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The Assistant
A seemingly straightforward investigation into marital infidelity leads a PI and his ex-con assistant on a murderous trail, in a sophisticated, riveting historical Nordic Noir thriller set in interwar and prohibition-era Norway.
Oslo, 1938. War is in the air and Europe is in turmoil. Hitler’s Germany has occupied Austria and is threatening Czechoslovakia; there’s a civil war in Spain and Mussolini reigns in Italy.
When a woman turns up at the office of police-turned-private investigator Ludvig Paaske, he and his assistant – his one-time nemesis and former drug-smuggler Jack Rivers – begin a seemingly straightforward investigation into marital infidelity.
But all is not what it seems, and when Jack is accused of murder, the trail leads back to the 1920s, to prohibition-era Norway, to the smugglers, sex workers and hoodlums of his criminal past ... and an extraordinary secret.
Both a fascinating portrait of Oslo’s interwar years, with Nazis operating secretly on Norwegian soil and militant socialists readying workers for war, The Assistant is also a stunningly sophisticated, tension-packed thriller – the darkest of hard-boiled Nordic Noir – from one of Norway’s most acclaimed crime writers.
Oslo, 1938. War is in the air and Europe is in turmoil. Hitler’s Germany has occupied Austria and is threatening Czechoslovakia; there’s a civil war in Spain and Mussolini reigns in Italy.
When a woman turns up at the office of police-turned-private investigator Ludvig Paaske, he and his assistant – his one-time nemesis and former drug-smuggler Jack Rivers – begin a seemingly straightforward investigation into marital infidelity.
But all is not what it seems, and when Jack is accused of murder, the trail leads back to the 1920s, to prohibition-era Norway, to the smugglers, sex workers and hoodlums of his criminal past ... and an extraordinary secret.
Both a fascinating portrait of Oslo’s interwar years, with Nazis operating secretly on Norwegian soil and militant socialists readying workers for war, The Assistant is also a stunningly sophisticated, tension-packed thriller – the darkest of hard-boiled Nordic Noir – from one of Norway’s most acclaimed crime writers.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
139 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Kjell Ola Dahl
42 books128 followersBorn in 1958, Dahl's first novel was published in 1993. He is best known for his series about Oslo detectives Frank Frølich and Inspector Gunnarstranda.
Also publishes as K.O. Dahl
Also publishes as K.O. Dahl
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
November 6, 2022
Following K. O. Dahl’s previous historically based crime standalone, The Courier, set in post war Norway, we are now transported to the pre-war period, where unrest and uncertainty is growing, and life is on the brink of change as the fascism movement begins to insidiously tighten its grip on Europe…
Being quite familiar now with Dahl’s writing, and the pincer grip on both narrative and dialogue that he always exhibits in his Oslo detective series, and the assured, beautifully researched historical detail of The Courier, this book skilfully marries both aspects of his writing together. Consequently we have two distinct timelines in the 1920/30s, which serves to place the reader in a very specific period of both Norwegian and European history, referencing the Spanish Civil War and the rise of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin et al, playing out as a sinister backdrop to a tale encompassing smuggling, espionage, jealousy and betrayal.
Kjell sets the scene beautifully in the 1920s period where the smuggling of alcohol and fuel proves to be a lucrative, if somewhat exploitative side line, in an age of Prohibition and growing poverty. This is where we first encounter Jack Rivers, a two-bit criminal eking out a living, working for the grasping Arvid Bjerke, and police officer Ludvig Paske, whose relentless pursuit of Rivers makes for an interesting dynamic later in the book, when they begin working together in Paske’s detective agency. Dahl keeps the scope of European events and how they are reflected in Norway front and centre, so the reader is torn between the intrinsic need of the masses for the black market smuggling, but also the questioning of who ultimately really benefits from this exploitation.
There is a real echo of Raymond Chandler throughout the book, not only in the running of Paske’s detective agency, with both he and Rivers falling for the alluring charms of a couple of archetypal femme fatales, but also in the way that Kjell draws his characters. He mirrors Chandler in using a snapshot approach when depicting the characters in the book, so we see small, lightly described pieces of a person’s visage and attire rather than an intricately detailed picture, and it works to great affect. Consequently, all the key details of a person’s appearance or how they hold themselves actually conveys quite a lot to the reader in terms of their character and behavioural traits. For example Bjerke reminded me of an unscrupulous car dealer just from his physical description, and Paske, as what we would take as an upstanding former police officer, was immediately flagged as shifty to my mind. Kjell also employs the tactic of not painting all of his characters as solely good or bad, and there are some wonderful shades of grey playing around them, particularly in relation to his female characters, where their own exploitative and scheming actions are sometimes masking a sense of fragility at the root of their characters, particularly in the case of Rivers’ erstwhile lover, Amalie.
As the back story and the present of The Assistant begin to weave together, giving us a gradually unfolding picture of the nature of the relationships between the characters, Dahl moves us slowly to an unexpected ending, wrought with duplicitous acts and a heightened sense of emotional betrayals. The meandering pace of the book to this point, makes the harshness of the ending all the more impactful, and subtly toys with the reader’s empathy as the extent of the betrayals wreaks havoc on more than one character. This, taken beside the precise historical detail and cleverly pared down characterisation, make this a book to be savoured. Recommended,
Being quite familiar now with Dahl’s writing, and the pincer grip on both narrative and dialogue that he always exhibits in his Oslo detective series, and the assured, beautifully researched historical detail of The Courier, this book skilfully marries both aspects of his writing together. Consequently we have two distinct timelines in the 1920/30s, which serves to place the reader in a very specific period of both Norwegian and European history, referencing the Spanish Civil War and the rise of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin et al, playing out as a sinister backdrop to a tale encompassing smuggling, espionage, jealousy and betrayal.
Kjell sets the scene beautifully in the 1920s period where the smuggling of alcohol and fuel proves to be a lucrative, if somewhat exploitative side line, in an age of Prohibition and growing poverty. This is where we first encounter Jack Rivers, a two-bit criminal eking out a living, working for the grasping Arvid Bjerke, and police officer Ludvig Paske, whose relentless pursuit of Rivers makes for an interesting dynamic later in the book, when they begin working together in Paske’s detective agency. Dahl keeps the scope of European events and how they are reflected in Norway front and centre, so the reader is torn between the intrinsic need of the masses for the black market smuggling, but also the questioning of who ultimately really benefits from this exploitation.
