Another novel set in Norway, where the main protagonist, Harry Hole, must find a serial killer, someone who leaves behind clues, like a severed finger or a five pointed star, seemingly to mock and confuse the police. Harry is typically morose, unhappy with his life, especially his love interest, Rakel and her son, and to make matters worst, he must work under Chief Detective Tom Waaler, whom Harry was convinced, was responsible for the killing of his partner in the last novel. Besides the story of the tracking down of this serial killer, Harry must deal with his suspicions, confirmed as the novel progresses, of the vigilantism of Waaler. As Harry gets closer and closer to the killer, Waaler takes over and is stopped just short of shooting the suspect, a drug dealer, who we later find, has secretly been working with Waaler, bringing in guns and making money to support his vigilante group. Sound confusing? Anyways, the serial killer plot seems almost secondary, as we find that the first victims' husband, a producer of plays, Wilhem Barli, has produced and directed all the killings, to cover the murder of his unfaithful wife, a bit far fetched I suppose, even if you do buy that he hid his wife's body in his water bed! As things come to a head, Waaler realizes that Harry has proof of his vigilante workings, kidanps Harry's lover's son, Olaf (we know this is coming, but not Harryy), holding him as hostage. All's well that ends well, as Harry crushes Waaler in a life, confronts the 'serial killer', Wilhelm Barli, who realizes the game is up, in his last dramatic gesture, flings himself naked, off the roof.
In Harry's final meeting with the head of Kripos (The National Criminal Investigation Service), we are left wondering if the unnamed chief may also have been connected with Waaler's vigilante activities, as he seems inordinately interested in Waaler's's last words. Perhaps the beginning of the next novel. Like many of the recent mysteries I have been reading, character and setting are just as interesting if not more so than plot. The endings rarely are satisfying, perhaps the most difficult part of writing a great mystery...it must seem plausible and prepared for.
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