The Jealousy Man and Other Stories

I'm not typically drawn to short stories, but I am a fan of Nesbo's Harry Hole series, so this seemed like a logical choice for a winter's read. The book is divided into two parts, the first titled "Jealousy" (which is the theme of the stories), the second "Power" (its theme.) All the stories were clever, but as with any collection,there are standouts. Among my favorites in "Jealousy" were _The Line_ about a refugee working in a convenience store, a story that begins benignly enough but quickly turns dark and with a gut-push of a conclusion. _Odd_ is only 10 pages long, the entire story an interrogation of a murder suspect; that the motive, method and opportunity can be presented, discovered and concluded in such rapid succession was thrilling. Three of the stories in "Power" are science-fictiony and set in a dystopian future (_Rat Island_ , _The Shredder_ and my favorite, _Cicadas_), a departure for Nesbo, both with extremely satisfying endings. That Nesbo quickly creates sympathetic characters and rapidly creates both McGuffin and plot was a joy to read - I am much more accustomed to a more lesiurely pace in writing, the almost urgent pace (a necessity in this genre) kept me riveted to the page. And as one would expect from a giant in Nordic noir, there is a darkness that runs through all the stories, each with conclusions that - in most cases - will catch you off guard. For readers unfamiliar with Nesbo (or perhaps turned off by Harry Hole's internal demons), I encourage you to give _The Jealousy Man_ attention: a departure from his usual fare, but thumping good reading.

Nesbo is a writer of thriller mysteries and these are some of his best.

The Jealousy Man is one of the best stories Nesbo has ever written in my opinion. Worth buying the book of short stories for.

Some good and some not so good stories. All of them quite creative, for sure, and all of them very dark. But that’s Nesbo, after all. Perhaps it was the fact that these are short stories, but it didn’t “hook” me as much as one of the good old Nesbo novels.

I have been a reader & fan of Jo since I first read The Bat. His novels using Harry Hole are terrifying, impassioned, breathtaking. I try to find every work of his because every work is enthralling. This collection of short stories just continues the legacy. They are much in his style, yet, different. I journey into each not knowing how the end will be, but unlike a novel, it comes quickly! His flow, scene build, and character design are so damn good. it is such a joy. It's simply the best...

I was amazed at the variety of topics and content in this selection of short stories. Nesbo didn’t let us down. His jealousy stories intrigued me. The end-of-days topics, I wanted to read and didn’t want to read. Too close to home right now, I guess. Loved the chess story at the end, and I don’t even play chess.

Each story a complete work that takes you on a twisted trail of intrigue and suspense through fantastical settings. With some science fiction ambience each draws you into a strangely satisfying read. Hard to put down in the middle of a story!

Nesbo plumbs the depths of the most luminously grisly parts of our minds. The writing is at once urgent and lyrical. Each story asks the reader to further commit to the time, place, and purpose of the protagonist.