There is a real echo of Raymond Chandler throughout the book, not only in the running of Paske’s detective agency, with both he and Rivers falling for the alluring charms of a couple of archetypal femme fatales, but also in the way that Kjell draws his characters. He mirrors Chandler in using a snapshot approach when depicting the characters in the book, so we see small, lightly described pieces of a person’s visage and attire rather than an intricately detailed picture, and it works to great affect. Consequently, all the key details of a person’s appearance or how they hold themselves actually conveys quite a lot to the reader in terms of their character and behavioural traits. For example Bjerke reminded me of an unscrupulous car dealer just from his physical description, and Paske, as what we would take as an upstanding former police officer, was immediately flagged as shifty to my mind. Kjell also employs the tactic of not painting all of his characters as solely good or bad, and there are some wonderful shades of grey playing around them, particularly in relation to his female characters, where their own exploitative and scheming actions are sometimes masking a sense of fragility at the root of their characters, particularly in the case of Rivers’ erstwhile lover, Amalie.
As the back story and the present of The Assistant begin to weave together, giving us a gradually unfolding picture of the nature of the relationships between the characters, Dahl moves us slowly to an unexpected ending, wrought with duplicitous acts and a heightened sense of emotional betrayals. The meandering pace of the book to this point, makes the harshness of the ending all the more impactful, and subtly toys with the reader’s empathy as the extent of the betrayals wreaks havoc on more than one character. This, taken beside the precise historical detail and cleverly pared down characterisation, make this a book to be savoured. Recommended,
May 14, 2021
The Assistant switches back and forth between two timelines, one set in 1924/25 (when Oslo was still known as Kristiania) and the other in 1938. The leading characters, Ludvig Paaske and Jack Rivers, appear in both timelines, as do other individuals but only gradually does it become clear how they and the events described interact. At one point, on returning to a house he visited fourteen years earlier, Jack observes how ‘time can go round in circles’ and I had much the same feeling. Thankfully, the chapter headings clearly identify which of the two timelines the reader is in.
The dictionary defines an assistant as ‘person who assists or gives aid and support; helper, a person who is subordinate to another in rank, function, etc.; one holding a secondary rank in an office or post’. I liked how the author plays with the concept of being an assistant.
When we initially meet Jack Rivers he is working for Arvid Bjerke, the owner of a transport company, driving vehicles carrying goods, including contraband alcohol, to Bjerke’s customers. In other words, Jack is assisting in criminal activity. Moving forward fourteen years, Jack is working as assistant to Ludvig Paaske, a former police office who now runs a private investigation business. Ludvig has hired Jack despite his criminal record so you could say Paaske is assisting Jack to go straight.
If only the relationship between the two men was as straightforward as that. For example, does the role of assistant imply a degree of loyalty to the person you are assisting? From Paaske’s point of view it seems clear it does. ‘An assistant means outgoings, but he has to be able to repay investment, to add value.’ But if this is the case, should there be an expectation of the same in return?
Ludwig and Jack are both flawed characters who have done bad things and made poor decisions in the past (although many of the female characters are not much better). But which of them has damaged their integrity the most as a result? Can the reader forgive either of them for their past actions?
At one point in the earlier timeline, Jack gets the sense he is being manipulated by unknown individuals, that someone is standing above him pulling the strings. There’s something in that as he seems to have the uncanny habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, sometimes even at the site of a murder.
With a storyline containing so many twists and turns it’s occasionally easy to feel lost so I welcomed Jack sharing his theories in such a cogent manner in the final chapter. Setting out of the moves made by the various characters and their motivations for doing so in the way he does neatly references his own love of solving chess problems. And his piecing together of the disparate parts of the metaphorical jigsaw to reveal the full picture brings to mind Paaske undertaking the same task with the handmade jigsaws sent to him by his artist daughter.
One of the reasons I enjoy historical fiction so much is that I invariably learn things I would have never otherwise known about. For example, I wasn’t aware that Norway had a period of prohibition in the interwar years or that the Norwegian government opposed its citizens joining those fighting the fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Along with the historical detail, the book conjures up a vivid picture of Norwegian lifestyle which is clearly much influenced by its landscape – the lakeside summer houses, swimming and sailing, travelling on the ferries that ply between Oslo and the small islands that surround it.
I believe the mark of a skilful translation is if at no time you feel you are reading a book translated from another language; such was the case here. The book moves along at pace, rather in the manner of the oncoming train in the opening scene. With its intricate plot, The Assistant will keep you guessing until you turn the final page and quite possibly pondering on what you’ve read for some time after that.
The dictionary defines an assistant as ‘person who assists or gives aid and support; helper, a person who is subordinate to another in rank, function, etc.; one holding a secondary rank in an office or post’. I liked how the author plays with the concept of being an assistant.
When we initially meet Jack Rivers he is working for Arvid Bjerke, the owner of a transport company, driving vehicles carrying goods, including contraband alcohol, to Bjerke’s customers. In other words, Jack is assisting in criminal activity. Moving forward fourteen years, Jack is working as assistant to Ludvig Paaske, a former police office who now runs a private investigation business. Ludvig has hired Jack despite his criminal record so you could say Paaske is assisting Jack to go straight.
If only the relationship between the two men was as straightforward as that. For example, does the role of assistant imply a degree of loyalty to the person you are assisting? From Paaske’s point of view it seems clear it does. ‘An assistant means outgoings, but he has to be able to repay investment, to add value.’ But if this is the case, should there be an expectation of the same in return?
Ludwig and Jack are both flawed characters who have done bad things and made poor decisions in the past (although many of the female characters are not much better). But which of them has damaged their integrity the most as a result? Can the reader forgive either of them for their past actions?
At one point in the earlier timeline, Jack gets the sense he is being manipulated by unknown individuals, that someone is standing above him pulling the strings. There’s something in that as he seems to have the uncanny habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, sometimes even at the site of a murder.
With a storyline containing so many twists and turns it’s occasionally easy to feel lost so I welcomed Jack sharing his theories in such a cogent manner in the final chapter. Setting out of the moves made by the various characters and their motivations for doing so in the way he does neatly references his own love of solving chess problems. And his piecing together of the disparate parts of the metaphorical jigsaw to reveal the full picture brings to mind Paaske undertaking the same task with the handmade jigsaws sent to him by his artist daughter.
One of the reasons I enjoy historical fiction so much is that I invariably learn things I would have never otherwise known about. For example, I wasn’t aware that Norway had a period of prohibition in the interwar years or that the Norwegian government opposed its citizens joining those fighting the fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Along with the historical detail, the book conjures up a vivid picture of Norwegian lifestyle which is clearly much influenced by its landscape – the lakeside summer houses, swimming and sailing, travelling on the ferries that ply between Oslo and the small islands that surround it.
I believe the mark of a skilful translation is if at no time you feel you are reading a book translated from another language; such was the case here. The book moves along at pace, rather in the manner of the oncoming train in the opening scene. With its intricate plot, The Assistant will keep you guessing until you turn the final page and quite possibly pondering on what you’ve read for some time after that.
May 6, 2021
Kjell Ola Dahl is one of the most prominent representatives of Norwegian, and Nordic in general, crime fiction and his Oslo Detective series have won the hearts of the readership around the world. Nevertheless, Dahl often experiments with some standalone novels that totally rocked the boat and proved that there are still authors who know how to create a plausible representation of a past era and the best example so far was the brilliant Courier, a story set during the Nazi occupation of Norway. The Assistant continues in the same vein and here the backdrop covers two different timelines, 1924 and 1938. The double timeline narrative is handled expertly as the author surely has made extensive research on the eras described in this latest book and the reader often feels like he inhabits a long-forgotten time setting through Dahl's accurate prose emphasizing on the convincing descriptive parts and the meticulously crafted dialogue that makes the main characters feel relatable to the reader. In this novel, which is a mix of spy and thriller fiction, the plot is elaborate without being labyrinthine and the reader has the chance to guess what happens next if he is clever enough to connect the dots that the author provides. I have to admit that even though I've enjoyed massively all the Oslo Detectives books, I find Dahl's standalones to be totally irresistible and impossible to put down. I finished this one in just two sittings, keep in mind it is not such a long book, and the surprises were constant especially as the story reached its climax.
To read my full review, visit https://tapthelinemag.com/post/the-as...
To read my full review, visit https://tapthelinemag.com/post/the-as...
November 20, 2021
3.5 stars
Kjell Ola Dahl was a totally new author to me so I went in with an open mind, even though I was a little unsure about the type of novel it was. It turned out The Assistant is quite the varied type and it is everything you think – or hope – it might be. Nordic crime? Check! Spies and lots of action? Double check! An intriguing mystery delivered in a historical setting? Why yes that too!
The Assistant contains at first chapters shifting between 1924 and 1938, and ends in 1962, but it all starts in 1924 where Jack Rivers is a driver for a man called Arvid Bjerke. He not only transports passengers but is also a runman delivering illegal cans of liquor to village shops. In the very first pages Jack is actually trying to avoid being arrested as he tries to outwit ‘the cop from hell’ Ludvig Paaske in a breathtakingly dangerous scene. Twenty pages later though with a time jump to 1938 Paaske isn’t a cop anymore but a private investigator and Rivers is quite suddenly his sidekick. It is all quite matter of fact with no explanation what happened in between so that only intrigued me more to find out how they got from sworn enemies to allies.
Good teamwork is certainly necessary when a woman asks them to investigate her husband, only to bring danger on themselves as soon as they start trailing the husband. I was invested in this novel from the action-packed opening till the earth shattering ending. In between I followed a treacherous path of twists and red herrings. This is one of those novels that were it a movie you better not look away if you want to keep up with what’s happening. There’s robbery, betrayal, narrow escapes and plenty of action and two women as memorable characters, Julie – wife to Jack’s old employer Arvid – and Amalie who plays the part of Arvid’s mistress. Both women play a magnificent role in all of it but are also characters that will make you question their sincerity and motives. Is Amalie worth being Jack’s crush or is she playing games with him? What are Julie’s intentions towards Jack? Who to trust?
I have to admit that this was a somewhat challenging novel for me. I didn’t find the story as easy to read as the novels I finished in the weeks before with the writing style being more show than tell. I was often wondering what was going on and felt a little lost at times. I was also taken by surprise in the end that the novel suddenly went a very different direction than the route I had figured we were going. Without saying too much hopefully, I anticipated a full blown political/spy novel in the end with everything that had happened but I was way off track and shortly before the ending I became painfully aware of my mistake. My mouth nearly dropped open when I finally saw what we were dealing with! I really did enjoy the ending though which showed the true colours of all the characters. Overall I can conclude this is a great novel but I’m left in doubt that the style of writing makes this the right author for me.
Kjell Ola Dahl was a totally new author to me so I went in with an open mind, even though I was a little unsure about the type of novel it was. It turned out The Assistant is quite the varied type and it is everything you think – or hope – it might be. Nordic crime? Check! Spies and lots of action? Double check! An intriguing mystery delivered in a historical setting? Why yes that too!
The Assistant contains at first chapters shifting between 1924 and 1938, and ends in 1962, but it all starts in 1924 where Jack Rivers is a driver for a man called Arvid Bjerke. He not only transports passengers but is also a runman delivering illegal cans of liquor to village shops. In the very first pages Jack is actually trying to avoid being arrested as he tries to outwit ‘the cop from hell’ Ludvig Paaske in a breathtakingly dangerous scene. Twenty pages later though with a time jump to 1938 Paaske isn’t a cop anymore but a private investigator and Rivers is quite suddenly his sidekick. It is all quite matter of fact with no explanation what happened in between so that only intrigued me more to find out how they got from sworn enemies to allies.
Good teamwork is certainly necessary when a woman asks them to investigate her husband, only to bring danger on themselves as soon as they start trailing the husband. I was invested in this novel from the action-packed opening till the earth shattering ending. In between I followed a treacherous path of twists and red herrings. This is one of those novels that were it a movie you better not look away if you want to keep up with what’s happening. There’s robbery, betrayal, narrow escapes and plenty of action and two women as memorable characters, Julie – wife to Jack’s old employer Arvid – and Amalie who plays the part of Arvid’s mistress. Both women play a magnificent role in all of it but are also characters that will make you question their sincerity and motives. Is Amalie worth being Jack’s crush or is she playing games with him? What are Julie’s intentions towards Jack? Who to trust?
