Headhunters

by Jo Nesbø

With Headhunters , Jo Nesbø has crafted a funny, dark, and twisted caper story worthy of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers. FIRST TIME PUBLISHED IN THE U.S. NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM MAGNOLIA PICTURES.

Roger Brown is a corporate headhunter, and he’s a master of his profession. But one career simply can’t support his luxurious lifestyle and his wife’s fledgling art gallery. At an art opening one night he meets Clas Greve, who is not only the perfect candidate for a major CEO job, but also, perhaps, the answer to his financial Greve just so happens to mention that he owns a priceless Peter Paul Rubens painting that’s been lost since World War II—and Roger Brown just so happens to dabble in art theft. But when he breaks into Greve’s apartment, he finds more than just the painting. And Clas Greve may turn out to be the worst thing that’s ever happened to Roger Brown.

Genres: Crime, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Scandinavian Literature, Mystery Thriller, Nordic Noir

265 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Jo Nesbø is a bestselling Norwegian author and musician. He was born in Oslo and grew up in Molde. Nesbø graduated from the Norwegian School of Economics with a degree in economics. Nesbø is primarily famous for his crime novels about Detective Harry Hole, but he is also the main vocals and songwriter for the Norwegian rock band Di Derre. In 2007 Nesbø also released his first children's book, Doktor Proktors Prompepulver.

Series:
* Harry Hole
* Doktor Proktor

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Reviews

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q: ‘Submission,’ I answered. ‘Confession. Truth. (c)
Oh, my! The sheer beauty of this novel lies in its perfectly dysfuntional characters. And when I say dysfunctional, I mean it. They are definitely at least halfway psychopathic. It affects you just like a car crash, which you don't want to look at but are forced to by that ancient part of your brain, the reptilian one, that would have you pay attention to the stuff of dangers in order to protect you in case something similar ever happens to you. So you watch, transfixed, the disturbing scenes before you. All just in case your inner reptilian needs that info for further perusal. (Or something like that, I'm sure neuroscientists will settle at some point on some or other theory). And so far, we get to enjoy our deluded heroes in all their malevolent glory.
NB 28.11.2017. More review to follow. This novel can't be read in one sitting, it's like splashing in a bucket of cold water: pleasant in moderation, unhealthy when there is a sea of buckets.
PS. I hated the women-switching twist. Stupid, really.
Q:
I’m a headhunter. It’s not particularly difficult. But I am king of the heap. (c)
Q:
THE CANDIDATE WAS terrified. ... ‘I’d like…’ I said with a smile. Not the open, unconditional smile that invites a complete stranger to come in from the cold, not the frivolous one. But the courteous, semi-warm smile that, according to the literature, signals the interviewer’s professionalism, objectivity and analytical approach. Indeed, it is this lack of emotional commitment that causes the candidate to trust his interviewer’s integrity. And as a result the candidate will in turn – according to the aforementioned literature – provide more sober, objective information, as he has been made to feel that any pretence would be seen through, any exaggeration exposed and ploys punished. I don’t put on this smile because of the literature, though. I don’t give a damn about the literature; it is chock-a-block with various degrees of authoritative bullshit, and the only thing I need is Inbau, Reid and Buckley’s nine-step interrogation model. No, I put on this smile because I really am professional, objective and analytical. I am a headhunter. It is not that difficult, but I am king of the heap. (c) At this point I can't help imagining the personality of a person, a guy at that (no makup staring into the mirror, sorry, guys!), who would have trained to smile the specific kinds of smile. And catalogue them afterwards!
Q:
A bit young for the job. And he knew; that was why he had dyed the hair around his temples an almost imperceptible grey. I had seen this before. I had seen everything before. I had seen applicants afflicted with sweaty palms arrive with chalk in their right-hand jacket pocket so as to give me the driest and whitest handshake imaginable. (c)
Q:
The confusion on his face was as expected. I had been inconsistent. Balanced life. Need for Commitment. That didn’t add up. Four seconds passed before he answered. Which is at least one too many. (c) Yeah, counting seconds. Nice.
Q:
‘I would certainly hope so,’ he said.
Secure, practised smile. But not practised enough. Not for me. He had used my own words against me, and I would have registered that as a plus if there had been some intentional irony. In this case, unfortunately, it had merely been the unconscious aping of words used by someone considered superior in status. Poor self-image, I jotted down. And he ‘hoped’, he didn’t know, didn’t give voice to anything visionary, was not a crystal-ball reader, didn’t show that he was up to speed with the minimum requirement of every manager: that they must appear to be clairvoyant. Not an improviser. Not a chaos-pilot. (c) Cherry-picking at its finest. And to endorce it, you make your rules as you go and go on to punish people who don't succeed at the game.
Q:
I saw that had the desired effect. He was rattled. This was not the usual interview format, this was not Cuté, Disc or any of the other stupid, useless questionnaires hatched up by a motley collection of, to varying extents, tone-deaf psychologists and human resource experts who themselves had nothing to offer. I lowered my voice again. (c)
Q:
He jerked back in his chair. Bullseye. Naturally. (c)
Q:
Mayonnaise and liver paste, is that you?’
‘I understood that sort of thing was confidential,’ Jeremias Lander said meekly.
‘So it is. But my job is to map out resources. And that’s what I do. (c)
Q:
‘Your qualifications, your track record, the tests and my personal impression all tell me you have what it takes. All you’re missing is reputation. And the fundamental pillar in constructing a reputation is exclusivity. Applying for jobs at random undermines exclusivity. You’re an executive who does not seek challenges but the challenge. The one job. And that’s what you will be offered. On a silver platter.’ (c)
Q:
I leaned forward. Opened my arms. Held up my palms. Sought his eyes. Research has proved that seventy-eight per cent of first impressions at interviews are based on body language and a mere eight per cent on what you actually say. The rest is about clothes, odours from armpits and mouth, what you have hanging on the walls. My body language was fantastic. And right now it was expressing openness and trust.
...
I half closed my eyes. It was an expression my wife Diana said reminded her of a sluggish lion, a satiated lord and master. I liked that.
...
I smiled, but not too broadly, stretched out my hand slightly before he arrived, but not too prematurely. (c)
Q:
He had answered without checking any form of calendar. I liked him better already. (c)
Q:
Ferdinand was unbelievably slapdash for a homosexual. And unbelievably homosexual for a headhunter. (c)
Q:
No one else but a headhunter would greet another headhunter with deference. (c) True enough. And not meant in a good way.
Q:
For discretion is our greatest virtue. The only one we have. Of course, the majority of our work from beginning to end is lies, of the most contemptible kind, such as when you hear me rounding off the second interview with my standard mantra: ‘You’re the man I want for this job. A job for which I not only think but know you are perfect. And that means the job is perfect for you. Believe me.’
Well, OK, don’t believe me.
(c)
Q:
They belonged to the service sector, to be more precise, the serving staff who tended to their wealthy husbands’ needs. Had these women been lacking in intelligence, that would be one thing, but they had studied law, information technology and art history as a part of their beauty treatment, they had let Norwegian taxpayers finance years at university just so that they could end up as overqualified, stay-at-home playthings and sit here exchanging confidences about how to keep their sugar daddies suitably happy, suitably jealous and suitably on their toes. (c) Ok, this one I lave thought many times myself. Can't help it but think of wasted opportunities for our society.
Q:
Height also has a positive correlation with intelligence, income and popularity surveys. When I nominate someone for a top job in business, height is one of my most important criteria. Height instils respect, trust and authority. Tall people are visible, they can’t hide, they are masters, all nastiness air-blasted away, they have to stand up and be counted. Short people move around in the sediment, they have a hidden plan, an agenda which revolves around the fact that they are short.
Of course, this is rubbish, but when I propose a candidate for a job I don’t do it because the person in question is the best but because he is the one the client will employ. I provide them with a head that is good enough, placed on the body they want. They are not qualified to judge the first; they can see the second with their own eyes. (c)
Q:
But if the carrot is big and orange enough, when the gross annual salary begins to approach seven figures, everyone modifies their principles. (c)
Q:
The truth is, of course, that the techniques prevailed long before then, that Inbau, Reid and Buckley’s nine-step model merely summarised the FBI’s hundred-year experience of extracting confessions from suspects. The method has shown itself to be enormously effective, on both the guilty and the innocent. After DNA technology made it possible for old cases to be re-examined, hundreds of people were found to have been wrongly imprisoned in the USA alone. Around a quarter of these wrongful convictions were based on confessions extracted by the nine-step model. That says everything about what a fantastic tool it is. (c)
Q:
He had read me like an open book during the interview. But how many of the pages? (c)
Q:
‘Do you really want to delete?’ the phone replied.
I scrutinised the alternatives. The cowardly, faithless ‘no’ and the mendacious ‘yes’. (c)

