Sunday, November 8, 2020

"The Kingdom", by Jo Nesbo




This latest meaty and twisty standalone bring us to a remote Norwegian village where our attention will be centered on the complex relationship between two brothers, Roy and Carl Opgard. It opens when 15 year old Carl mortally wounds the family dog and his brother puts the animal out of its misery and cleans up the mess.
Then

Very slowly Mr. Nesbo methodically peels away the secrets surrounding the brothers’ backstory and gradually frog leaps into Carl and Roy’s relations with their neighbours. The simmering and complex story gives us unexpected violent twists when slippery Carl plans to reinvigorate the town...and inevitably gruesome secrets emerge and the ever growing body count mounts.

Although this story is more concerned with sibling rivalry, family secrets, young love and the winter blues...we still find a lot of conniving going on... so, why am I left hot and cold about “The Kingdom”. It simple: too slow moving, too convoluted, too many clichés and quite boring for too long. This story could have been said within 400 pages. It was a challenge to stay on top of this story but ¾ into it when things took an about turn more intensity and intrigue injected into the story I stayed glued and could not put the last pages down wanting so much to see how this saga would end....Oh boy what an open ending...One a final note this story provides us with amazing characterization and a superb narration but having said this I was left slightly disappointed with this one.

Thank you Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

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