I have to admit that this was a somewhat challenging novel for me. I didn’t find the story as easy to read as the novels I finished in the weeks before with the writing style being more show than tell. I was often wondering what was going on and felt a little lost at times. I was also taken by surprise in the end that the novel suddenly went a very different direction than the route I had figured we were going. Without saying too much hopefully, I anticipated a full blown political/spy novel in the end with everything that had happened but I was way off track and shortly before the ending I became painfully aware of my mistake. My mouth nearly dropped open when I finally saw what we were dealing with! I really did enjoy the ending though which showed the true colours of all the characters. Overall I can conclude this is a great novel but I’m left in doubt that the style of writing makes this the right author for me.
May 6, 2021
I was delighted when I heard that Kjell Ola Dahl had written another historical crime story, I read and enjoyed the last one; The Courier and had high hopes for The Assistant.
I have been totally caught up in this clever and multi layered story, Dahl writes with such ease, allowing his readers to experience the country of Norway; the sights, the sounds, the tradition and the history.
The Assistant of the title is Jack Rivers, although his helping role comes later in the book. At the beginning, back in 1924 Jack Rivers and his eventual boss Ludwig Paaske are sworn enemies. Jack spends his days transporting illegal spirits in and around Kristiania. Norway is under prohibition, with strong spirits outlawed, but Jack has a steady supply.
The author then travels to Kristiana in 1938; now known as Oslo and surprisingly we find Jack and Ludwig working together as private detectives. We don't know, at first, how this unusual pairing came about, the ex police officer and the man he was desperate to capture, now working together on privately commissioned cases. They've been visited by a woman who suspects her husband of infidelity, For Ludwig, it seems like a simple case, yet Jack is convinced there is far more to it.
The Assistant is expertly structured, and as the author flits back and forth in time, the two strands of the story becoming increasingly interwoven. Jack was correct, there is far more to this case that first appears and his past is linked to the events of the present day.
Jack Rivers is a fabulous character, I'd love to see him with his own series. He's intuitive and clever, yet passionate and caring, His loyalties are stretched to their limit by what becomes apparent during the investigations, he has time to reflect on past events and ponder the future. Paaske, on the other hand is something of an enigma to me. Colder, and not as easy to understand. However, as an investigative duo, they are such a joy to discover.
The Assistant is much more than a crime story. It's also a history lesson and I learnt so much about pre-war Norway. Dahl's story is, as always, impeccably plotted. It is original and absorbing and I would recommend this to all.
I have been totally caught up in this clever and multi layered story, Dahl writes with such ease, allowing his readers to experience the country of Norway; the sights, the sounds, the tradition and the history.
The Assistant of the title is Jack Rivers, although his helping role comes later in the book. At the beginning, back in 1924 Jack Rivers and his eventual boss Ludwig Paaske are sworn enemies. Jack spends his days transporting illegal spirits in and around Kristiania. Norway is under prohibition, with strong spirits outlawed, but Jack has a steady supply.
The author then travels to Kristiana in 1938; now known as Oslo and surprisingly we find Jack and Ludwig working together as private detectives. We don't know, at first, how this unusual pairing came about, the ex police officer and the man he was desperate to capture, now working together on privately commissioned cases. They've been visited by a woman who suspects her husband of infidelity, For Ludwig, it seems like a simple case, yet Jack is convinced there is far more to it.
The Assistant is expertly structured, and as the author flits back and forth in time, the two strands of the story becoming increasingly interwoven. Jack was correct, there is far more to this case that first appears and his past is linked to the events of the present day.
Jack Rivers is a fabulous character, I'd love to see him with his own series. He's intuitive and clever, yet passionate and caring, His loyalties are stretched to their limit by what becomes apparent during the investigations, he has time to reflect on past events and ponder the future. Paaske, on the other hand is something of an enigma to me. Colder, and not as easy to understand. However, as an investigative duo, they are such a joy to discover.
The Assistant is much more than a crime story. It's also a history lesson and I learnt so much about pre-war Norway. Dahl's story is, as always, impeccably plotted. It is original and absorbing and I would recommend this to all.
February 18, 2023
This was a really good book to read if you like criminals. The assistant seems to be given the short end of the stick by his boss. More than once every time he came up with something good. He would be reported by a woman, every time it seems. Go to jail or get out of it. It's a fun book to read and Kjell takes us back quite a bit to make us understand how things work. There are German spies and Russian spies before WWII making all kinds of havoc. We also learn about Norway's take on no hard liquor, only beer and wine during their prohibition. There's always something troubling to the Norwegians during the 1925's thru the 1939, we can see this in Kjell's writing. Seems it would be a good time to live. This book won't be published in English until the 1st of October 2021. I would pre-order it if I were you. I read it a second time and couldn't remember what happened in the end. Read it you'll like it.
May 8, 2021
In Kjell Ola Dahl’s latest novel, The Assistant, he whisks us to Europe in 1938, when the continent is on the brink of war. There is tension simmering in the air with talks about what Hitler and his regime are doing. We are introduced to former a police detective, turned private investigator, Ludvig Paaske, who is now working with his one time, arch-nemesis, Jack Rivers. But what has drawn them to work together?
I thought the partnership of Jack Rivers and Ludvig Paaske was really intriguing. I wanted to find out more about it and what had prompted them to form this new alliance. Would this have any implications for Ludvig, particularly as he swore to put Jack behind bars during the prohibition era in Norway in the 1920s?
The case which they are investigating is an interesting one, very simple at first, when a woman asks them to spy on her husband, who she suspects is having an affair. But very soon, Ludvig begins to see that there is much more at play here than what first meets the eye.
Jack Rivers comes across as very likeable, even though he is a criminal. You can see that he is a passionate man when it comes to love and women, but you also get the sense that he is in control of the situation, especially when things get tense. I was really interested in the scenes set in the 1920s when Jack played on the wrong side of the law by smuggling alcohol. This was a part of history that, until I read this book, I didn’t know much about, particularly about the prohibition in Norway. It was fascinating to find out more about what was happening in the world at this time. After I finished reading the book, I wanted to find out more about this time period.