The guy's wife is, uh... not only a crossover from manga. She obviously screams in bed like an airplane! Her screams even give her husband a case of tinnitus. I'm not kidding!
Q: But not even a saint could scream like Diana. Diana’s scream... It was a lament and an enduring moan, a tone that merely rose and fell, like a model aeroplane. So piercing that after the first act of love I had woken up with a ringing in my ears, and after three weeks of lovemaking I thought I could detect the first symptoms of tinnitus; .... (c) Romantic, huh?

And the payback (you'll know what I am talking about after you read it) was wonderful!
Q:
I have always thought of myself as the kind of person who can think clearly in critical situations, someone who won’t panic. Of course, that could be because there have never really been any situations in my life that were critical enough for me to panic. (c) Some moments of clarity induced by the shock!
Q:
It was a quarter past one, five hours since I had got up, and I had already managed to survive my wife’s attempt on my life unscathed, dump the body of my partner in a lake, rescue said body, then alive and kicking, just to see my alive and kicking partner try to shoot me. Whereupon, with a flukey shot, I had seen to it that he became a corpse once again and I a murderer. And I was only halfway to Elverum. (c)
Q:
Most switchboards close down at four in Norway, most likely because the majority of the receptionists have gone home, to a sick partner according to statistics, in the country with the shortest working hours in the world, the biggest health budget and the highest proportion of sick leave. (c)
Q:
I had an inkling they offered rooms on an hourly basis for those who made love on a professional basis. In other words, those women who didn’t have the beauty or the wit to use their bodies to acquire a house designed by Ove Bang and their own gallery in Frogner. (c)
Q:
Diana almost never lied. Not because she couldn’t, Diana was a wonderful liar, but because she couldn’t be bothered. Beautiful people don’t need shells, are not obliged to learn all the defence mechanisms we others develop in order to protect ourselves against rejection and disappointment. But when women like Diana make up their minds to lie, they are thorough and efficient. Not because they are less moral than men, but because they have greater mastery of this aspect of the treachery. (c)
Q:
... a woman with a relaxed relationship to prime numbers and logic. (c)
Q:
Since, on principle, I never start working before it is light, on this particular day I was – as on most other days – the last man to arrive in the car park outside Alfa. ‘The first shall be last.’ This is a privilege I have formulated myself and implemented, a privilege that can only be granted to the company’s best headhunter. (c)
Q:
... waited and hoped. Perhaps it was a good start to the day after all, perhaps I could shout at an idiot. (c)
Q:
The other end had already been prepared for the man they would, in one and a half hours’ time, happily agree would have to be Pathfinder’s new CEO. The lights had been set up in such a way that he would appear at his most favourable, the chair was of the same kind as ours, but its legs were a bit longer, and I had laid out the leather briefcase I had bought for him, bearing his initials, and a gold Montblanc pen. (c)
Q:
There I had sat down and contemplated the autumn colours, which winter had already begun to suck from the forest beneath me, the town, the fjord and the light. The light that always presages the oncoming darkness. (c)
Q:
‘How did you know instinctively what we were utterly blind to?’ asked the chairman, with a loud clearing of the throat. ‘How can anyone be such a good judge of character?’
I nodded slowly. Pushed my papers five centimetres up the table. And slumped into the high-backed chair. It rocked – not too much, only a little. I looked out of the window. At the light. At the darkness that was on its way. A hundred seconds. The room was quite silent now.
‘It’s my job,’ I said. (c)

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s check your brain at the door time. If this actually won best novel in Norway in 2008 (Norwegian Book Club Prize), it must be more a commentary on the sad state of Norwegian literature in that particular year. Although, perhaps out of sentimentality for Nesbo, I am still recommending it. A good beach or airline read. Nothing more. It pretty much relies on one plot twist, some rather unbelievable developments and collusions, not one character is likeable, and there is no real character development. I am thinking of a much more satisfying conclusion to the story that could have been, even given these shortcomings. This continues Nesbo’s recent trend toward “Hollywood time”. Whatever happened to the writer who wrote The Redbreast?

[Phrynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never thought I would say this about a Jo Nesbø book but this one was a very average read. I found it difficult to get past how totally ridiculous the main character was with his delusions of grandeur and then parts of the plot were just too far fetched to be readable. (the sewage scene was both disgusting and ludicrous).

Things picked up once the real chase was on and Roger Brown started to use his brain and other people's guns to great effect. And then the author dumped one of the silliest endings ever on us.

This would probably make a good TV series. It did not make a good book:(

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nesbø moves away from his police procedurals to offer this highly intriguing story that offers up excitement on par with any Harry Hole novel. Roger Brown has made a niche for himself as a corporate headhunter in Oslo's business world. While his commissions pay him well, Brown finds himself living a luxurious lifestyle; one that requires a second and more lucrative paycheque. During interviews, Brown finds himself fishing for personal information about candidates, particularly surrounding their art collections. The reader soon learns that Brown is happy to use this knowledge to steal numerous pieces and replace them with forgeries. When Brown is introduced to Clas Greve at an art gallery, they hit it off and seem destined to work together. Greve has his eye on a Norwegian technology company and hopes Brown can work his magic and place Greve in the CEO's chair. After learning that Greve possesses a rare piece of art, Brown proceeds with his plan. However, Greve may be more than Brown can handle and things soon spiral out of control, leaving Brown to scramble and try to make sense of this new reality. In a cat and mouse game that sees Brown and Greve dodging one another, the reader learns that this clash has less to do with art or headhunting, but a primal sense of survival. In this fast-paced novel that pushes the boundaries of the thriller genre, Nesbø captivates the reader as the story progresses and the truth about both men becomes clear. Certainly a step away from the dark world of police detectives, but a novel that Nesbø fans should not miss.

Having almost completed the entire Nesbø collection of novels (at least those geared to adults and translated into English), I can speak with some authority that there seems to be little the author cannot accomplish. This story is less 'cops and robbers' and more corporate espionage and personal headhunting. While it reminds me of another favourite author of mine, Nesbø is able to carve out his own niche and keep the story flowing effectively. There is no point at which I could say things lagged or the ideas seemed repetitive from the other work I have read. Nesbø knows his audience, but is also able to steer his writing in new and exciting directions. Roger Brown can be loved at some points and hated at others, never shying away from the cutthroat man that he appears to be in the opening chapters. Nesbø fans are in for a treat when they curl up to devour this piece of fiction.

Kudos Mr. Nesbø for another wonderful story. Formidable work, though that seems to be an understatement.

Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[David Staniforth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Jo Nesbo book I’ve read; it certainly won’t be the last.

I had expected a police procedural, but was pleasantly surprised to find something different. The main character is a corporate headhunter who also happens to steal fine art in order to fund a lavish lifestyle.

The story grabbed me from the opening with an element of intrigue, and then kept hold with its twists and consistent pace. It has to be said that many elements stretched the bounds of credibility, which may cause some readers to knock off a star or two. I’ve read it so many times: “well a person wouldn’t do that”; “who’d forgive a husband/wife after such an act of betrayal”… and so on. People are complicated, and who knows what choices one would make in a given circumstance. So no marks lost for that from this reader.

Credibility of action and circumstance, however, is something completely different, when all the pieces slot into place a little too neatly. Such a thing would normally make me consider downgrading but, although the events in this story were neat, they were also possible. What’s more, they were very cleverly plotted; all slotting into place as the story comes to a close. As such, I found myself nodding in admiration rather than scowling with incredulity, and leaving those five stars in tact.

Looking forward to my next journey into Jo Nesbo’s words.

[Велислав Върбанов · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

„Ловци на глави“ е страхотен самостоятелен роман на Несбьо! Той представлява доста мрачен и напрегнат криминален трилър със силни елементи на любовна драма. Главният герой се оказа отлично изграден противоречив образ, а пък неговата история - изпълнена с шеметни обрати...




„Значи все пак си чувал за нас, но не знаеш нищо, защото дискретността е най-висшата ни добродетел. Впрочем и единствената.“


„Благородните, предани души често са белязани от недъга да са лоялни дори към най-подлите хора. Да, най-вече към най-подлите.“


„Покаяние, да. Хората често подценяват това средство за постигане на душевна хармония.“

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

FYI: This book is a standalone, with no connection to Jo Nesbo's "Harry Hole" series.

*****

Roger Brown is a corporate headhunter in Oslo, Norway who prides himself on being the best in his profession. He wears expensive designer clothes, drives a classy car, and lives in an elegant home.



