his beautiful wife Rakel, working as a lecturer at the Police college, and having battled his demons with alcohol. His life is about to be turned upside down, as he is pulled back into an investigation looking for a serial killer, who seems to be preying on women using a dating app. Meanwhile, his family life is in crisis with an unexplained medical problem leaving his wife in a coma. Jo Nesbo is a brilliant crime writer and does not disappoint in this latest Harry Hole thriller. The storyline has twists and turns right up to the last minute. This story is gory - and Nesbo does not hold back on details of the horrific killings by a 'vampire' killer. But it is also populated with such interesting and complex characters. One can only hope that Nesbo has not finished with this wonderful character, and has perhaps introduced someone new for future reads!

Did not finish. It just not for me. Thank you for the opportunity.

Really enjoyed the book. well written, and great story. Full review with be sent in a few days,

via www.BelindaWitzenhausen.com

Jo Nesbo returns with The Thirst, the eleventh instalment of the legendary Harry Hole series.

Three years after retiring from the police force Harry is leading a seemingly “normal life”. He is now happily married with a family and is a professor at the local police academy. For once Harry is content with his life and finally feels a sense of belonging. When a horrendous murder draws Harry back to his former profession it ends up putting his new life is at risk. A female user of the popular dating app Tinder is found dead in her apartment, her body drained of blood. When more bodies appear, the police fear the worse. When Harry realises that the perpetrator is “the one that got away” he is determined to put an end to the murderer’s reign of terror and pursues his white whale.

I loved The Thirst, although somewhat gruesome, there is an intensity to the plot that leaves you on the edge of your seat and guessing to the very end. Well written it draws the reader in, taking them on one roller coaster of a read. Nesbo has created characters that are complex yet relatable on some levels, and you instantly root for them to pull through. Considering this is the eleventh book in the series, I liked the fact that the backstory is given without it overwhelming the reader.

In my opinion, The Thirst is a book you want to read with the lights on and I’m sure it will be enjoyed by both new readers and long-time fans of Nesbo.

Welcome back Harry Hole!

This a brilliantly crafted, dark, gritty thriller that takes us on a hunt for a sadistic serial killer with a taste for blood and causes Harry to come face-to-face with some of the demons that haunt him.

The writing is seamless, precise and vivid. The characterization is spot on with characters that are driven, selfish and flawed, including the tough and tenacious Harry Hole whose greatest struggles persistently involve his own addictions and obsessions. And the plot is a twisty, violent, tension-filled thrill ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning and will definitely leave you speechless by the end.

Once again Nesbo has proven that when it comes to writing clever, gripping, fast-paced police procedurals with exquisite character development and spine-chilling storylines he’s one of the best.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Before I get too far into this review, I just want to clarify that I have not read the other books in this series. I think this book was good enough on its own, but without knowing how it would be with the rest of the books, I can't say for certain that it is a series that can be read out of order or individually.

This book follows the investigation of is a serial killer who targets women on Tinder dates. While there are some intense moments where we get the story in the killer's POV, most of the story focuses on the investigation side of things and the office politics. There are multiple POVs, all third person and ranging from detectives, doctors, a bartender and the women on the dates.

I will tell you right now that if you are looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller, you will not find it with this book. It is a well-crafted story, don't get me wrong, but it is an intentionally slow burn that makes full use of its 500+ pages. And the story isn't really about the murders, it's more about the people trying to solve them.

The characters to me were decent, I think in reading the series as a whole and in order I would have developed a greater connection with them. In this book, though, the focus isn't really one character development, by book 11 I think it's assumed to have taken care of by now. I didn't think that took much away from the story; previous relationships were described well enough to see character connections and I'm not sure knowing the full background of every character is necessary for making this a good book because the main plot wasn't really about the police characters.

This book definitely had the creepy, terrifying elements down. The murders are very "it could have been me" situations which gave that little bit extra creep factor.

I will say that the culprit behind everything was extremely unlikely but at the same time I can totally see it. Throughout the book, we get the POV of the murderer but as things develop, the story shows that it is much more dynamic and twisted than it seemed at first glance.

This was my first Nesbø and I can definitely see what all the hype is about. He was able to weave a brilliant story that kept me on the edge of my seat.

My only complaint would be the length/pacing of this book. It is a slow-burn, which I was fine with, but by the end of Part Two, I realized that this book wasn't so much about finding the murderer as it was about the investigators. In the end, I see why that was, but while reading it, I found that that was the point where I thought it would be over.

Overall, a well-crafted story with an unexpected plot.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Jo Nesbø, and Random House Canada for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

