The Redeemer
The Redeemer (original title Frelseren ) is a crime novel by the Norwegian author Jo Nesbø from 2009. It is the sixth part of the Harry Hole series.
action
In the run-up to Christmas, a member of the Salvation Army is shot dead on the street without there being any traces of the perpetrator. Harry Hole is entrusted with the investigation, which he cannot fully devote himself to: Bjarne Møller, who always held his hand over Harry, is being transferred to Bergen and Gunnar Hagen is the new head of the violent crime department of the Oslo police , who is responsible for everything other than enthusiastic about Harry and his investigative methods. Things are also bad in his private life: his girlfriend Rakel leaves him, to which Harry initially does not react with the expected escape into alcohol.
However, he quickly finds out that the perpetrator is a Croatian assassin by the name of "The Redeemer" who entered Norway under the name of Stankic, and that the perpetrator killed the wrong man - the target of the assignment was the brother of the man who was shot , Jon Karlsen. The Savior also notices the mistake shortly before his return flight and now tries to complete the assignment while the police chase him through Oslo. Another person is killed and the police initially assign this murder to the savior. Shortly afterwards, Harry's colleague Halvorsen is seriously injured with a knife and dies a few days later in the hospital.
At the same time, Harry investigates in the Salvation Army and has to recognize that there are dark secrets from the past even in the community of brothers and sisters. In particular, an unreported rape in a Salvation Army holiday camp links the stories of the people involved to the present day. Martine Eckhoff, the daughter of the chief of the Salvation Army, falls in love with Harry during the investigation, as she sees herself just like him - as a kindred: independent, free, with a mind of her own - like a "lone wolf".
Harry continues to investigate and also flies unofficially to Croatia, where he receives further information from the mother of the Redeemer - against the promise to let her son live. So he learns that the redeemer actually killed the right one and that Jon Karlsen himself commissioned the murder of his brother. Harry continues to follow the traces of the Redeemer, which finally leads him to Jon Karlsen, who is now in hiding. Karlsen makes a confession in front of Harry and Stankic, who threatens Karlsen with a pistol: He wanted to kill Halvorsen to prevent his crimes from being exposed. Knowing that this confession would be worthless in court and that Karlsen also raped Martine once and a refugee child who was a minor as well as that this is Stankic's last assignment, Harry does not arrest Stankic, but only points out the large amount of cash, Karlsen has with him and leaves the scene. It is implied that Stankic subsequently murdered Karlsen.
When the investigation is over, Harry lets Martine understand that a relationship doesn't make any sense. It remains to be seen what exactly is the reason for this, whether he is still attached to Rakel and Oleg or whether he does not want Martine to accept his egocentric way of life and work, as this has already caused the relationship with Rakel to fail.
Finally, by chance, Harry learns what the farewell present from his former boss Bjarne Møller is all about, and he is able to decipher the riddle Møller posed to him. Møller confesses to Harry that he, too, belonged to the group of corrupt police officers (see the previous novel The Fifth Sign ) who initially wanted to bring criminals to their "just" punishment - outside of the law - but then became increasingly corrupt and became criminals themselves be. Expensive watches were used as payment. He tells Harry that he was unaware of Tom Waaler's cover identity and his responsibility for smuggling arms. Now Harry also learns the real reason for Møller's departure: he left his family and job in Oslo to no longer be involved in the machinations. In the end, Møller asks Harry to pursue the corrupt group.
expenditure
The Norwegian original edition was published in 2005 under the title Frelseren by Verlag Aschehoug & Co ( ISBN 978-8203194-14-6 ). The German edition was published in 2007 under the title Der Erlöser in Ullstein Verlag ( ISBN 978-3-550-08686-1 ) in translation by Günther Frauenlob. This translation was praised as "excellent" and transported the melody of the Norwegian original.
In addition, two audio books from Hörbuch Hamburg and an e-book from Ullstein eBooks were published in 2007 and 2011 .
Reviews
“As always, author Jo Nesbø writes hauntingly haunting; [...] But between the two poles of Zagreb and Oslo, the plot often gets lost, the bracket is too big. But the reader is compensated by the wealth of people and fates - and by a blatant lack of sentimentality. "
“A tension and authenticity that the reader feels like with very few crime fiction authors make the“ Redeemer ”a captivating read. The enthusiasm for Harry Hole shapes them even more than the wish that the perpetrators will end well. "
“Nesbö has an unusually large number of criticisms in this novel. He did well with the character Christo Stankic, who is characterized by a high level of attention and an iron will to survive. In the Redeemer, the Norwegian can only reconcile us late with a redeeming showdown. Until then, he delivers over 300 pages of a lot of craftsmanship, but no enthusiasm. Or as Salvation Army soldier Martine would put it: His line of business is not mercy, but redemption. Only on the last 150 pages has this Nesbö real class. "
literature
- Jo Nesbø: The Redeemer . Ullstein, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-550-08686-1 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ DNB 984254323 Jo Nesbø - The Redeemer - ISBN 978-3-550-08686-1 ]. Website of the German National Library . Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ↑ a b http://www.focus.de/kultur/buecher/krimikolumne/krimi-der-woche_aid_134527.html Killer with toilet stone stink . Focus website . Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ↑ DNB 991716965 Jo Nesbø - The Redeemer [sound carrier] - ISBN 978-3-86909-007-8 . Website of the German National Library . Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ↑ DNB 1027276725 Jo Nesbø - The Redeemer [sound carrier] - ISBN 978-3-89903-901-6 . Website of the German National Library . Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ↑ DNB 1024695727 Jo Nesbø - The Redeemer [Electronic Resource] - ISBN 978-3-548-92070-2 . Website of the German National Library . Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ↑ Lonely among saviors . Spiegel Online website . Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ↑ Jo Nesbø: The Redeemer . Website from Krimi-Couch.de . Retrieved January 31, 2014.