"Phantom" by Jo Nesbo

During this holiday, I chose the novel "Phantom" by Jo Nesbo. This novel written by a Norwegian musician and writer, captivated my attention immediately but as I read further, I found myself even more entertained by this bizarre yet fascinating fictional story.

The story portrayed in the novel is written from many different viewpoints, allowing the reader to create a few perspectives of what is going on throughout the chapters. Phantom is the ninth instalment of this series however a crucial one because we learn more about the main character, Harry Hole, and become more attached to him. The story takes place in Oslo, Norway where Harry is undergoing a private investigation on a drug-related murder. This leads him deeper into the darker side of human kind where he becomes more aware of the drug addiction and production on the streets, gang wars, corruption and a dangerous, powerful Russian known as Dubai. This man is known as "a kind of phantom" because he is known amongst all those who are aware he exists, as a man impossible to catch, like the wind.

As a reader, there are certain times in the novel where I had had to put down the book before recontinuing because of the dark way in which Nesbo creates the atmosphere. From the desperate addicts mourning on the streets to the moments where gunshots push innocent men into their death beds.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading dark and intense novels.