Translated by Robert Ferguson — In 2020, the leading Norwegian crime author Jo Nesbo took a diversion from his Harry Hole detective novels and created The Kingdom, a Scandinavian answer to rural noir. Inside, he introduced us to Roy and Carl Opgard, brothers with some deadly secrets lying at the bottom of the cliff that edges their farmland in southern Norway. Nesbo continues the tale in Blood Ties, which is just as dark and twisted as its predecessor. Brace yourself for another instalment featuring the Opgards’ misguided morality as they leave fresh bodies in their wake.
Roy is our storyteller. He’s the elder of the two and has lost the love of his life, Shannon, who just happened to be his brother’s wife. Given the number of times he’s cleaned up after Carl and kept their secrets buried, one would expect Roy to have severed ties with his brother by now. However, he continues to fall for Carl’s schemes and guilt-tripping because blood is thicker than water and you must protect your own at all costs.
The Kingdom saw Carl’s prodigal return the village of Os with his architect wife, Shannon, and plans to build a luxury spa and hotel there in the mountains. When we pick up the story, business is good and Roy not only runs the local garage but has aspirations to built a theme park including the world’s highest rollercoaster. Their venture is jeopardised by surveys for a proposed tunnel through the nearby Todde mountain. This will divert the main road and the customers it brings away from Os.
The answer? Simply bribe Geodata, the firm conducting the seismic and geological assessment, to declare that the tunnel cannot be constructed.
The tunnel isn’t their main problem, though. Kurt Olsen, the local sheriff, aside from acting like he’s the meanest lawman in the Wild West, is like a bloodhound on the trail of the Opgard boys. He never believed his father committed suicide by driving off the road at Geitesvingen, and neither does he believe the two other cars in the chasm got there by accident. He’s right, but Roy and Carl will do anything to hide the truth. Just like their father, they believe that Os is their kingdom and if anyone tries to take it, they will defend it with their own blood.
Creating the flawed detective Harry Hole was a feat in itself. Despite or maybe because of his brokenness and ongoing battle with alcoholism, readers have warmed to him. But how do you convince readers to like Roy, who compares his own heart to “an ice-cold, stone-dead volcano that had its last and final eruption eight years ago” and refers to himself as a mass murderer? On the other hand, how can we not sympathise with two men who had an abusive father and a mother who turned a blind eye? Ironically, we feel more for Roy, the son who was not sexually abused, than for Carl, whose scheming might leave you feeling cold.
Although the Kingdom books are less violent than the Harry Hole series, they have a darker undertone. There’s a slow-burning, gnawing psychological suspense here that keeps us on edge. Although Blood Ties is a long novel, it doesn’t sag in the middle and lose the reader. This is partly due to the themes of abuse, unbreakable family ties and secrets that bind them, even if it means losing one’s humanity and soul.
Results have been varied for Jo Nesbo when straying from his beloved detective character. He’s dabbled in horror in recent years and wrote a collection of short stories titled The Jealousy Man. The Night House, in particular, was a risky venture, and generated a range of opinions. However, The Kingdom and Blood Ties are new endeavours for the author that really do pay off.
Reading The Kingdom isn’t necessary to enjoying Blood Ties. Nesbo alludes to events in that story, and clarifies when required in order for the reader to comprehend the current narrative. Having said that, I would strongly advise you to start with The Kingdom to get a better understanding of the complexity of the characters, particularly Roy, and because it’s an equally good read.
For more off-beat Scandinavian crime dealing with family and secrets, see Kalmann and the Sleeping Mountain, set in Iceland.
Harvill Secker
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CFL Rating: 5 Stars