The reader can always expect a treat when Harry Hole re-emerges on the written page. Nesbø's latest novel is no exception. While Nesbø has taken his protagonist on many a wild ride, there is always something sinister and dark that pulls the reader (and the jaded murder detective) back into the mix. As the novel opens, a woman is on a date in a local watering hole, having trusted the swipe-match benefits of Tinder. When things do not go as planned, she returns to her flat, seemingly alone. However, someone lurks in the shadows, attacking her before leaving a dead body with a distinct mark. When Oslo Police begin their investigation, they cannot help but wonder if this mark, along the neck, could have been left by... a vampire? When another body turns up and there are no concrete leads, a familiar name begins being bandied about as a possible lifeline to solving the case. Harry Hole is now an instructor within the Police College, happy to lecture and discuss the former profession that brought him much satisfaction, but also fuelled his worst nightmares and led to his downward spiral into a personal abyss. Agreeing to run a parallel investigation, Hole begins looking into the murders, which hold a very unique and possible fetishistic curiosity. As Hole digs deeper, his recollections of being a part of the police return, more intense than ever, though he also cannot dismiss the angst brought on by certain of his colleagues. When a personal emergency strikes, Hole must find the time to piece of the shattered pieces, which not letting the case disintegrate. A suspect comes to mind and Hole does all he can to bring them to justice, entering a violent confrontation. The evidence is all there, as Hole learns more about the dark world of vampirism. However, with such an open and shut case, questions remain as to whether the hunt for answers and the prime suspect will survive the 'light of day'. A powerful thriller that steeps a narrative in the usual dark aspects. Nesbø fans will devour this piece and there are sure to be new fans coming out of the woodwork.

I have long been a fan of the European mystery and thriller genres, specifically those which emerge from the Scandinavian countries. I find that they are not only better crafted, but offer the reader a richer sense of the narrative while filled with dark twists. Nesbø has proven that he not only has a handle on the genre, but that he is able to push his protagonist well past the point of no return. As Harry struggles, the reader follows suit, wishing for some happy outcome, only to be led away from the easy solution. Nesbø tells a dark story, tapping into the still-buzzworthy 'vampire' theme, but does not inject that Hollywood flavour, choosing instead to flirt with the obsessive dark side of bloodlust and all things 'haemo'. While the reader synthesises this, Nesbø pushes past storylines into the present piece and forces the reader to balance multiple tasks. Rich in its character development as well, the reader draws close to some individuals who grace the page, while hoping others will meet their match. I remain in awe of the high calibre of the writing, especially as the story has been translated into English. I have often commented that if the piece can hold strong after it has been linguistically altered, imagine the force behind the original Norwegian presentation.

Kudos, Mr. Nesbø for another impressive novel. I have a die-hard fan and you are still able to push me in directions I could not have seen coming.

This is vintage Harry Hole with a bit of a new twist. I love the addition of Harry's adopted son, Oleg as a brilliant counterpart to his crusty father and the hinted at romantic interlude with a colleague allowed the readers to see a sweeter side of Harry.
At first, the disputation scenario seemed a big far-fetched and out of the blue, but in the end it wrapped up nicely with the thrilling climax. It's also nice to note that there is more than enough material for another Harry Hole mystery.

Jo Nesbo is truly the master of this genre.
In Thirst, Harry Hole comes back to work to solve a case he can’t turn down. After a few books into a series with a flawed detective, some writers run out of places to go. But Nesbo continues to grow the character of Harry Hole, not just taking him further down the same roads we’ve already seen.
As with the rest of Nesbo’s books, the Norwegian setting is key. The Norwegian street names, the characters heading off to go skiing, and Nesbo’s descriptions of the countryside near Oslo is almost like a trip to Norway.
In Nesbo’s usual style, the plot moves quickly, and not in the way a reader will expect. However, he always leaves enough bread crumbs behind that the twists and turns make sense in hindsight.
Readers who haven’t read the last Harry Hole novel recently may have a hard time settling in to this novel. Characters are dropped in the action with little background or introduction, and readers with a poor memory may flail for a while before they find their footing. Once you get on the trail, you’ll find it was worth your while.

This is the 11th in the superlative Harry Hole mystery series set in Oslo, Norway. And while Jo Nesbo has always been very hard on Harry, he takes it to new levels this time.

Harry is blackmailed out of the contentment he's finally achieved with Rakel to participate in an investigation tracking down a particularly horrific serial killer ... a vampirism. Nesbo twists his plot again and again, escalating both action and suspense to a stunning conclusion.

Absolutely not to be missed!

I dont read mystery & thrillers all that often but when I do, I always seem to pick the perfect novel.
You cannot imagine how excited I was to see that Harry Hole was back! I was so sure that Jo Nesbø had decided to move on to other things after the last book but thankfully I was wrong and here is Harry called back from his quiet job as a college lecturer to chase the one who got away.

Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to preview this book. It seems like a long time since I joined Harry and the gang. Usual twists and turns. Seems like #12 is on the way. Recommended.

Book # 11 in the Harry Hole series

Our unorthodox detective is back, facing another killer, one that will remind him of an old nemesis in his past. In this chilling and emotionally charged mystery Harry is drawn back to the Oslo police force and soon is on the tail of a serial killer working the streets and targeting people using the online dating service, Tinder.

This is a crime fiction at its best: gritty, atmospheric, violent and gripping. “The Thirst” is top notch writing and one of the bloodiest novels written by Mr. Nesbo. I was immediately drawn into a dark police investigation and as the layers slowly revealed themselves I was not only caught up in a cat-and- mouse chase but also in a twisted and breathless journey into the mind of a depraved killer. What a razor-sharp and masterfully plotted “The Thirst” is. Not to forget the vivid and wonderful although rather complex characters that populate the pages, what more can we wish for.

OK, this novel is brutally violent and the story is laced with melancholy but take it from me this is one gripping white-knuckle ride that deploys all the key ingredients of a cracking good thriller: Tension expertly ratcheted upwards, effortlessly shifting objectives and scenery and a tempo that will outpace our ability to guess the outcome. What an ending…..

I received this ARC for review from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalleys