The Leopard

A Harry Hole Novel

By: Jo Nesbø, Don Bartlett - translator

Narrated by: Robin Sachs

Length: 21 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Two young women are found murdered in Oslo, both drowned in their own blood. Media coverage quickly reaches fever pitch: Could this be the work of a serial killer?

The crime scenes offer no coherent clues, the police investigation is stalled, and the one man who might be able to help doesn't want to be found. Traumatized by his last case, Inspector Harry Hole has lost himself in the squalor of Hong Kong's opium dens. Yet when he is compelled, at last, to return to Norway - his father is dying - Harry's buried instincts begin to take over. After a female MP is discovered brutally murdered, nothing can keep him from the investigation.

There is little to go on: a piece of rope, a scrap of wool, a bit of gravel, an unexpected connection between the victims. And Harry will soon come to understand that he is dealing with a psychopath for whom insanity is a vital retreat, someone who will put him to the test in both his professional and personal lives as never before.

Ruthlessly intelligent and suspenseful, The Leopard is Jo Nesbo's most electrifying novel yet - absolutely gripping from first to last.

©2011 Jo Nesbo (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Intense . . . Nesbø moves the action easily from Hong Kong to Norway, with side trips to the Democratic Republic of Congo, without ever losing the plot’s sense of urgency.” ( Publishers Weekly, starred)

“Nesbø knows exactly what he’s doing [in] this gripping, intricately plotted tale . . . Like all intelligent crime fiction, this book is not only about multiple murders by heinous means. It is also about legacies, most specifically about the good and evil, love and hate, passed from one generation to the next. This vivid, violent novel promises to speak on many levels to many readers.” ( Library Journal)

“Outstanding . . . Probably the best big crime novel you could lay your hands on this year.” ( BBC Radio 4)

Awesome! Full of twists

Nesbo keeps getting better and better. There are a slew of twists and turns in this book and they proved so enjoyable! Impossible to get bored. Robin Sachs is excellent as usual, especially since there are so many characters. Do yourself a favor - try hard to keep up with all the character names. There are a lot and almost all being Norwegian, they don't come easy to pronounce or visualize for a native English speaker. Otherwise, this book is so fantastic!

Stellar!

What made the experience of listening to The Leopard the most enjoyable?

Nesbo's phenomenal writing.

What did you like best about this story?

The laborinthine plot, that lost nothing for it's length. Every word was precisely placed to lead the reader to assumptions of guilt for one charactor after another, right up to the satisfying conclusion.

Have you listened to any of Robin Sachs’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I'm not certain I've heard him before, but he is excellent.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It would be difficult to listen to it in one sitting, but I listened to the whole thing in two days of Christmas preparations!

Any additional comments?

Cudos to the translator.

Violence too graphic this time

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. I thought Nesbo went too far this time. I love all the Hole books but this one was too long (I kept thinking

What do you think your next listen will be?

Peter Temple's The Broken Shore.

Have you listened to any of Robin Sachs’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, he's really good in every book.

Was The Leopard worth the listening time?

No. See above comments for why.

Truly good but similar to the Snowman

I'm 5 hours away from finishing the book. Jo Nesbo is a brillant writer but I found this book had the same rhythm/feel of the Snowman. It gave you a handful of plausible suspects and then slowly dwindled away to the actual killer. The journey is great but it just didn't feel like anything new after reading the last book. There were also tons of references back to the Snowman case. I'm wondering if Nesbo's earlier work (Harry Hole pre serial killer cases) offers a break from this same plot set up.

My First of the (Unfortunately Named) Harry Hole Books

I have a weakness for Scandinavian crime novels (featuring depressive/suicidal lead detectives solving dark crimes, set against a dismally cold location), and I can see why Jo Nesbo/Harry Hole is so popular. Solid writing with lots of dark twists and turns. Thoroughly enjoyable, and a big step above summer beach reading. Great performance with subtle characterization in this version. Recommended.

Riveting but painful

Difficult to put down. Tense and exciting. An a bit infuriating, as Harry Hole's approach to relationships with women is frustrating.

Excellent Narration

I have listened to few books prior to "The Leopard, and Narration of this book is amazing. I am looking forward to hear more books from same narrator

Great book, great narrator

Great in another of the harry hole epic. Extra dark and extra violent. The first five chapters were hard to get into but once you get thru the initial shock and gore the rest seems pretty tame. Jo Nesbo is great at describing things simply and graphically. Robin Sachs is an amazing narrator and makes the words on the page come to life.

The LEOPARD

This was good like the Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. I like counter hero's who aren't anywhere near perfect but still find their way. The bad guy is gross on the level of Hanibal Lector but he doesn't eat anybody, still he's one sick puppy. I'm happy to get a new series to follow.

I love this author!

I am on the last book in this series and Harry Hole is one of the most entertaining "sleuths" I have come across. I will be glad when the 2 books not translated to English have been. I can't decide between "The Snowman" or "The Leopard" as my favorite.