To top it off, Roger - who's self-conscious about being short - is thrilled to be married to tall, beautiful, blonde Diana. To keep Diana happy (and to make up for the abortion he convinced her to have) Roger recently purchased his wife a posh art gallery.



Roger has a secret though. He's living way above his means and can't afford his high-flying lifestyle. Thus Roger has taken to stealing valuable paintings to supplement his salary. Moreover, the headhunter cleverly uses his job to locate expensive artworks to take. When interviewing potential clients Roger casually directs the conversation to art, and asks what valuable paintings they own.....and the naïve dunces blab away.



Soon after Roger's latest heist Diana has a private viewing at her gallery. There Diana introduces Roger to art-loving Dutchman Clas Greve who, in her opinion, would be a perfect client for Roger's headhunting business. So Roger interviews Greve and discovers that the Dutchman owns a lost masterpiece - "The Calydonian Boar Hunt" - by Peter Paul Rubens.


The Calydonian Boar Hunt by Peter Paul Rubens

Roger immediately hatches a plan to steal the painting but, unfortunately for him, Greve has an agenda of his own. Additionally, wily Greve is a hardened veteran soldier and the former CEO of a company that makes cutting edge surveillance/bugging equipment.



After the "The Calydonian Boar Hunt" is stolen, Roger makes a momentous discovery and the book becomes a fast-moving adventure story with some REALLY cringeworthy scenes. For example, Roger immerses himself in the poop and pee-filled collection tank of an outhouse; is almost suffocated between dead and dismembered bodies; impales a vicious dog on steel tines; and more.

The book has a dark comedy vibe throughout, along with some clever twists.

I enjoyed "Headhunters" but it's not one of my favorite Nesbo books. The plot is too complex and unbelievable and I disliked most of the characters. Roger especially is arrogant, manipulative, and a self-centered/selfish husband. I did have some sympathy for Roger when things got really rough but never totally wished him well.

I'd recommend the novel to mystery fans who want a quick read.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....

[Saša · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dakle, kako je prosao moj prvi susret sa Nesbø?
Vrlo dobro, mogu reci i prilicno sam zadovoljan.
Nesbø pise lako i jasno, odlican storyteller, stranice lete, a ni karakterizacija mu ne ide lose.
Glavni lik u knjizi je odlicno odradjen, njegova razmisljanja su vrlo zabavna, a ni ostali likovi ne zaostaju mnogo.

Vec posle nekoliko stranica uvucen si u pricu (zaplet), i nema pustanja do samog kraja.
I jedino me taj kraj nije bas odusevio, Jo je malo vise iskomplikovao nego sto je trebalo cini mi se,
a i sam centralni motiv mi nije bio bas wow.
Plot holes su neizbezni (par), ali nista previse suplje da bi bacio knjigu na drugu stranu sobe.
Sve u svemu, zabava je zagarantovana, i preporuka svima koji bi da odmore od neceg "napornijeg".
Idemo dalje, sasvim sigurno.

„Lovci na glave imaju sve što čini odličan krimi roman: čudna ubistva, iznenađujuće nestanke i iznad svega briljantnu prevaru za sve pare.“

[Metodi Markov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Добър трилър, хареса ми доволно!

Из него скита и човек, който ще се превърне във водещата и най-знакова фигура в творчеството на този автор.

Моята оценка - 3,5*, надолу. Защото жарко мразя HR изродите некадърни и безочливи! 😏

Цитати:

"Човек е способен да погуби душата на свой близък, да я зарази, да я завлече със себе си в грехопадение и да я лиши от спасение."

"Благородните, предани души често са белязани от недъга да са лоялни дори към най-подлите хора."

[Mihaela Abrudan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genială, la început am crezut că o să renunț la ea mă întrebam despre ce e cartea asta, dar pe parcurs e nebună la propriu. Jo Nesbo intră în top 5 e surprinzător și complex.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

When you create a character who looks like a manga figure (as the author asserts), you make her favorite artist Damien Hirst, and "Damien" is her choice for passcode to a home security system, and also the name of the would-be child her husband forced her to abort, common sense says that this is the bottom of the barrel. Things can only go up from here. Nesbø contravenes this dictum, giving us characters we suppose are human, even though they act like no humans anyone has ever seen anywhere, and plotlines on the very, very far side of fetchedness. Connoisseurs of scenes set in sewage tanks and latrines will not want to give this book a pass. No, I'm not speaking metaphorically. There is some serious shit going on here.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever and elegant portrait of the dark excesses of our corporate culture as revealed through a desperate cat-and-mouse game between figures reaching for the top of the heap. My moderate rating reflects only my personal level of pleasure, in the same way that I can admire a painting such as Munch’s “The Scream” without wanting to dwell with it very long.

Roger Brown is an effete, manipulating cad who strives to be the best as his executive headhunting agency, Alfa, in Oslo. You can’t appreciating the artfulness in all the psychological tricks he uses to assure that without fail he picks the best man for the CEO positions he is well paid to fill and that his client candidates get perfectly placed in high positions. I came to see how he deserved the luxurious lifestyle he leads and his beautiful trophy wife, Diana, who runs an art gallery. That he truly loves her makes us see him as human. But such a love can prove to be an Achilles heel, and denying such a wife’s desire to have a baby can have consequences.

Roger’s greed sows the seeds for trouble. In developing a Dutch candidate for a GPS technology company, one Clas Greve, Brown learns he owns a Reubens lost during World War 2. Because Brown lives beyond his means, he has a hobby of art theft. Is the well-crafted theft of this Reubens (revealed on the book jacket) just another bad-boy behavior we can kind of admire, or does this finally move you the reader to root for his downfall? As Greve starts taking actions against Brown, does he become the hero of the tale? With his military background as an ex-special forces soldier and an expert in advanced technologies, he is a dangerous opponent. The shadowy war between Brown and Greve takes a nasty turn when Diana becomes a pawn in the match.