Kjell Ola Dahl builds on the atmosphere in this book, and there is a real sense of mystery. This is especially as Jack and Ludvig begin to understand more about the case and people they are investigating. I could feel the tensions simmering as the plot began to build, especially with the threat of war lingering in the background.
Ludvig’s character took longer to grow on me, and I think some readers may struggle to like him at first, but I would definitely like to read another novel where he and Jack feature again.
The Assistant is a compelling mystery novel; the writing pulls you into the story from the very first page. If you’re a fan of wartime thrillers, then you definitely need to give this book a go.
I thought the partnership of Jack Rivers and Ludvig Paaske was really intriguing. I wanted to find out more about it and what had prompted them to form this new alliance. Would this have any implications for Ludvig, particularly as he swore to put Jack behind bars during the prohibition era in Norway in the 1920s?
The case which they are investigating is an interesting one, very simple at first, when a woman asks them to spy on her husband, who she suspects is having an affair. But very soon, Ludvig begins to see that there is much more at play here than what first meets the eye.
Jack Rivers comes across as very likeable, even though he is a criminal. You can see that he is a passionate man when it comes to love and women, but you also get the sense that he is in control of the situation, especially when things get tense. I was really interested in the scenes set in the 1920s when Jack played on the wrong side of the law by smuggling alcohol. This was a part of history that, until I read this book, I didn’t know much about, particularly about the prohibition in Norway. It was fascinating to find out more about what was happening in the world at this time. After I finished reading the book, I wanted to find out more about this time period.
Kjell Ola Dahl builds on the atmosphere in this book, and there is a real sense of mystery. This is especially as Jack and Ludvig begin to understand more about the case and people they are investigating. I could feel the tensions simmering as the plot began to build, especially with the threat of war lingering in the background.
Ludvig’s character took longer to grow on me, and I think some readers may struggle to like him at first, but I would definitely like to read another novel where he and Jack feature again.
The Assistant is a compelling mystery novel; the writing pulls you into the story from the very first page. If you’re a fan of wartime thrillers, then you definitely need to give this book a go.
July 26, 2021
‘The Assistant’ is a riveting piece of historical crime fiction. It enthralled me with its dual timeline, multilayered narrative, deliciously complex characters, and of course, it's stunning writing. I adore both historical fiction and crime fiction so when they are combined I silently do a wee dance in my head. Examples like ‘The Assistant’ show a writer at the top of their game and makes writing reviews a joy!
‘The Assistant’ takes us to prohibition era Norway and the spread of Nazism through Europe, plus opinions on the Spanish Civil War. We find we have two main characters - Jack Rivers and Ludwig Paaske and the story follows their relationship over two decades. Paaske is an ex-cop turned PI and Rivers is an ex-con and now assistant to the cop who arrested him. The narrative switches between the two timelines - that of when Rivers was a smuggler in the prohibition era being pursued by Paaske the cop and then that of when they are working a case together. They have been tasked with following a German man by his wife as she believes he is having an affair. However, this soon leads to a case that covers espionage, murder, deceit and lies. But which of the two men will come out of it with their integrity in tack?
As much as this book covers historical themes, crime and consequences to me it was an in-depth look at the characters of the two main protagonists. Rivers was the person that I was instantly drawn to, despite his background he had more of a distinct personality. You found out his love for motor vehicles and his love of chess. His love of chess I think gave him an advantage in this very confusing board of motives, counter-moves and back and forth. As the threads from the different timelines became more intertwined you found out more about Paaske. Why did he leave the police, why does his daughter not speak to him and why does he always seem to be on the side of one of the characters? Is his motivation greed or is there something else pushing his buttons?
I must also give a round of applause to the translator, Don Barlett, as one would never know that this wasn't first written in English. There were idioms that would have only worked in English scattered through it and none of the beauty of the writing was lost. I honestly felt as if I was cruising on the boats with Rivers or trying to piece together the art jigsaws with Paaske. When fiction is this easy to read you know that the writer has a special talent and Kjell is one of the best.
Seriously, I doubt I am ever to find a book that Orenda books has published that I don't love! An easy recommendation!
‘The Assistant’ takes us to prohibition era Norway and the spread of Nazism through Europe, plus opinions on the Spanish Civil War. We find we have two main characters - Jack Rivers and Ludwig Paaske and the story follows their relationship over two decades. Paaske is an ex-cop turned PI and Rivers is an ex-con and now assistant to the cop who arrested him. The narrative switches between the two timelines - that of when Rivers was a smuggler in the prohibition era being pursued by Paaske the cop and then that of when they are working a case together. They have been tasked with following a German man by his wife as she believes he is having an affair. However, this soon leads to a case that covers espionage, murder, deceit and lies. But which of the two men will come out of it with their integrity in tack?
As much as this book covers historical themes, crime and consequences to me it was an in-depth look at the characters of the two main protagonists. Rivers was the person that I was instantly drawn to, despite his background he had more of a distinct personality. You found out his love for motor vehicles and his love of chess. His love of chess I think gave him an advantage in this very confusing board of motives, counter-moves and back and forth. As the threads from the different timelines became more intertwined you found out more about Paaske. Why did he leave the police, why does his daughter not speak to him and why does he always seem to be on the side of one of the characters? Is his motivation greed or is there something else pushing his buttons?
I must also give a round of applause to the translator, Don Barlett, as one would never know that this wasn't first written in English. There were idioms that would have only worked in English scattered through it and none of the beauty of the writing was lost. I honestly felt as if I was cruising on the boats with Rivers or trying to piece together the art jigsaws with Paaske. When fiction is this easy to read you know that the writer has a special talent and Kjell is one of the best.
Seriously, I doubt I am ever to find a book that Orenda books has published that I don't love! An easy recommendation!
May 29, 2021
Though best known for his Oslo Detective series, Kjell Ola Dahl has ventured into historical fiction before with the excellent The Curator. As with that standalone thriller, The Assistant shifts between two time frames revealing details of Norway's past that are perhaps largely unknown outside the country.
The assistant of the title, Jack Rivers is the epitome of a Noir antihero in a book which effortlessly exudes the melancholic mood of the genre. The Assistant opens in 1924 in Kristiana (the former name for Oslo) and at first there's an adventurous, devil-may-care sense to the proceedings as Jack helps to smuggle spirits which are banned in prohibition-era Norway. Although the stakes may be high, the sensation that both sides are participating in a game lends an air of almost innocence to this early part of the story.
