The Leopard [Paperback]

`The Leopard' is the new Jo Nesbo novel, and it's one I've been looking forward to immensely. However, I didn't expect it to be quite this length. Clocking in at over 600 hardback pages this is indeed a mighty beast. But: a) was it worth the wait?; b) is it too long?; and c) is it far-fetched? The answer to all three questions is an emphatic `Yes!' So why if it's too long and implausible at times have I given it five stars? Let me explain...

First of all, the book picks-up not too long after Jo's last translated novel `The Snowman' ended. His detective, Harry Hole has gone AWOL from the Oslo Crime Squad. He's still bearing the scars (both literally and figuratively) from that case and is `taking a break' in Hong Kong, where he's addicted to both opium and horse racing. A beautiful police detective, Kaja Solness, has been sent to locate him because his expertise is required in what appears to be another serial killer case back home. Harry initially refuses, but Kaja drops her bombshell: his father is seriously ill and in hospital. And... that's all I'm going to tell you about the plot. The naughty publishers give too much away in their book summary on the inner cover and reveal a big development that is a definite spoiler*.

Once again police corruption plays a major part: the Crime Squad is squaring-up to Kripos in a power struggle over who should handle major homicide cases. The head of Kripos - Bellman - is a fascinating and brilliantly detailed character; a real old-fashioned snake-in-the-grass. You will love to hate him.

The book is packed with plot twists, and in terms of quality/quantity of misdirection, the only guy who can compete with Nesbo is Jeffery Deaver. However, while Jeff's twists are more precision engineered - which is to say contrived - it shows: I love most of Mr Deaver's work, but Jo's plot reversals flow more naturally and `The Leopard' serves up plenty of them. Just when you think it's reached a climax, you notice there's still a third of the book to go and there are more explosive surprises to come - ratcheting-up the tension even further. As I mentioned earlier, it's not grounded in reality at times - but I would contend that at least 90% of all crime fiction is implausible to some extent, so it's not a problem for me.

Harry Hole shouldn't work on paper: he's tough, principled, unlucky in love... and an alcoholic: in other words a veritable walking cliché. Or at least he should be. But in the skilful hands of the author he's an absolutely riveting character - one of the most compelling in modern crime fiction - and so much more than the sum of his parts. He's 100% convincing and Nesbo makes the reader really care about him, and in this book he's put through the wringer more than ever before.

The novel could have used a stronger editor to remove 100 pages without diluting the impact - perhaps even strengthening it - but really, the book is so magnificent and Nesbo is so good that we'll forgive him; the plot scarcely drags more than a little - if at all, simply because there's so much going on in here. If you like a complex plot, `The Leopard' may be right up your street. In short, this is a tour de force of crime fiction: it is brutal and uncompromising and confirms once again that Jo Nesbo is right up there with the modern crime-writing greats, but I agree that it won't be to everyone's taste.

If this is your first novel by the author, I suggest you may be better off reading the earlier translations first (hell, buy and read ALL of them, they're great) as earlier cases - the `Snowman', the `Redbreast' - are referenced in here.

*Also ignore their claim that Nesbo is `the Next Stieg Larsson' (this quote, plastered on the front of the book, is taken from the 'Independent'). The publishers are cynically trying to maximise book sales: he's nothing like Larsson in either content or style - indeed the only common denominator is they're both Scandinavian. I happen to love the Millennium trilogy, but I believe Nesbo is the superior novelist.

'The Leopard' is the sixth in the series of Jo Nesbø's books which have been translated from Norwegian into English by Don Bartlett with the central character of Inspector Harry Hole of the Oslo Police.

I read 'The Leopard' immediately after finishing 'The Snowman' and although I felt 'The Snowman' could be read without necessarily reading the previous books, I do feel it will enhance a readers enjoyment to have read 'The Snowman' before 'The Leopard'.

We find that after being traumatised by events encountered in solving the serial killings in 'The Snowman', the story starts in Hong Kong where Harry fled after the Snowman case. Now he is not only battling against alcoholism but tackling drug abuse and gambling debts. He is persuaded to return to Oslo as his father is in hospital dying of cancer and his colleagues in Norway want his help investigating what appear to be unconnected murder cases.

This lengthy novel does bring in characters met in previous tales - former girlfriend Rakel is still very much in Harry's thoughts but there is an intriguing new female colleague, Kaja Solness; Katrine Bratt is still involved as is Bjørn Holm with his forensic expertise.

The plot is very complex taking many twists and turns. When this is coupled with Norwegian names and Nesbo's penchant for detailed description, it does mean you have to concentrate hard to ensure you follow all the deviations, so it's not the lightest of reading! Some of the descriptions of the murders committed left me reeling - how can someone have such a dark imagination?

I can endorse the opinion of another reviewer who mentions that you keep thinking you are reaching the climax to the story - only to find yourself back on the rollercoaster with a fair bit more of the story to complete.

This is a very good read and I will look forward to reading more by Nesbø in the future - certainly if you like your reading chilling and gruesome, this is a must have book for you.

Well, Nesbo is without doubt a rarefied talent. I am constantly amazed at the story lines this guy comes up with. Perhaps it is just me, but never have I felt so much part of the plot as I do with the books from this author. Somehow he manages to create the atmosphere and presence in a matter of lines, often even just a few words which it takes many others pages to achieve - I have never been to Oslo and yet I feel I know it like my own home town!

Seriously, if you have yet to discover Nesbo, read this book (or actually any of the Harry Hole series) I really do not think you will be disappointed.

An unheard of 5* from me; Absolutely Superb.