This was my first Nesbo and served as a good prelude to tapping into his Harry Hole detective series, which is so well respected in the vanguard of the wave of Nordic noir mysteries reaching the American shores.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Because there is nothing that makes a man grow beyond his own stature than a woman telling him she loves him.”

“Headhunters” is the second Jo Nesbo novel I have read. I will read others.
This book was given to me by a friend who loved it…I liked it. It is a short novel and a quick read that is well plotted and has more than a few twists and turns, most of which I did not see coming. Most of which are plausible and worked, and a few which required me to take a larger leap than I was willing to take without rolling my eyes. So I rolled my eyes and took the leap.
Overall, this is a fast-paced novel, with some truly clever bits of shock and surprise that will keep you entertained. What I really like about it was the occasional bit of writing that took this text out of the realm of crime novel and gave it literary moments. Having both elements in a book can make for an excellent read. Passages like the following are an example of what I am talking about. “That we could sleep and dream in such a way that when we awoke it had disappeared, become something abstract, scenes from something that only took place in our heads, on the same level as those treacherous thoughts and fantasies that are the daily infidelity in every-even the most all-consuming-loving relationship.”
As mentioned, this is my second standalone Nesbo novel, and “Headhunters” has the violence and moments of human ugliness that seem to be a standard of Nesbo’s works. Next, I am going to tackle his famous Harry Hole series and see if that keeps me reading his novels.
“Headhunters” is a great text for a weekend of entertainment and an easy introduction to test and see if you enjoy Jo Nesbo.

[Kuszma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nesbø nagyon jó abban, hogy élő karaktereket alkosson. Itt van ez a Roger. A szerző egyetlen fejezetben képes ellenállhatatlan késztetést ébreszteni bennem, hogy odarángassam Rogert a pofonfa alá, és megrázzam. (Őt is, meg a fát is.) Egy arrogáns, amorális kis genya, aki elit céges fejvadászként igazi bullshit munkát végez*, de úgy tekint magára, mintha valami művész lenne, a humán erőforrások Paganinije. Arra persze nem marad agyi kapacitása, hogy a recepciós lány nevét megjegyezze, de mindegy, minek is az, recepciós lányok nevét nem szoktunk megjegyezni. Aztán persze Nesbø finomít a figurán: kiderül róla például, hogy valójában egy kortárs Rastignac, aki a nincstelenségből, egy elnyomó apa árnyékából tört fel a nagyok közé, és titokban egyfajta extrém Robin Hood: kirabolja a gazdagokat, a pénzt pedig odaadja... no nem a szegényeknek, hanem csak szegény feleségének, hogy az nyugodtan elszórakoztassa magát a kulturális pénznyelővel, amit Galériának csúfol. Robertünk tehát nagyvad, vagy legalábbis annak képzeli magát – de aztán találkozik egy igazi nagyvaddal, és kiderül, hogy ő csak valami kis termetű menyétszerű ragadozó a nagymacskák között.

Szóval ügyes könyv: jól odatett, izgalmas szereplők, lendület, fordulat, minden, amit a szemünk-szánk kíván. Ugyanakkor nem tudok szabadulni a gondolattól, hogy ha van látványpékség, akkor kell lennie látványhentesnek is, és az kábé úgy néz ki, mint ez a Nesbø-regény: túlságosan véres, túlságosan trükkös, és minden túlságosan meg van magyarázva. A csavarok persze csavarosak, de talán túl is vannak csavarva picinykét, aminek következtében az olvasó ugyan élvezi, amit lát (már ha szereti a vért meg a csavarokat), de közben nem igazán hiszi el, hogy ez tényleg van, hogy ez így tényleg megtörténhet.

* Munkakörének lényege, hogy ha egy cégnél megürül egy felsővezetői állás, akkor a fejvadász keres nekik valakit, aki más cégnél ugyan már megbukott felsővezetőként (ahogy az előző tíz állomáshelyén is), de náluk majd bizonyára nem fog. Közben meg az összes résztvevő a lelke mélyén tisztában van vele, hogy az említett felsővezetői állást egy girhes arapapagáj is kielégítően el tudná látni, elég, ha megtanítják neki a „következő költségvetési évre kirobbanó pénzügyi teljesítményt prognosztizálunk” mondatot, és ezt elég megnyugtatóan ismételgeti a részvénytulajdonosok előtt.

[Negativni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malo sam se umorio od kompleksnijih (znanstveno fantastičnih) romana, pa sam u posljednjem pohodu u knjižnicu birao što tanje knjige. A na ovaj roman Joa Nesbøa me nagovorio Goran sa svojim zabavnim osvrtom.

Knjižničarka se samo nasmijala kada sam pitao da li ima što za posuditi od Joa Nesbøa. No ipak sam našao baš ovaj roman među izloženim knjigama metar i pol od nje. Rekoh: a šta je ovo? A ona: da, dobro, ima taj.

Uglavnom, Jo je onda strpljivo čekao da konačno dovršim Iain M. Banksov "Surface Detail", a kada je konačno došao na red, nisam ga mogao ispustiti iz ruku. Mislim, ok, čitao sam ga nekih tri dana, ali da sam bio u nekakvoj izolaciji, pročitao bih ga odjednom.

Sasvim mi je logično da je Jo Nesbø tako popularan. On piše jednostavnim stilom, ali ne piše loše. Odlično kontrolira tempo, radnju i drži napetost. Likovi su uvjerljivo definirani. Glavni lik djeluje živo, a uz sve njegove mane ne možemo ne navijati i bojati se za njega, što je također pokazatelj Nesbøove kvalitete kao pisca. Radnja je iz prvog lica, što je također majstorski odrađeno.

Sama priča ne bi bila toliko zanimljiva da nije zabavnih promišljanja glavnog lika i odličnog prikaza toka njegovih misli. Tako da ovo nije samo jeftini generički krimić. No, naravno kao i u većini krimića ima možda i jedan twist previše.

