A boy is lying on the floor of an Oslo apartment. He is bleeding and will soon die. In order to place his life and death in some kind of context he begins to tell his story. Outside, the church bells toll. Autumn. Former police inspector Harry Hole returns to Oslo after three years abroad. He seeks out his old boss at Police Headquarters to request permission to investigate a homicide. But the case is already closed: the young junkie was in all likelihood shot dead by a fellow addict. Yet, Harry is granted permission to visit the boy's alleged killer in jail. There, he meets himself and his own history. What follows is the solitary investigation of what appears to be the first impossible case in Harry Hole's career. And while Harry is searching, the murdered boy continues his story. A man walks the dark streets of Oslo. The streets are his and he has always been there. He is a phantom.

About the Author

Jo Nesbo is a musician, songwriter, economist and author. His first crime novel featuring Harry Hole was published in Norway in 1997 and was an instant hit, winning the Glass Key Award for best Nordic crime novel (an accolade shared with Peter Hoeg, Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson). Phantom is the seventh of Nesbo's Harry Hole novels to be translated into English. Check out www.jonesbo.co.uk .

Reviews

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER (Norway)

"Jo Nesbo is a master of his craft.... World-class crime writing. Phantom is a crime novel that pleases on every level."
--"Dagbladet" (Norway)

"Harry Hole, better than ever."
--"Dagsavisen" (Norway)

"Possibly the best in the series."
--"Dagens Naeringsliv" (Norway)

"Masterfully done."
--"Vart Land" (Norway)

"With a steady hand, Jo Nesbo deftly ties together the different narratives, steering the novel towards its goal with great precision.... The fact that Harry Hole is a character in constant development makes the book even more interesting."
--"VG" (Norway)

"I'm happy to announce that all expectations are met.... What's most salient is Jo Nesbo's intense, eloquent yet terse prose. The same goes for his talent as a storyteller, as well as his eye for narrative construction."
--"NRK" (Norway)