It's here that Jack meets the man who is at first his adversary, then later his employer, Ludvig Paaske. Paaske is arguably a less colourful character and yet as the book progresses, he proves to be just as complex. The uneasy relationship between the pair is intriguing and it's never obvious where either of their loyalties will ultimately lie. All good Noir needs a femme fatale or two and The Assistant is no exception with the men in the novel tempted, manipulated and frustrated by the women whose actions are often the catalyst for events in both the 1920s and in 1938 when the world is once more on the brink of war.
The inevitability of what is to come is felt throughout the chapters set in the pre-war period and the presence of Nazi officers in Norway lends an unsettling premonition of foreboding to the story. As the world passively watches Hitler's rapacious annexing of Europe, there is already a war in Spain and with socialists in the country forbidden from fighting for the Spanish Republic, the inexorable rise of Nationalism leads Paaske in particular to question whether evil can be fought with good.
Amongst the political upheaval, Jack and Paaske become caught up in their own deadly chicaneries where it seems that everybody has a secret and nobody can be trusted. Every character bears their own flaws and as such, this isn't a novel for anybody who needs their protagonists to be likeable; even the charismatic Jack reveals he has a darker, more brutal side to his disposition.
Kjell Ola Dahl's clever structuring allows the two threads to weave back and forth in a tightly plotted, compelling examination of passion and deception while Don Bartlett's translation captures the opaque, nihilistic atmosphere of The Assistant perfectly, enveloping the reader in a story which explores the inescapable tragedy of the past.
The assistant of the title, Jack Rivers is the epitome of a Noir antihero in a book which effortlessly exudes the melancholic mood of the genre. The Assistant opens in 1924 in Kristiana (the former name for Oslo) and at first there's an adventurous, devil-may-care sense to the proceedings as Jack helps to smuggle spirits which are banned in prohibition-era Norway. Although the stakes may be high, the sensation that both sides are participating in a game lends an air of almost innocence to this early part of the story.
It's here that Jack meets the man who is at first his adversary, then later his employer, Ludvig Paaske. Paaske is arguably a less colourful character and yet as the book progresses, he proves to be just as complex. The uneasy relationship between the pair is intriguing and it's never obvious where either of their loyalties will ultimately lie. All good Noir needs a femme fatale or two and The Assistant is no exception with the men in the novel tempted, manipulated and frustrated by the women whose actions are often the catalyst for events in both the 1920s and in 1938 when the world is once more on the brink of war.
The inevitability of what is to come is felt throughout the chapters set in the pre-war period and the presence of Nazi officers in Norway lends an unsettling premonition of foreboding to the story. As the world passively watches Hitler's rapacious annexing of Europe, there is already a war in Spain and with socialists in the country forbidden from fighting for the Spanish Republic, the inexorable rise of Nationalism leads Paaske in particular to question whether evil can be fought with good.
Amongst the political upheaval, Jack and Paaske become caught up in their own deadly chicaneries where it seems that everybody has a secret and nobody can be trusted. Every character bears their own flaws and as such, this isn't a novel for anybody who needs their protagonists to be likeable; even the charismatic Jack reveals he has a darker, more brutal side to his disposition.
Kjell Ola Dahl's clever structuring allows the two threads to weave back and forth in a tightly plotted, compelling examination of passion and deception while Don Bartlett's translation captures the opaque, nihilistic atmosphere of The Assistant perfectly, enveloping the reader in a story which explores the inescapable tragedy of the past.
December 31, 2021
The Assistant, Kjell Ola Dahl, Don Bartlett (translator). March 2021. 4.99 iBook
I really enjoy reading this writer and translator. This stand alone was a page turner. IMO this would make a great movie!
Kristiania May 1924, Oslo 1938 and back and forth past and present as various characters paths cross in interwar and prohibition-era Norway. What seems straightforward in this book, is not. That carries on to the twists at the end.
May 1924 and Paaske is a policeman and Jack Rivers and Johann are running bootleg alcohol in a big flat bed truck for Arvid Bjerke. The smuggling is extensive. Because Jack has a relationship with Amalie who works for Arvid and is sister to Johann, he takes the rap and goes to prison. When he is released Paaske is no longer in the police but now a private investigator and hires Jack Rivers as his assistant ! This weaves the past and present characters in very interesting ways.
Oslo, 1938. War is in the air and Europe is in turmoil. Hitler’s Germany has occupied Austria and is threatening Czechoslovakia; there’s a civil war in Spain and Mussolini reigns in Italy. Stevedores are upset because a new law prohibits them going to Spain to fight. A man is shot dead and soon after Paaske and Jack are to investigate what looks like marital infidelity by a woman, but who is she really? Amalie returns from Germany to Norway and the various characters all get woven into her secret world of spying and infidelity. Arvid & Julie Bjerke are involved almost every step of the way, but how…..
Back and forth with the past and present with Nazis operating secretly on Norwegian soil and militant socialists readying workers for war. This is a tension-packed Nordic Nori thriller.
I really enjoy reading this writer and translator. This stand alone was a page turner. IMO this would make a great movie!
Kristiania May 1924, Oslo 1938 and back and forth past and present as various characters paths cross in interwar and prohibition-era Norway. What seems straightforward in this book, is not. That carries on to the twists at the end.
May 1924 and Paaske is a policeman and Jack Rivers and Johann are running bootleg alcohol in a big flat bed truck for Arvid Bjerke. The smuggling is extensive. Because Jack has a relationship with Amalie who works for Arvid and is sister to Johann, he takes the rap and goes to prison. When he is released Paaske is no longer in the police but now a private investigator and hires Jack Rivers as his assistant ! This weaves the past and present characters in very interesting ways.
Oslo, 1938. War is in the air and Europe is in turmoil. Hitler’s Germany has occupied Austria and is threatening Czechoslovakia; there’s a civil war in Spain and Mussolini reigns in Italy. Stevedores are upset because a new law prohibits them going to Spain to fight. A man is shot dead and soon after Paaske and Jack are to investigate what looks like marital infidelity by a woman, but who is she really? Amalie returns from Germany to Norway and the various characters all get woven into her secret world of spying and infidelity. Arvid & Julie Bjerke are involved almost every step of the way, but how…..