Lomim se između ocjena 4 i 5. No kako mi je kraj malo previše netegnuo oprugu nevjerice, neka bude četvorka, a Joa Nesbøa ću svakako uskoro ponovno čitati.

[Miglė · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kažkurioj recenzijoj sakoma, kad visai smagi knyga, jei palieki smegenis už durų. Pritariu ir norėčiau pridurti, kad dar ir duris gerai uždarykit, kad smegenys nesiveržtų į vidų.

Gana paprastas trileris apie du alfa vyrus, kurie matuojasi pimpalus įsivelia į mirtinas gaudynes. Nors bendrai pala, jie iš tiesų visą laiką MATUOJASI: ūgį, gebėjimus, plaukus ir... taip, tiesiogine prasme pimpalus. Hm.

Bechdel testo knyga neatlaikytų, bet joje yra dvi moterys!
MOTERYS:
1. Labai labai graži, labai talentinga ir kieta moteris.
Talentinga ir kieta moteris: "Padovanok man vaiką!! PLS!!! Nu DAVAI!! GIB BABY!!!"
2. Mėmė Tyli, paprasta, besižavinti moteris.
Tyli, paprasta, besižavinti moteris: "..." (žiūri išsigandusiomis akimis į vyrą)

Kartais skaitydama knygas galvoju, ar aš čia kažko nesuprantu, ar pagrindiniai veikėjai yra šūdžiai. Čia man patiko akivaizdus aiškumas, kad pagrindinis veikėjas / pasakotojas yra visiškas šūdžius. Refreshing!

Gaudynės visai smagios, net jei nekenti abiejų veikėjų. Nors dar smagiau, jei žiūri į šią knygą queer kampu. Alfa vyrai, kuriems moterys – arba tik priemonės tikslui pasiekti, arba statuso simboliai, arba būdas pamatyti pačiam save besižavinčiomis akimis. Jie – geriausi savo srityje, neturi sau lygių, kol sutinka VIENAS KITĄ. Ar visos tos gaudynės nėra lytinio akto metafora? Juolab kad seksas su moterimis aprašytas taip, na, ne itin patraukliai – viena dejuoja taip, kad ausis skauda, kita pradėjusi kraujuoti išgąsdina partnerį (ble jums 14 metų ar ką?).

Ai, tiesa, dar siužete svarbus paveikslas, kuris uždėtas ant lietuviško leidimo viršelio ir teigiama prasme išskiria jį iš kitų leidimų.

[Lisa Sansone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Nesbo (of late). Why have two or three plot twists, when you can have five or six (indeed, as usual, the last twist may have been one way-too-many). I personally thought it was more engaging before it turned into a corporate espionage thriller (i.e., when it was just about a cocky man being cuckholded by an even cockier man). I still prefer thrillers that are either 1) more connected with "real" issues and themes (see le Carre, Menking, Larsson, Steinhauer), or 2) are more satisfying as pure mysteries/ thrillers (i.e., they are fully believable and/or clever, without venturing into the absurd). Also, it's hard to pull off a book in which no one is likeable -- it's not impossible, it just takes a certain skill/integrity. When it fails (like here), you kind of end up with a bad taste in your mouth. Regardless, Nesbo is a better than average thriller writer, and it is an enjoyable, engaging, easy read. (3.5 range)

I still think that Nesbo has some strange anal fixation! Here it continues, with a central scene revolving around a guy submerged in an outhouse while another man uses it. (In his detective series, the main character is named "Harry Hole", and his children's book is named "Doctor Proctor".)

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

За всички любители на герои - цинични стоици или стоически циници, сред които просто няма нито една бяла шахматна фигура, но и не са (винаги) от черните - Несбьо се е справил превъзходно. Хуморът и сарказмът ся от най-увлекателните, защото просто са тъжната реалност, малко пренаредена и получила заряд за трансформация в…какво ли не.

Читателската ми душа искрено се зарадва, че този трилър е самостоятелен, а не част от поредица. И да, героите са приятно антипатични, а обратите са интригуваща въртележка от недигитални, т.е. доста осезаеми неприятности.

П.П. Оказа се, че даже има филм с любимеца ми Николай Костер-Валдау!

[Mohammed Sheikh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Headhunters a thriller novel by Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo. Roger Brown whose work is to find the best candidate for a certain job, though he is best at his job but it is getting hard for him to maintain their luxurious life and the expense of his wife’s art gallery. One job he do secretly that is art theft..one day at his wife’s art opining he meets Clas Greve, who can be the perfect finding for him for a CEO job, and some how he find that clas owns a art of Peter Paul Rubens that is lost since world war 2 and it’s priceless.
If you enjoy reading fast paced thriller novel “Headhunters” is for you. Normally i am slow reader, but this 300+ page book just took my 1.5 days
when i was busy with my exam. you just can’t keep away this book until it’s finished!
Rating : 9.4/10

Follow my Blog: http://mohammedsreview.wordpress.com
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[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but not because I liked a single one of the characters in it. In fact, I was about 50 pages in when I decided that the protagonist is a despicable person who deserves whatever’s coming to him. And yet, I didn’t stop reading. Within the next 50 pages, I became hooked. I still didn’t sympathize with any of the characters, but I was enthralled by the drama that played out, compelled to find out what twisted, messed-up thing was going to happen next. Although some parts are ridiculous and unbelievable, it’s a testament to Nesbo’s writing that I was so powerfully drawn into a story about characters that I abhorred. The surprise ending is perfectly crafted, and I loved putting the pieces of the mystery together. Overall, this thriller starts out slow, but once the action starts to build, you won’t be able to put it down.

