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Description edit
In the depths of winter, a killer stalks the city streets. His victims are two young women, both found with twenty-four inexplicable puncture wounds, both drowned in their own blood. The crime scenes offer no clues, the media is reaching fever pitch, and the police are running out of options.... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters edit
- Skai: County Police Officer from Ytre Enebakk
- Kaja: Beautiful woman who is sent to Hong Kong to fetch Harry Hole
- Harry Hole: Hole is an Oslo detective who at the beginning of the novel is living as a junkie in Hong Kong, only returning to Norway when told his father was gravely ill.
- Kaja Solness: The young Oslo detective sent to find Hole and to bring him back. Remains a member of the investigating team.
- Karen Leike: A Norwegian entrepreneur raising capital to develop a mining venture in Congo Kinshasha
- Adele Vetlesen: Does not appear in the novel. A young woman who unwittingly precipitates the events of the novel.
- Sigurd Altman: The nurse at the Reikshospital
- Bjorn Holm: From Krimteknisk, the forensics unit in Bryn, a hillbilly from Skreia.
- Gunnar Hagen: The Politioverbetjent, Head of Crime Squad
- Aslak Krongli: A policeman
- Marit Olsen: Socialist Party member of Stortinget (Norwegian Parliament) for Finnmark District. Overweight and exercising to lose it.
- Mikael Bellman: Head of the Kripos unit of the Norwegian police
- Lene Gabrielle Galtung: The daughter of a wealthy Norwegian businessman engage to Tony Leike
- Monsieur Van Boorst: An expatriot, sellings weapons in the Congo.
- Elias Skog: The young man who stayed at the tourist cabin
- Rakel Fauke: Harry Hole's ex girlfriend.
- Oystein: Harry Hole's childhood friend
- Katrine Bratt: A former detective with skill in searching the Internet
- Truls Berntsen: An officer in Kripos and long time associate of Mikael Bellman. Nickname is 'Beavis'.
- Kinzonzi: A young Congolese mercenary
- Saul: Taxi driver in the Congo
- Beavis: Nickname for Bellman's oldest colleague
- Johan Krohn: Lawyer for Sigurd Altman
- Olav Hole: Harry's elderly father, an invalid.
- Beate Lønn: Head of Forensics
- Mr Jussi Kolkka: A Finnish police officer brought into Kripos as Bellman's right hand man.
- Oleg: Rakel Faulke's son
- Stine Ølberg: A women that Elias Skog 'stalks'
- Ulla Bellman: Mikael Bellman's wife
- Rasmus Olsen: Marit Olsen's husband
- Herman Kluit: South African mercenary and gambler
- Jean Hue: Add a description of this character.
- Odd Utmo
- Øystein Eikeland
- Magnus Skarre
- Pelican
- Li Yuan
- Kjersti Rødsmoen
- Ulla Swart
- Karen Utmo
- Charlotte Lolles
- Alma
- Jarle Andreassen
- Bent Nordbø
- Ninni
- Sis
- Mia
- Neil McCormack
- Colbjørnsen
- Ryen
- Geir Bruun
- Edvard Munch
- Iska Peller
- Felix Røst
- Roy Stille
- Borgny Stem-Myhre
- Jens Rath
- Rita
- Tresko
- Simonsen
- Robert Altman
- Mathilde
- Roger Gjendem
- Tony Leika
- Mr Leike
- Milano
- Julle
- Kim Erik Lokker
- Bjørn Holm
- Anders Galtung
- Joe
- Juliana Verni
- Dr Abel
- Ærdal
- Oudry
- Eddie Van Boorst
- Tom Waaler
- Bliss
Setting & Locations edit
This novel is set mostly in Norway and Congo Kinshasha
- Oslo
- Congo
- Havass: The Tourist cabin in the National park where the events of the novel begin
- Oslo, Norway: Capital of Norway and its largest city
- Nyiragongo: An active volcano in the Congo
- Goma: Town in Congo where much of the action occurs
- Charlotte Lolles
- Norway
- Africa
- Borgny
- Rikshospital: Largest hospital in Norway. Olav Hole is a patient here.
- Bryn: Suburb of Oslo
- Frogner Park: Oslo's largest park. Scene of the third murder
- Bergen: Norwegian City
- Hong Kong: Former British colony in Asia
- Sandviken Hospital: A psychiatric hospital
- Ytre Enebakk: A summer holiday destination with a lake
- Stavanger: Second city of Norway. Services oil industry.
- Fagerborg: Suburb of Oslo.
- Congo Kinshasha: The Central African Country with vast mineral wealth
- Skai
- Snowman
- Tresko
- Ustaoset: Town in Northern Norway
- Kigali: Capital of Rwanda, staging point for Goma
- Rwanda
- Leipzig
- Australia
- Krimteknisk
- Kadok
- Iska
- Amazon
- Mikael Bellman
- Chungking
- Stortinget
- Hotel Gorilla
- Sydney
- Hivass
- Manglerud
- Europol
- Oppsal
- Zurich
- Bristol: Suburb of Sydney where Iska Peller lives
- Nydalen
- Holmenveien
- Sofies
- Stovner
- Nordbo
- Geilo
- Lesja
- Gorilla Hotel: Hotel in Rwanda used by Hole
- Gronland
- Manila
- Schroder
- Copenhagen
- Drammen: Small town in Norway
Organizations edit
- Crime Squad: The Oslo police specialist unit for homicide and other serious crime
- Krimteknisk: The Forensics Unit in the Norwegian police
- Kripos: Specialist policing unit in Norwegian Police National headquarters set up to support small police units undertake complex investigations
First Sentence edit
She awoke.
Table of Contents edit
1 The Drowning
2 The Illuminating Darkness
3 Hong Kong
4 Sex Pistols
5 The Park
6 Homecoming
7 Gallows
8 Snow patrol
9 The Dive
Part 2
10 Reminders
11 Print
12 Crime Scene
13 Office
14 Recruitment
15 Strobe lights
Themes & Symbolism edit
- Leopold's Apple: A torture device which has a central role in the novel.
- Coltan: A very valuable mineral ore mined in the Congo
- Leopard: Is it Ole or Tony who's the leopard?
Series & Lists edit
This is book 8 of 9 in Harry Hole. (standard series)
Preceded by The Snowman, and followed by Phantom.
This is book 8 of 10 in Amazon.com Best Books of December (2011). (authoritative list)
This is book 9 of 145 in Whitcoulls Top 100 (2011). (authoritative list)
First Edition edit
Original Language: Norwegian
Publisher: H.Aschehoug & co
Country: Norway
Publication Date: 2009
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 668
Publisher: H.Aschehoug & co
Country: Norway
Publication Date: 2009
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 668
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: PT8951.24.E83 P3613 2010
- Dewey: 813
Subjects edit
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Links to Supplemental Material edit
- Random House: Publisher's website offering newsletters, notes and tips for reading groups, author events,
- Harvill Secker
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