kill another human being with a knife
compared to a gun.
You have to be intimate with the
victim and get quite close.Harry is a complicated guy.
Does he ever annoy you?
I do get tired of him but I always get
back to him – not because I have to.
He’s like a friend who’s both annoying
and fasci nating.What kind of writer are you:
do you do a lot of pre-planning
before you start writing or do
you prefer to just go with the
flow?
I do a lot of preparation. Initially I don’t
take notes or write much. I basically just
think about the story, and then I’ll write
the synopsis – perhaps 50 to 100 pages- in which I map it all out.
So all in all I’ll be planning for up
to a year. I like to have the feeling
that when I’m writing I’m not creating
a story, but rather retelling the story.
Where do you work?
Everywhere. Right now I’m in my apart-
ment in Oslo where I have a big desk.
It’s a great room with a view of the
city and I have my coffee machine
and my music.
But it’s the only place in the world where I can’t
write. I don’t know why. Whenever I’m at home I always
come up with something else that I’ve got to do. So
I have three or four local coffee shops where I go to
work.What makes you laugh?
Things that give an insight into human weaknesses and
shortcomings – my own and others.What makes you spitting mad?
When people think they have all the answers and they
want to tell me what to do. That’s preaching.Favourite place in the world?
Oslo. Besides it being a great place, it’s home.
It’s such a compact place. I don’t even have a car.
I live in the middle of the city and can get more
or less anywhere in 20 minutes by bike.WIN
We have five signed copies
of Knife to give away.To stand a chance to win, SMS the word KNIFE,
the answer to the question below, your name,
physical delivery address (not postal address)
and phone number to 33150* by 5pm on Thurs-
day, 29 August.
QUESTION What is the name of the main charac-
ter in Jo Nesbo’s new novel?
*Each SMS costs R1,50. You must be the regis-
tered user of the cellphone or have the owner’s
permission to use it to enter the competition.
The prize sponsor is responsible for delivering
the prizes within a reasonable time.REVIEW
KNIFE
By JO NESBO
Harvill Secker
Harry Hole has gone
through a lot over the
years but in this 12th
instalment in the series
Nesbo takes things to
a new level.
The detective wakes
up in his flat in Oslo with
blood on his hands and
no idea how it got there.
After being booted
out by his wife, Rakel,
he’s off the wagon again.
But although he’s used
to waking up hungover,
this time is different –
he has absolutely no
recollection of what hap-
pened the night before.
Then he gets some
terrible news: someone
he loves is dead.
Unable to say where
he was when the murder
took place, he becomes
a suspect.
Harry is convinced
Svein Finne, a recently
released rapist whom
he put away for 20 years,
is responsible. But is he
right?
This novel is full of
twists. I’ve read almost all
the previous Hole thrillers
and this one is as good as
it gets. – ANDRÉ J BRINKH
E’S a man of many talents. Not only
is he a successful musician, he also
played soccer in Norway’s premier
league and worked as a stockbroker
and journalist.
But being a bestselling author is what Jo
Nesbo (59) is most famous for. His popular
series about Oslo detective Harry Hole has been
translated into 40 languages and has sold
millions of copies worldwide.
We chatted to the Norwegian crime master-
mind by phone to quiz him about his writing
habits and his inspiration for his new Hole nov-
el, Knife.You put Harry through a lot in your new novel.
Do you ever feel guilty about torturing him so
much?
I guess it’s the nature of the story. It’s not like I find any
enjoyment in putting my main character through hell.Tell us about what inspired you to write Knife?
I was reading research that stated how difficult it is toHoly moley!
We chat to Jo Nesbo, author of
the gripping Harry Hole seriesBY JANE VORSTERCHILL OUT | BOOKS©STIAN BROCH
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