Often I will put books on hold with the library and they all tend to come in at once – or in a very short time period.  This is what is happening right now.  I’ve had many items on hold for months which have started to arrive.  First I got Phantom by Jo Nesbø.  I was thrilled to read another Harry Hole story, but I was very disappointed with the ending.

A couple of days after Phatom arrived, The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen showed up.  It’s funny how dissimilar these two books are, in spite of both involving police, being set somewhat geographically close to one another, and being very fast reads.  I knew when I started Phantom that I was in for some serious story.  Harry Hole is an intensely serious character and continues to remain ultra-driven even though he is no longer a police officer.  Of course he has to since – Oleg is in trouble.  Oleg is Rakel’s son and under other circumstances would be Harry’s son, or step-son.  Oleg has become a junkie and is accused of killing another junkie, so Harry has come back to Oslo from Bangkok  to investigate Oleg’s case.

When I read The Absent One, I found myself chuckling at various points.  While the story is fairly intense with despicable bad guys, Detective Carl Mørck is surrounded by a much zanier crew than Harry has access to.  Another  way in which these books are dissimilar is that Harry’s series is nearing its end.  It’s obvious from the ending of Phantom that Harry doesn’t have many books left.  Whereas Carl seems like he has the stamina to stick around awhile.  I’m really curious to see how his and Hardy’s relationship will grow.  I also want to learn more about Assad.   And I finished The Absent One with a smile, rather than a groan.

Phantom

By Jo Nesbø ; translated by Don Bartlett

Place: Publisher & Year: New York: Alfred A Knopf 2011, translation copyright 2012

Series: Harry Hole; 9

Format: Hardback

ISBN: 9780307960474

Audience: Adult

Number of pages: 378

Setting:  Oslo, Norway

Time period: Contemporary

Genres:  Mystery, police procedural, Scandinavian noir, thriller, crime thriller, suspense

Subject headings:

From Pima County Public Library:

Hole, Harry (Fictitious character) — Fiction.

Police — Norway — Oslo — Fiction.

Oslo (Norway) — Fiction.

Large type books.

Mystery fiction.

Diversity – junkies, Russian crime boss, Norwegians, alcoholic

The Absent One

By Jussi Adler-Olsen; translated by K.E. Semmel

Place: Publisher & Year: New York: Dutton, 2012, translation copyright 2012

Series: Department Q; 2

Format: Hardback

ISBN: 9780525952893

Audience: Adult

Number of pages: 406

Setting: Copenhagen, Denmark

Time period: Contemporary

Genres: Mystery, police procedural, Scandinavian noir, thriller, crime thriller, suspense

Subject headings:

From Pima County Public Library:

Police — Denmark — Fiction.

Murder — Investigation — Denmark — Fiction.

Copenhagen (Denmark) — Fiction.

Mystery fiction.

Suspense fiction.

Diversity – Danes, junkie, boarding school students, Syrian, extremely wealthy men, quadriplegic  victim of a gunshot wound