Back and forth with the past and present with Nazis operating secretly on Norwegian soil and militant socialists readying workers for war. This is a tension-packed Nordic Nori thriller.
December 13, 2021
Very noir and better than the average thriller. Dual temporal narratives (alternating sections) connect the people and crimes in 1920s prohibition Norway with murders in 1938. Two alluring women who hate each other connected to two men (not including a husband.) One of the men is an ex cop, now a private detective, who gives a job to the other, a bootlegger he chased in the 20s. Plus sexual obsession. Plus blackmail. Plus Nazis. Very well written. And a classic double noir twist at the end.
But: if you take a case from a woman who wants her husband followed you really should ask for some ID. Cf. also Chinatown . . .
But: if you take a case from a woman who wants her husband followed you really should ask for some ID. Cf. also Chinatown . . .
December 26, 2022
I found the narrative a little confusing, in terms of the main protagonists relationships with each other. This could be down to the translation. But you can't blame the translator for the unbelievable plotting. Shame, because the premise was interesting. Not going to read any more of his.
September 24, 2021
There was a lot of promise in this one.
Set alternatively in the mid 1920s and just pre-WWII Oslo there is a murder or two, long standing love-hate relationships, a thoughtful main character and a shady German Gestapo agent.
But there were just too many loose ending story lines which never were explored or answered.
Set alternatively in the mid 1920s and just pre-WWII Oslo there is a murder or two, long standing love-hate relationships, a thoughtful main character and a shady German Gestapo agent.
But there were just too many loose ending story lines which never were explored or answered.
May 18, 2021
1924: Jack is a driver. And while he does drive passengers, he also delivers illegal alcohol. But when he's caught and arrested by Ludvig Paaske, he's let go. He isn't the man they want. They want a much bigger fish--Jack's boss.
1938: Jack now works for Paaske at his detective agency. A woman has hired them to tail her husband. She says she's convinced he's having an affair and wants proof. But nothing is straightforward about this case. And the woman in question resembles someone from Jack's past. It doesn't take long for the case to drag both men back to that very past. To a time when they were on opposite sides. To the events that brought them together in the first place.
I read quite a bit of Nordic Noir these days, but this one is probably the most noir of all so far!
It's not just the overall tone and style, which feels reminiscent of classics of the genre, but the time period in which the book is set. Alternating between 1924 and 1938, The Assistant focuses on Norway's pre WWII days, something I know absolutely nothing about!
From the very beginning, I was absolutely drawn into this book.
We meet both Jack and Paaske while Jack is making a booze delivery. It's prohibition-era Norway, a period that lasted until 1926. And the two men are very much on opposing sides. Paaske is a cop and Jack is a smuggler. In fact, Jack delights in basically pulling one over on Paaske as often as he possibly can.
And then we jump immediately into 1938 and realize the two of them are now partners! How they came to work together is just one of the many elements that I loved discovering in this book.
Kjell Ola Dahl is well known as one of the biggest names in the Nordic Noir business and though The Assistant is my first of his books, it's clear to see why he has so many fans!
The Assistant absolutely bleeds atmosphere and I cannot wait to dive into more of Dahl's work now!
1938: Jack now works for Paaske at his detective agency. A woman has hired them to tail her husband. She says she's convinced he's having an affair and wants proof. But nothing is straightforward about this case. And the woman in question resembles someone from Jack's past. It doesn't take long for the case to drag both men back to that very past. To a time when they were on opposite sides. To the events that brought them together in the first place.
I read quite a bit of Nordic Noir these days, but this one is probably the most noir of all so far!
It's not just the overall tone and style, which feels reminiscent of classics of the genre, but the time period in which the book is set. Alternating between 1924 and 1938, The Assistant focuses on Norway's pre WWII days, something I know absolutely nothing about!
From the very beginning, I was absolutely drawn into this book.
We meet both Jack and Paaske while Jack is making a booze delivery. It's prohibition-era Norway, a period that lasted until 1926. And the two men are very much on opposing sides. Paaske is a cop and Jack is a smuggler. In fact, Jack delights in basically pulling one over on Paaske as often as he possibly can.
And then we jump immediately into 1938 and realize the two of them are now partners! How they came to work together is just one of the many elements that I loved discovering in this book.
Kjell Ola Dahl is well known as one of the biggest names in the Nordic Noir business and though The Assistant is my first of his books, it's clear to see why he has so many fans!
The Assistant absolutely bleeds atmosphere and I cannot wait to dive into more of Dahl's work now!
June 29, 2021
This is a very good translation, in that there are (English) colloquialisms that are almost certainly not in the original text, that are used to give excellent context to the piece.
The story follows 5-6 key characters in parallel stories (in alternate chapters) based in the mid 1920s and 1938. I sometimes found it hard to remember where I had left the characters in one of the decades, but that is more my fault than the fault of the book.
The 1938 part of the story looks at how the Nazis were already planning what was to happen the following year and this added an extra element of intrigue.
The style is very "punchy", in that that a lot of the prose feels like a series of statements. This isn't a criticism, since I think it really suited the subject matter.
It's the first book that I have read by this author but I don't think it'll be the last.
The story follows 5-6 key characters in parallel stories (in alternate chapters) based in the mid 1920s and 1938. I sometimes found it hard to remember where I had left the characters in one of the decades, but that is more my fault than the fault of the book.
The 1938 part of the story looks at how the Nazis were already planning what was to happen the following year and this added an extra element of intrigue.
The style is very "punchy", in that that a lot of the prose feels like a series of statements. This isn't a criticism, since I think it really suited the subject matter.
It's the first book that I have read by this author but I don't think it'll be the last.
June 7, 2021
Following The Courier, released in the UK in 2019, Dahl has followed this up with another standalone thriller set in the past.
The Assistant is an exceptionally crafted historical novel focused on two periods in the interwar years in Oslo, Norway. At the heart of the story are the reoccurring and contrasting themes of loyalty and betrayal. Loyalties are found to be misguided when those loyal are betrayed. This is irrespective whether to these loyalties were to a country, a cause, a friend or a lost love.