[Marko Radosavljevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retko koja knjiga me kupi od prve stranice.Ova je to uspela.Savršen krimi roman,drugi Nesbeov koji čitam,i definitivno je na mojoj worship listi pisaca.Preporučujem svakome ko voli inteligentni visokooktanski teiler.Nesbe na mojoj polici zauzima počasno mesto i rado ga preporučujem za čitanje

[batsaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Δεν νομίζω να μου πήρε πάνω από 8ώρες.
Αρκετα καλό, γρήγορος ρυθμός.
Ότι πρέπει για να περάσει η ώρα!

[Luanne Ollivier · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great cover eh? Take a second look at it....creepy and clever. And so is the author Jo Nesbo. I picked up Headhunters thinking that it would feature Nesbo's recurring series character Detective Harry Hole. I started reading, realized that it wasn't and felt slightly disappointed. But I lost that feeling about 10 pages in. Nesbo has written an ingenious, intricately plotted stand alone thriller that had me hooked from start to finish.

Roger Brown is a professional recruiter, a 'headhunter' if you will. He's not just one of the best, he is the best, as he'll tell you. And Roger likes having the best of everything. Sadly his salary does not quite match the lifestyle he's created for his wife and himself. So Roger dabbles....in art theft. Conveniently during his many recruitment interviews, he steers the discussion to art. His latest applicant, Clas Greve, has a piece of art that would leave Roger sitting pretty for the rest of his life. Roger breaks into Greve's home in search of the painting and finds much more than he bargained for......

Nesbo's characterization of Roger is perfect - he comes across as a cocky, superior know-it-all, confident in his abilities to out think and out maneuver anyone and everyone. When Clas Greve begins to challenge Roger's abilities, a delicious game of cat and mouse is the result. The dialogue is quick, witty and darkly humourous. The plotting is very inventive and had me guessing until the very end.

Headhunters has been made into a film in Nesbo's native Norway. The publisher's blurb on the back of the book.." Nesbo has crafted a funny, dark and twisted caper worthy of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers" is spot on.

[Λίνα Θωμάρεη · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readathon 2017 7/26: Ένα βιβλίο που αναβάλλετε συνεχώς να διαβάσετε.


Jo Nesbo: Ένας συγγραφέας που α) όλοι τον έχουμε ακούσει και β) σχεδόν όλοι τον έχουνε διαβάσει...
Εγώ μέχρι και προχθές άνηκα στο α) κομμάτι....

Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο είχα την τύχη να μου το δωρίσουν στην Έκθεση βιβλίου που γίνεται κάθε καλοκαίρι στο Πασαλιμάνι από τις ίδιες τις εκδόσεις. Ήταν το βιβλίο που πίστευαν ότι θα με κάνουν να αγαπήσω αυτόν τον συγγραφέα... Γιατί όμως άργησα να το διαβάσω?
Διότι 1ον δεν μου άρεσε το εξώφυλλο και 2ον το βρήκα εντελώς άκυρο με τον τίτλο... ή για να μιλήσω πιο σοβαρά ... δεν ήταν ο καιρός μου ακόμα να διαβάσω Nesbo.
Πέρασαν κάπου 3 χρόνια και το βιβλίο όσες φορές και να το έβλεπα απλά δεν του έδινα σημασία... (μέσα μου ήξερα ότι δεν θα το διάβαζα ποτέ).
Μέχρι προχθές που άνευ κινητού (είναι για φτιάξιμο) έπρεπε να βρω ένα βιβλίο που να είναι μικρό και με λίγες (σχετικά) σελίδες για να με συντροφεύει στις άσκοπες πολλές ώρες των ΜΜΜ.

Ναι έτσι λοιπόν Nesbo πήρα το βιβλίο σου και ξεκίνησα να το διαβάζω... και έτσι λοιπόν άρχισα να κατανοώ όλη αυτήν την μανία που γίνεται γύρω από τα βιβλία σου.

Το πρώτο πράγμα που με μαγνήτισε στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο ήταν οι τόσο καλοδουλεμένοι χαρακτήρες, το δεύτερο ήταν η γρήγορη, ενδιαφέρουσα και με υπεκφυγές γραφή και το τρίτο που εκεί πλέων είπα ότι, ΝΑΙ ΝΕΣΜΠΟ είσαι απλά Θεούλης ήταν η τόσο φαινομενικά απλή ιστορία που στην συνέχεια έγινε σχεδόν επιστημονική φαντασίας με δείγματα κατασκοπίας και ξέφρενης περιπέτειας.

Για όλα αυτά λοιπόν και για την υπέροχη μετάφραση 5 αστέρια είναι λίγα πολύ λίγα....

(και όλα αυτά σκεφτείτε... από μια σπασμένη οθόνη κινητού....)

[Nan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I did like Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I love Kenneth Branaugh in PBS' Wallander, and I like shopping at IKEA, but that doesn't mean everything from Scandinavia is equally good. Headhunters is Exhibit A. It IS a fast-moving, competently written mystery, but the first-person character is unlikeable (which he knows! and trades on!), and the scene in the outhouse is among the most disgusting I've ever read. The ending? Unbelievable--and I mean that in a bad way.

[Evangelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3,5 αστέρια* (πραγματικά πρέπει να αρχίσουν να μπαίνουν και μισά αστεράκια.)
Δεύτερη επαφή με το Nesbo, αλλά δε νομίζω ότι έγινα ακόμη νεσμπομανιακιά. Ίσως δεν έχω βρει ακόμη το σωστό βιβλίο του που θα πω ουάο. Οι κυνηγοί κεφαλών ωστόσο, είναι ένα βιβλίο που έχει στοιχεία έκπληξης και καλής γραφής. Είναι μικρό, με γρήγορη δράση και διαβάζεται εύκολα. Από το γεγονός ότι σκεφτόμουν πότε θα πάω σπίτι να το συνεχίσω, συμπεραίνω ότι ναι μου άρεσε. Το κολπάκι στην αρχή του βιβλίου με την αποκάλυψη ενός μέρος της πλοκής, ήταν πολύ έξυπνα σκηνοθετημένο, όπως και τρόπος αναθεώρησης της υπόθεσης στο τέλος (παρ' όλο που σε εκείνο το σημείο κούρασε η επανάληψη).
Μου κέντρισε ιδιαίτερα το ενδιαφέρον και είναι στα πολύ + του βιβλίου, το γεγονός ότι όταν διάβαζα κάτι παρατραβηγμένο και έλεγα, «ναι εντάξει πώς γίνεται αυτό; ή και δε θα το είχαν καταλάβει αν γινόταν έτσι;», λίγες σειρές μετά έδινε την απάντηση με στυλ, «και μη νομίζεις ότι δε θα μπορούσε να γίνει ή πως δεν το καταλαβαν γιατί το έκανα με αυτόν τον τρόπο». Τι εννοώ, είναι σαν να διάβαζε τις ερωτήσεις μου ή τις αμφιβολίες μου ο Nesbo και μου έδινε μετά από λίγο την απάντηση. Το τέλος ήταν αρκετά καλό, με το «παιχνίδι μυαλού» που μας έπαιξε -και βλέπουμε για ακόμη μία φορά το πλεονέκτημα των βιβλίων έναντι των ταινιών- αλλά όχι και ιδιαίτερα δίκαιο. Αλλά να μου πεις, είναι πολλά πράγματα δίκαια σε αυτήν την κοινωνία; Άρα, λες ότι αντικατοπτρίζει και την πραγματικότητα.
Κρατάω ακόμη μικρό καλάθι για το φαινόμενο ονομαζόμενο Nesbo και περιμένω κάτι πιο δυνατό στην επόμενη απόπειρα μου μαζί του.

[Krbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

da, bio sam u pravu, stvarno jako zabavan i lagan krimić.

ako ste prvo pogledali film (kao ja) malo će vam pokvariti doživljaj prvog čitanja jer će vam stalno glumci i scene filma biti pred očima no s druge strane film je jako vjeran knjizi i jako dobro napravljen.

takvima kao ja knjiga će dopuniti unutarnje dijaloge, a neki su nezamjenjivi jer vrve crnim humorom.

o čemu razmišlja osoba koja roni u septičkoj jami vanjskog WC???

saznajte :)


sve preporuke i knjizi i filmu

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great psychological thriller. Excellent plot twists and turns. Hard to put down.

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read by Seán Barrett

Description: With Headhunters, Jo Nesbø has crafted a funny, dark, and twisted caper story worthy of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers. Roger Brown is a corporate headhunter, and he’s a master of his profession. But one career simply can’t support his luxurious lifestyle and his wife’s fledgling art gallery. At an art opening one night he meets Clas Greve, who is not only the perfect candidate for a major CEO job, but also, perhaps, the answer to his financial woes: Greve just so happens to mention that he owns a priceless Peter Paul Rubens painting that’s been lost since World War II—and Roger Brown just so happens to dabble in art theft. But when he breaks into Greve’s apartment, he finds more than just the painting. And Clas Greve may turn out to be the worst thing that’s ever happened to Roger Brown.

Perfect satire on employment agencies, corporate bullshit, corruption, and the heinous side of capitalism, all couched behind a life-changing art theft.

"Platform Shoes, darling!"
Mr Brown is a sociopathic squirt with a Napoleon complex and I loved every little knock down he received in a 'reap as you sow' way. Unlike Highsmith's Mr Ripley, Brown is detestable - he even hates dogs. The psychological unease increases when Roger decides to 'play' the Dutch psychopath Clas Greve. Twisty fun right there: Game On!

The Brooch - Munch

Calydonian Boar Hunt - Rubens. I smelt a double cross coming when this painting was introduced, clued by the picture's subject matter, and the mention of Curare.

Chapter 14 was ludicrous and lost a star into the cesspit right there, perhaps Nesbø became confused and thought he was writing one of his Fart Powder stories.

Another fallen star for chapter 17 where we were treated to some memories of domestic violence, current violence, and a convenient wallet enables the story to carry on.

So to sum up - the first dozen chapters were as engrossing as a good Robert Goddard, then slid down rapidly to a two star.

I cannot recommend this.

TR The Bat (Harry Hole #1)
4* The Redbreast (Harry Hole, #3)
3.5* The Redeemer (Harry Hole #6)
3.5* The Snowman (Harry Hole, #7)
TR The Leopard (Harry Hole #8)

5* The Son
2* Headhunters
WL Blood on Snow
WL Jo Nesbø's Fart Powder Series

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The central character in this thriller is not Nesbo’s Harry Hole, but rather a headhunter named Roger Brown. He claims that he has never nominated a candidate for a job that was not, in the end, offered. So he’s quite good at his game. But Roger doesn’t play just one game. He lives a lavish lifestyle and his wife is a struggling gallery owner who relies on him for financial support. So Roger must supplement his income – which he does by dabbling in art theft. This is another role in which he excels.

At one of the shows at his wife’s gallery, Roger meets Clas Greve – an intriguing guy who happens to mention that he has a long-lost Peter Paul Rubens painting. Clas also seems perfect for a position for which Roger is searching for a top candidate. And so the game is afoot. But . . . this is not a game that Roger is used to playing, as his involvement with Clas nearly leads to Roger’s demise.

Roger is a terrific example of the antihero – a despicable character whom you must cheer on through his adventures. And the humor that Nesbo infuses lightens the tone of this thriller just enough without detracting from the thrills.

This is a stand-alone novel not connected in any way to Nesbo’s highly successful Harry Hole novels. Nevertheless, it is cleverly written and will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout – though some of Roger’s situations (and the way he extracts himself from them) strain credulity.

Grade: B