The Son

A Novel

By: Jo Nesbø

Narrated by: Gildart Jackson

Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

The author of the best-selling Harry Hole series now gives us an electrifying stand-alone novel set inside Oslo’s maze of especially venal, high-level corruption.

Sonny Lofthus is a strangely charismatic and complacent young man. Sonny’s been in prison for a dozen years, nearly half his life. The inmates who seek out his uncanny abilities to soothe leave his cell feeling absolved. They don’t know or care that Sonny has a serious heroin habit - or where or how he gets his uninterrupted supply of the drug. Or that he’s serving time for other peoples’ crimes.

Sonny took the first steps toward addiction when his father took his own life rather than face exposure as a corrupt cop. Now Sonny is the seemingly malleable center of a whole infrastructure of corruption: prison staff, police, lawyers, a desperate priest - all of them focused on keeping him high and in jail. And all of them under the thumb of the Twin, Oslo’s crime overlord. As long as Sonny gets his dope, he’s happy to play the criminal and the prison’s in-house savior.

But when he learns a stunning, long-hidden secret concerning his father, he makes a brilliantly executed escape from prison - and from the person he’d let himself become - and begins hunting down those responsible for the crimes against him.... The darkly looming question is: Who will get to him first - the criminals or the cops?

©2014 Jo Nesbø (P)2014 Random House Audio

Excellent writing

The plot was complicated by too many characters and I had to reread parts to keep them all sorted. The ending helped bring it together but not sure it was worth the effort.

Maybe The Best Mystery Novelist Anywhere

Any one following my reccomendations will know what a huge fan I am of Nesbo's Harry Hole series. That said I was a bit reticent to purchase this one based on some reviews and the publisher's summary. Fortunately I came accross Gail's review and she persuaded me to take the plunge.

The beginning chapters, which are critical to understanding the mystery of the main character, were a bit tedious for me. I may have given up had it not been for my confidence in Nesbo's writing. Somewhere soon after the first few chapters, a remarkable sense of purpose reveals itself to the son as well as to the reader. As the story unravels so does the suspense. This is a fantastic story.

The Son is a complex story of betrayal, shame, pennance, masterful revenge. It involves a great deal of great police work, with remarkable characters.

Gildart Jackson does a great job with the narration.

This is easily a five star book for me!

Perfection in an audiobook

I really cannot praise this story enough. I discovered this author through Audible with "The Snowman" and thoroughly enjoyed that book. As other reviewers have mentioned, his Harry Hole character is very memorable. I liked this book even more. The characters are fully-realized, the story is riveting, suspenseful and has unexpected twists. I am envious of someone who can write this well. As usual the story centers around Oslo and Nesbo is great at making the listener envision his setting. This will be a book that I will listen to again. The narrator did a wonderful job as well and his reading of the female characters was quite good. I don't like when male narrators try and sound too feminine - his reading was just right. Unfortunately this will be a book I won't forget and I would like to so I could have the pleasure of listening to it as though it was the first time.

Quite a Good Story of Revenge and Salvation

This book began very slow for me, not until about half way through did things pick up and a really good plot emerge. I am very glad I hung in there, worth the wait. The characters (even some of the "bad guys") were portrayed with depth and even compassion when appropriate. With all this killing and revenge a love story develops which was kind of sweet in the middle of all the violence. The listener becomes very attached to the main character Sonny. We cheer him on as he revenges his father's death, just killing and killing away. Yea this is a pretty good book.

A Jo Nesbø Masterpiece

A story that started as a slow burn, but the tool off and kept me guessing.

Well worth the investment of time to read this great Nesbø novel

The best yet

Where does The Son: A Novel rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I enjoy Jo Nesbo's work. None more than "The Son". This is by far his best. He kept me riveted and guessing through the entire book. It's interesting that I might normally be put off a work containing the violence and graphic horrors contained within, but the plot seemed to carry me past that in search of the next twist. Unlikely heroes and villains. Well done.

Another Solid Entry

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

While the plot didn't keep me on the edge of my seat, I thought that it was well written and it progressed in a rational fashion.

Which scene was your favorite?

I think one of my favorite scenes was when Sonny took his first life. It was sudden, thorough, and very well written.

Any additional comments?

While some of the characters feel very flat (such as Marta's fiance, Anders), most of the characters were very well written.

Excellent!

Even better than the Harry Hole series that I thought was outstanding. As usual, I could not figure out who the "bad guy" was.

ANOTHER POWERFUL, WELL-WRITTEN NESBO NOVEL

Where does The Son: A Novel rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have liked all of Nesbo's books, but they are indeed dark novels. I can see why a lot of readers/listeners are put off by the grisly details and vivid descriptions of crime and the drug scene. But, entertaining and creative they are.

What about Gildart Jackson’s performance did you like?

Somber and forceful, just exactly the mood that I think Nesbo would have recommended.

Great Nesbo

It took me a minute to adjust to the style of the Narrator but eventually I was there. Probably just so used to Robin Sachs that it seemed odd. Great book thrilling story. Not as tense and twisty as the Harry Hole books but great all the same.