Scandinavian writers excel at creating mysteries that are dark and foreboding. The cold weather lends itself well as a stark and threatening background. The Norwegian author Jo Nesbø is at the top of his game in his latest, but Wolf Hour is set, not in Norway, but in another frigid part of the world, Minneapolis. Nesbø probably wrote this stand alone before that midwestern city dominated the news after being invaded by ICE’s thugs and leaving two U.S. citizens dead, but the timing couldn’t be better.
The narrative bounces between two time periods. In September 2022, Holger Rudd, a writer from Oslo, arrives in Minneapolis to gather information for a true crime book about a serial killer named Tomas Gomez. The first attempted kill is in 2016. A drug dealer named Marco Dante is getting into his Maserati in the city’s Jordan neighborhood when he sustains two shots to the chest from a sniper’s gun. Since his divorce, Minneapolis Homicide Police Detective Bob Oz is doing what he often does these days, drinking at a seedy bar. Called to the scene of the Jordan shooting, Bob still reeks of alcohol. But his detective skills kick in and he’s not only able to manage the crime scene, but discover that the victim isn’t dead.
Tomas has a complicated past. A known gang member, he also lost his entire family, his wife, son, and daughter who was in a wheelchair, in a shooting. Was the killing random, or payback by a rival gang? Whatever it is, Tomas is now on a revenge spree.
Oz relates to the killer because he also lost a loved one. That tragedy led to his divorce from Alice, a psychologist. Although he’s been in therapy, he’s still at loose ends, spending his time alone, drinking. But the Gomez case serves to focus him once again on police work. He’s determined to catch Tomas and, in the process, perhaps put some of his own demons to bed.
Oz discovers that Tomas had brought his family’s cat to be stuffed by a taxidermist named Mike Lunde. Visiting Town Taxidermy, Oz is captivated by the animals and birds around the shop. He takes an instant liking to the man, seeing him as an artist the way he preserves the animals. Lunde confirms that Tomas has called about his cat and will come soon to pick it up. He also says that Tomas spoke about the loss of his family. Oz is impressed that Lunde made Tomas feel so comfortable that he would share such intimate details. “I had no idea he was going to shoot someone,” he tells Oz.
Before he leaves, Oz has Lunde promise that he will call when he hears from Tomas. He wants to be there when Tomas shows up. Although this connection is perhaps critical to finding Tomas, Oz keeps the information from the rest of the squad where is shined by the other cops, except for Kay Myers, another detective in the MHD homicide unit.
Oz’s life wasn’t always such a mess. But after his daughter’s death he spiraled out of control and his marriage ended. Alice is now dating another man and won’t take Oz’s calls, making him even more determined to see her. In the meantime, Oz finds comfort in the dive bar where he finds it easy to talk with the bartender, Liza, a single mother who enjoys sparing with him.
No matter what’s happening in his personal life, Oz is still the best at what he does – unraveling even the most difficult puzzle and zeroing in on the criminal. In this instance, however, will he get there on time before more people die? And who is writing that true crime book 16 years later? And who is it about? Not too hard to guess.
Wolf Hour will add to Nesbo’s reputation as not only the best creator of Nordic Noir, but one of the best mystery writers producing today. He manages to get everything right – the characters, the plot, and, of course, the atmosphere. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, you have a lot of terrific reading ahead.
Wolf Hour
Jo Nesbø
Top Bigstock photo by Esffess
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