Member Review

Jo Nesbo leaves the Nordic behind for the USA with Wolf Hour, a standalone thriller set in Minneapolis. A notorious but never‑convicted gun dealer is shot by a sniper, and Bob Oz, a homicide detective with the MPD, is assigned the case. When the victim survives, Bob is pulled off immediately – but something about the shooting doesn’t let him go. Soon after, a respected citizen is killed in the same way, and Bob is officially back on the trail. He identifies the killer as a ruthless assassin from the underworld, last seen more than two decades ago, who has resurfaced with a perplexing agenda.

Bob himself is a mess – volatile, unpopular with colleagues, recently divorced, and drowning his trauma in drink. His hot-headedness gets him suspended even as he’s making progress, but he presses on anyway with the help of a few allies, trying to get inside the killer’s mind and, in the process, confronting his own demons. Another killing occurs, and Bob is certain that the assassin will target a high official during the upcoming gun‑owners convention at the city’s largest stadium. With nobody in the department paying heed, Bob realises that he must stop the killer all by himself.

The setting may be new, but Wolf Hour is replete with the trademark qualities of a Nesbo thriller: a gripping plot, layered storytelling, complex characters with emotional depth, sharp dialogue, and that unpredictable twist at the end. Every member of the cast, no matter how small, feels utterly realistic. Nesbo’s gift for exploring the grey zones of human nature is on display throughout, keeping the reader engaged not only in the suspense but also in the lives of the individuals, even the negative ones. The pace ebbs and flows – quiet, reflective moments punctuating bursts of frantic action – yet it never loses hold of your attention. Amidst all the terrible violence, Nesbo makes sure that his underlying message of humanity shines through clearly. The unexpected lesson on taxidermy and its history makes for a fascinating diversion from the intensity. If I must point out a weakness, it is the underdeveloped subplot involving a female detective and an artist. Apart from this minor issue, Wolf Hour has everything one would want from a Jo Nesbo thriller, even when transplanted to a different continent. I thoroughly enjoyed it, thanks to the impeccable translation by Robert Ferguson, and would recommend it to every thriller fan out there.

My sincere gratitude goes to Alfred A, Knopf / Penguin Random House for the digital review copy of Wolf Hour through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.