A review by Alex
First off, I've been reading Jo Nesbo for a few years now, specifically his Harry Hole series. Nesbo is a Norwegian writer who pens mostly dark crime novels that are typically set in Norway. The books are translated from Nesbo's native language and I have to applaud his translator, Neil Smith. There's no doubt you are reading a foreign book set in a foreign location (for me at least), and yet nothing feels lost in translation. At times I can even hear the accent in the characters' dialogue.Midnight Sun is a story about salvation and redemption.
"How are we to start this story? I wish I could say that we'll start at the beginning, but I don't know where it starts."
And so begins the story.
Ulf, as our main character has now decided to call himself, has just arrived in a rural village in northern Norway during the middle of summer. This means twenty-four hours of daylight, hence the book's title.
A fixer who it turns out wasn't very good at fixing, Ulf is now on the run from his former boss. As he contemplates his next move, Ulf finds himself reflecting on the choices he made that landed him in the deep shit he's currently in.
While in Finnmark, he reluctantly befriends a few locals including a mother and son bearing a burden of their own.
With the walls of his crappy world closing in on him, Ulf begins to wonder if he deserves the fate waiting for him. And if it's time accept his penance.
This was the first stand-alone novel I've read by Nesbo and while it wasn't as dark or gruesome (but trust me, there's still enough to go around), his writing is as solid as ever.
It was a bit slow in the beginning while you're collecting the first few pieces of the story, however it picks up by the end just like any decent suspense novel should.
Nesbo does a good job of working in the landscape and culture without interrupting the reader with too much descriptive content ( a pet peeve of mine). I loved feeling like I was getting a glimpse of this territory that is fairly unfamiliar, even for most Norwegians.
There is a religious aspect to the story, but it acts more as a character or setting in the book rather than a message the author is trying to share with you.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspense. I give it four out of five cups because of the slow start.
If you do read the book and enjoy it, you should try his Harry Hole series.
