The Son

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

"This is an excellent novel."
--Margaret Cannon, CBC Books

"The Son is one of [Nesbo's] best books yet."
--The Globe and Mail

"An operatic tale of bloody revenge, redemption and love, and it is really an outstanding read. . . . Wades right into the dark and primal side of human nature, good versus evil, the need for revenge."
--q, CBC Radio
 
"[Nesbo] brings a strong male punk rock swagger to his writing--The Son, his new stand-alone thriller, pulses with aggressive energy and splattering ultra-violence. . . . The twists and turns are bold and surprising. Nesbo delivers a revved-up, entertaining red harvest, another guaranteed hit from a forceful thriller machine."
--Los Angeles Times
 
"A deftly plotted novel that probes the deepest mysteries: sin, redemption, love, evil, the human condition. . . . One of Nesbo's best, deepest and richest novels, even without Harry Hole."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
"The pace of the novel is fast, the characters (especially Inspector Kefas) complex and well drawn, and the plot smart and tricky. . . . Exposition is sparing and effective and never bogs down the action."
--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Nesbo is great at rapidly sketching the kind of juicy characters, peripheral or not, that propel an already fast-moving story forward at a pleasing pace. . . . Nesbo's writing style is visually arresting as always. . . . In a novel that's both deadly serious and seriously sentimental, Nesbo ably rides the slimmest of lines between humanity's uglier mug and unusual manners of redemption."
--The Boston Globe
 
"Rock star turned writer, Nesbo is one of the most promising Nordic crime novelist in a crowded list, acclaimed for his series following detective Harry Hole. The Son, however, is a stand-alone work.... It's revenge porn at its grisliest."
--New York Post
 
"This mystery is pure Nesbo--complex with a dim view of human nature and the morality of human beings. . . . It's great Nesbo." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"A terrific, blood-soaked, multi-stranded revenge thriller. . . . This exhilarating tale of retribution grips from the opening lines. . . . Nesbo shows his total mastery of the thriller genre, confidently weaving his unrelenting, roller-coaster storyline with heart-stopping action amid scenes of genuine pathos and passion. Time and again, Nesbo leaves his readers reeling. . . . There is not one false step in Nesbo's novel. His complex, fully realised characters all resonate, vividly coming to life (and often dying) on the page thanks to telling, often haunting descriptions, crisp, credible dialogue, and bold, inspired pacing. He is unafraid to introduce moments of sudden stillness and real emotional power."
--South China Morning Post
 
"Complex and sophisticated. . . . Moving."
--London Evening Standard
 
"It's easy to see why Nesbo's work has been such a global success with his clear gift for hairpin twists and turns. . . . So tightly plotted that it will keep readers steadfastly glued to their seat. . . .  The deftly written book is kept briskly paged by Nesbo's punchy writing style and spot-on ear for dialogue. . . . The novel is for fans of smart, sophisticated and multilayered crime. . . . Nesbo doesn't disappoint."
--Daily Life (Australia)

"Nesbo's new book makes all the hype before publication seem like false modesty, and is quite simply a fantastic piece of crime literature. . . . First and foremost, this is a clever, enthralling and driven story that is impossible to put down."
--Dagens Næringsliv (Norway)

"Yet another powerful demonstration of Nesbo's talent for creating a story that plays on all nerve strands and with so much intensity that it embodies both the Bible and Batman at once. It is really well done. It is still early in the year, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone should dub The Son as the crime novel of the year."
--Ekstra Bladet (Denmark)

"The pace proves to be on top in the new book, in a positive sense. This remains Norwegian crime literature in a class by itself. A plot that stretches and spreads out like great mathematical formulas, with many unfamiliar characters in the equation, but without being arcane or excessive in his fantastic interpretations. . . . Jo Nesbo prevails once again."
--Dagsavisen (Norway)

"The Son is a modern take on the story about Christ, that tackles the corruption in Oslo. . . . Jo Nesbo's writing is incredible as usual."
--Jyllands-Posten (Denmark)

"Tremendously well written by Nesbo. . . . There is something unstoppably vital about Jo Nesbo as a designer of crime stories in the baroque style. His pen is on fire and although it may be noted that it goes too fast sometimes linguistically, the stories he creates has so many staggering twists and turns that it is almost physically impossible not to get hooked."
--Aftenposten (Norway)
 
"Crime novels are rarely so skillfully told and at the same time so much more than pure entertainment. But Nesbo is a master."
--Berlingske (Denmark)

"No Norwegian crime writer can create such complex crime plots without losing in detail like Nesbo can. You might say that Nesbo is both high and low in his texts, and that is one of the main reasons why they rise above most other novels in this genre."
--Dagbladet (Norway)

"It is a formidable, diabolically clever and devilishly good book that is well put together down to the smallest detail."
--Nordjyske Stiftstidene (Denmark)

"When the core is set and the story takes its pace, it is propelled with great force and an unerring sense of detail, dialogue and for where intervals and scene changes should be located. It is simply thrilling to read."
--NRK (Norway)

"Fast-paced and rip-roaring suspenseful."
--Politiken (Denmark)
 
"No one at our latitudes knows the game like Nesbo does. No one is even close to his craftsmanship in writing crime novels that hold such international standard."
--Adresseavisen (Norway)

"A high level of suspense all the way and limitless brutality. The bad guys get what they deserve and Nesbo's writing is almost more cynical and concrete than usual. There are also a few love stories along the way that--almost--end happily."
--Lolland-Falsters Folketidende (Denmark)