Jo Nesbø Announces New Thriller THE KINGDOM
My personal favorite crime writer broke the news today that he will be releasing a standalone thriller this fall, and longtime CBTB followers will know just how excited I am about this! THE KINGDOM is slated for publication in September, and promises to deliver all the gritty atmosphere and superb crime writing we have come to expect from Nesbø, this time in a stand-alone thriller. A cover for THE KINGDOM has not yet been revealed, but I’ll be updating this post accordingly as soon as more information becomes available!
For any newcomers to Nesbø’s work, consider this announcement the perfect time to begin exploring my personal favorite author’s extensive backlist. Crime by the Book has a ton of resources available for readers interested in familiarizing themselves with Jo Nesbø’s novels. You can find a full rundown of who Jo Nesbø is, and why I love his work, in my Beginner’s Guide to Jo Nesbø, and you can catch up with a rundown of CBTB coverage of Nesbø in my Nordic Noir By Country blog post (just look for his name and you’ll find a list of CBTB links below it!). If a more simplified rundown of recommendations and background information is your thing, today’s blog post will be your perfect resource. Here you’ll find background information on THE KINGDOM, plus a quick Frequently Asked Questions section that can give you tips on where to start reading Nesbø’s books! As always, I’m more than happy to answer any questions. Happy reading! xx A
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What We Know About THE KINGDOM So Far:
US Publication Date: September 15, 2020 | UK Publication Date: September 17, 2020
Plot Details:
#1 New York Times best-selling author Jo Nesbø delivers an electrifying stand-alone novel about a dark family secret that tests the limits of brotherly love.
In a rural village deep in the mountains, mechanic Roy leads a quiet, simple life, but when his little brother Carl, an entrepreneur, returns with a proposal for a grand hotel to revive the struggling town, dark secrets from their childhood threaten to resurface. As children, Roy defended his little brother against schoolyard bullies and vicious rumors, but his loyalty to family is tested when greed and betrayal saturate Carl's plans--not to mention when Roy's sister-in-law Shannon catches his eye. The farther he goes to protect Carl, the more Roy finds himself dredging up the town's shocking past. And when the town sheriff starts looking into Roy and Carl's parents' tragic deaths, Roy will have to reckon with how far he will go to protect his brother.
Pre-Order Links:
Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Amazon UK
Why I’m Excited:
Okay, this one is a no-brainer. Jo Nesbø is my all-time favorite author, and I am basically always in a state of waiting to see what he will release next! THE KINGDOM is a particularly exciting release, though, as it finds Nesbø exploring universal themes of family secrets and tensions, and takes place in a rural setting that, based on the plot description, might evoke a similar feeling as Winter’s Bone. The fact that THE KINGDOM is a standalone thriller is equally exciting, as it promises to allow new readers the perfect entry point into Nesbø’s work! One of my personal favorite things is to help you guys get as hooked on Nesbø as I am, and I suspect that this standalone thriller will be a perfect introduction for those of you who are totally new to his novels. (And for those of us who have been reading Nesbø for years, I expect we’ll see all the masterful plotting, thrilling storytelling, and emotional insight that define a Nesbø crime novel here, too.) I simply cannot wait to see what brilliant story Jo Nesbø’s newest book will deliver.
Nesbø Books To Read While We Wait for THE KINGDOM
You can find an in-depth discussion of Nesbø’s crime novels in my Beginner’s Guide to Jo Nesbø, but if you want a quick recommendation for where to start with his work, read on right here!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jo Nesbø?
Jo Nesbø is a crime writer based in Norway. He is one of the world’s most successful crime writers: his books have sold over 33 million copies around the world. Along with a very successful career as an author, he is also an economist, a rock climber, the frontman of a rock band, and a former soccer player. Oh, and he has also written children’s books. (Basically a modern-day Renaissance man!)
What are his best-known books?
Jo Nesbø is best known for his crime fiction series following Detective Harry Hole in Oslo, Norway. There are currently twelve installments in the Harry Hole series:
Should these books be read in order?
Yes, but there’s a catch. I typically recommend that readers interested in digging into this series as a whole begin with Book 3, THE REDBREAST. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but hear me out. The first two installments in this series are certainly not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but their content and pacing is quite quite different from the remainder of the series. Based on my own reading experience and many conversations with readers all around the world, a commonality has made itself clear: for so many of us, myself included, it was THE REDBREAST - and its finale in particular - that hooked us on the Harry Hole series. It is not necessary to read THE BAT and COCKROACHES in order to understand THE REDBREAST; THE REDBREAST will, in fact, give you a much better feel for Nesbo’s writing than the series’ first two installments. But no matter whether you choose to start with THE BAT or THE REDBREAST, the Harry Hole books are best understood when you continue reading them in series order. Nesbø is a master at crafting characters, and you won’t want to miss out on the incredible character development that occurs over the course of these novels.
What if I want to try the series, but not commit to reading the whole thing?
In that case, I would recommend trying Nesbø’s book THE SNOWMAN. This is Book 7 in the Harry Hole series, and it’s probably his best-known book, too. It can easily be read as a standalone, and it’s a perfect way to sample his writing style and see if it’s for you! If you love the read, you can always go back to Book 3 and read through the series from there. Also, word to the wise, do not watch the movie adaptation of THE SNOWMAN - it butchers my favorite Nesbø story of them all.
What about his standalone novels?
Along with his Harry Hole series, Nesbø has a number of excellent standalone novels, too! They are:
Of these books, BLOOD ON SNOW and MIDNIGHT SUN are loosely connected, but aside from that, they’re all true stand-alone novels. My personal favorites are BLOOD ON SNOW and MACBETH: both novels showcase really different sides of Nesbø’s writing, and illustrate his range as an author. BLOOD ON SNOW is a gentler, more emotional novel, following a surprisingly endearing hit man; MACBETH, a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, is a gritty crime drama that you can easily understand and enjoy regardless of your familiarity with the original work.
While we wait for THE KINGDOM to go on sale this fall, now is the perfect moment to begin exploring Jo Nesbø’s work! As always, I’m totally happy to answer any questions or provide personal recommendations for where to begin with my favorite author. The countdown to new Jo Nesbø is officially on!
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