“You recognise the thirst - just admit it, Harry. And one day you too will drink.” P459

I love Harry Hole and I love Jo Nesbø for creating such an excellent series. Classic Scandi Noir, where the detective is damaged, the setting is character and the plot ties it together without overpowering either.

The Thirst is the eleventh in the series and it’s a thriller of a ride. I’ve read all eleven books in order and always looking forward to the next although I no longer allow myself to read more than one in any one year. It’s been almost two years since I read “Police” and it’s awesome to sink back into Harry’s world.

Thirst is absolutely the underpinning theme throughout this book. Everyone thirsts. And the characters in this book are all thirsty for something similar but different in expression. Power, recognition, justice, fame, self-acceptance and repentance, validation, and the list goes on and on. Harry is the epitome of a character who is a slave to himself, self sabotaging yet heroic.

“We do what we do because we are who we are. The idea of willpower allowing us to act differently from what’s dictated by who we are, that’s a misunderstanding. It’s the opposite, the only thing willpower does is follow our nature, even when circumstances make that difficult.” P421

At more than 600 pages, Nesbø serves up his usual fast moving, well thought out tale. Sure, there are some slightly cliche or predictable bits, however they seem to pale into the background for me.

Great book, great series and as per usual, looking forward to the next one.

By this point, Harry Hole has encountered every imaginable murderer, miscreant, and corrupt politician in his gritty but hyper-realistic fictional Oslo, which is why perhaps in the 11th volume Nesbo reaches for some ridiculous fads to keep Harry going. Enter tinder, which serves primarily as a "hey, I'm up with the new technologies" insertion into the plot, used as a convenient meet-cute between unsuspecting young women and... a vampire? How convenient that Oslo happens to also house the world's foremost expert on homicidal psychotic vampires, eager to help the investigation every step of the way. But lest this mystery unspool too easily, enter... a hurricane? In Norway.

Nesbo is a strong enough writer and Harry a compelling enough character that this one never fully jumps the shark, though it certainly makes for a weaker Harry Hole mystery thriller than usual.

Oh man. Jo Nesbo knows how to write a thriller. I had to stop and leave it every couple of chapters. I knew that what was coming wasn’t pretty. Or easy to read. But still. Even after 10 books, the 11th still evokes the same feelings that I had, reading the first.

I am a huge fan of Jo Nesbø's work, both the standalone novels as well as the Harry Hole series. Heck, there were times when I almost fell in love with Harry Hole. But not this time. How excited I was to find out that Hole was back, more than three years after the last book was published, how disappointed I am after having read the last page. Sure, Harry hole is in the book. And sure, the well known other characters are in there as well. And sure, there is a brilliant case to be solved, one which leads to unexpected twists and turns. And still.... I couldn't help but feel that this book was different. Like it "had to be" written but that Nesbø's soul wasn't in there. Like someone else wrote parts of it. The case was intense enough, though seemed messy and conclusions and solutions suddenly appeared out of nowhere, just to make the story work. A little far fetched from time to time. Too long too. I don't know, it just didn't work for me like the other books in the series did. A pitty. Harry Hole is not who he used to be....

Another solid Harry Hole mystery that left a bit of a cliffhanger that may or may not be pursued. Interesting story with nice modern inclusion of Tinder.

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