Reviews for Nemesis

The average rating for Nemesis based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-06-10 00:00:00 Troy Chupp The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The Good. Jo Nesbo's surly and reclusive Norwegian detective Harry Hole (pronounced Hooleh) is back in 2002's Nemesis. Nesbo established Hole in The Bat and Cockroaches and then produced a phenomenal novel with his 2000 novel The Redbreast - one the genre's best, akin to Stieg Larsson in narrative quality. Hole is engaged to investigate a bank robbery that went wrong, resulting in the death of a bank teller. A wider network of evil is uncovered and Hole is heavily tasked when he is implicated in one of the murders that follows. Nesbo's writing is the Good in this series. Like noir writers of the past, Nesbo can blend crime elements with a dark, somber setting and hold it all together with introspective and observant contemplations on a variety of subjects. Hole, through Nesbo, is an astute observer of human nature, society and the meaning of life. In Hole, Nesbo has created one of Nordic Noir's most endearing and charismatic players. Nemesis is about Blood Revenge and Vendetta and this theme is especially successful in the Nordic Noir setting. Nesbo introduces some very interesting Gypsy characters that add further depth and intrigue to this leitmotif. Add in recurring neo-fascist antagonist Tom Waaler to the mix and this is a delicious concoction. The Bad. I have a theory about some American Football coaches who are given the ominous label of "genius". In a game situation if a certain play is expected or obvious, they will choose a different set. So if the offensive line and the running back have been chewing up yards all game, and they need 2 yards for a first down - he calls a weird pass play and fails. Why did you not go with the certain play??? Dance with the girl you brought to the party! So, after the very, very good The Redbreast Nesbo follows up with the ambitious but narratively overcomplicated Nemesis. There is A LOT going on in this book, a murder investigation, Hole's alcoholism, Hole's possibility as a suspect, sub-plots, internal police intrigue, etc etc. The focused, relentless action in Redbreast was lacking, this was all over the place. Nesbo, no doubt trying to recreate his great success with Redbreast, outsmarted himself, jumped the shark and got too fancy. The Ugly. Darkly charismatic, wounded protagonist - ruthless and corrupt recurring antagonist - some sub-plots to come back to and have fun with - Nesbo could be sliding into a soap opera series. This would not be the worst thing in the world, I'll still read it and clearly millions of fans world wide will as well, but Nesbo is too talented to settle for just a series. Also, this is beginning to remind me of the 70s TV show Mannix, where it becomes commonplace for the hero to get the snot beat out of him in every episode. No doubt Hole is a tough customer, but he may also be the subject of a sadistic formula. Overall. Nemesis is another demonstration of Nesbo's remarkable talent, and Hole is a crime fiction hero fans can enjoy revisiting again and again.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-09-27 00:00:00 John Doe Yet another series I keep pushing through, hoping it will get better because I have heard so many good things. This one fell completely flat. The story was disjointed. I didn't understand the relationships between the characters. Most of the time I had no idea what was going on or why. I understood the resolution, but I don't think I cared anymore. I spent the last 200 pages or so on autopilot feeling like it ended about 20 times but at the same time feeling like it was never going to end. I will probably keep giving this series a shot because I still hope for a positive shift, but I am quickly losing hope!