Foremost The Assistant is a riveting investigational story and a fascinating insight into the geopolitics that Norway was caught in shortly before the outbreak of the second world war. The sequences from both periods are vivid and highly convincing to give the reader a very realistic portayal of Norway and the mentalities of her people in two very turbulent and polarising eras.
Dahl's extensive research covers a multitude of same details. One example a mention of the once contemporary theory that by removing the infected teeth of mental patients they could cure them of their insanity as purported by American psychiatrist Henry Cotton.
We meet Jack Rivers in 1924’s Kristiania when he is working as a driver for a crooked business owner Arvid Bjerke. While Bjerke’s company provide transport including buses, lorries and cars, back in that era the sale of alcoholic spirits was not permitted in Norway. Therefore, Bjerke has tapped into the lucrative contraband smuggling market with Rivers as one of his key employees. Rivers proves that he is a cunning operator and takes risks to avaid the authorities. He helps protect Bjerk's business and personal interests as we meet several characters from that era. On the tail of Rivers is police officer Ludvig Paaske who has been eying Bjerk’s activities. We return to the time line of this story intermittently, yet the primary focus of the novel is 14 years later.
With Oslo regaining its original name we encounter Paaske in 1938 where he has now left the police and is now working independently as a private investigator. He is visited by a married woman who requests his support in her husband’s potential infidelity. Paying a large sum up front, Paaske willingly takes on the case to follow the named individual. Employed as his assistant is his former nemesis Rivers who is now reformed in Paaske’s eyes and has spent time outside of Norway. He aids Paaske at observing the subject but realises that the investigation is leading in a very different direction to that which they originally expected.
Europe is unstable and tensions are high as Nazi Germany is expanding, annexing Austria while both Germany and Italy are backing Spanish fascist rebels against the socialist government. We encounter characters supportive of the Axis powers and those are very unhappy with Norway’s so called neutrality towards these countries. With some of the action taking place at Oslo’s port, we see the hostility of local port staff to German seamen on a ship bound for Huelva in Spain. At a Stevedore’s Union meeting the destruction of Guernica and Mussolini’s bombers dropping bombs on Barcelona are decried while their government along with others in Western Europe are condemned for not challenging Germany and Italy on these actions. Paaske is not ideological, he is aware of the growth of authoritarianism in Germany as his daughter had been living there as an artist and this has caused her to leave Germany for Paris. Yet he is naïve to the threat of German state action taking place in a foreign country towards German citizens and the cloak and dagger actions of their protagonists.
Meanwhile Rivers finds his own problems caused by his involvement in the case. He encounters characters from the earlier storylines that he had tried to forget, which lead him into trouble:
“Jack’s past lurks in the background, like a black cloud, sending out poisonous tentacles".
With Rivers arrested for murder the reader is drawn to hope that Paaske can find the evidence to clear him.
This is a gripping novel which gradually unravels to a compelling finale. Moral implications from the fallout from an act of vengeance are ruminated in an extremely adept manner to create a story that will live long in the memory.
While a historical novel, it has modern day resonance. Dahl is displaying many of behaviours and motivations behind the key characters that we can identify with. By examining previous unsettled times, I feel he is also mirroring actions that are sadly still prevalent in the modern age.
With a translation by Don Bartlett the prose is fluid. Dahl is often referred to as “The Godfather of Nordic Noir” and The Assistant further enhances his superb reputation.
The Assistant is an exceptionally crafted historical novel focused on two periods in the interwar years in Oslo, Norway. At the heart of the story are the reoccurring and contrasting themes of loyalty and betrayal. Loyalties are found to be misguided when those loyal are betrayed. This is irrespective whether to these loyalties were to a country, a cause, a friend or a lost love.
Foremost The Assistant is a riveting investigational story and a fascinating insight into the geopolitics that Norway was caught in shortly before the outbreak of the second world war. The sequences from both periods are vivid and highly convincing to give the reader a very realistic portayal of Norway and the mentalities of her people in two very turbulent and polarising eras.
Dahl's extensive research covers a multitude of same details. One example a mention of the once contemporary theory that by removing the infected teeth of mental patients they could cure them of their insanity as purported by American psychiatrist Henry Cotton.
We meet Jack Rivers in 1924’s Kristiania when he is working as a driver for a crooked business owner Arvid Bjerke. While Bjerke’s company provide transport including buses, lorries and cars, back in that era the sale of alcoholic spirits was not permitted in Norway. Therefore, Bjerke has tapped into the lucrative contraband smuggling market with Rivers as one of his key employees. Rivers proves that he is a cunning operator and takes risks to avaid the authorities. He helps protect Bjerk's business and personal interests as we meet several characters from that era. On the tail of Rivers is police officer Ludvig Paaske who has been eying Bjerk’s activities. We return to the time line of this story intermittently, yet the primary focus of the novel is 14 years later.
With Oslo regaining its original name we encounter Paaske in 1938 where he has now left the police and is now working independently as a private investigator. He is visited by a married woman who requests his support in her husband’s potential infidelity. Paying a large sum up front, Paaske willingly takes on the case to follow the named individual. Employed as his assistant is his former nemesis Rivers who is now reformed in Paaske’s eyes and has spent time outside of Norway. He aids Paaske at observing the subject but realises that the investigation is leading in a very different direction to that which they originally expected.
Europe is unstable and tensions are high as Nazi Germany is expanding, annexing Austria while both Germany and Italy are backing Spanish fascist rebels against the socialist government. We encounter characters supportive of the Axis powers and those are very unhappy with Norway’s so called neutrality towards these countries. With some of the action taking place at Oslo’s port, we see the hostility of local port staff to German seamen on a ship bound for Huelva in Spain. At a Stevedore’s Union meeting the destruction of Guernica and Mussolini’s bombers dropping bombs on Barcelona are decried while their government along with others in Western Europe are condemned for not challenging Germany and Italy on these actions. Paaske is not ideological, he is aware of the growth of authoritarianism in Germany as his daughter had been living there as an artist and this has caused her to leave Germany for Paris. Yet he is naïve to the threat of German state action taking place in a foreign country towards German citizens and the cloak and dagger actions of their protagonists.
Meanwhile Rivers finds his own problems caused by his involvement in the case. He encounters characters from the earlier storylines that he had tried to forget, which lead him into trouble:
“Jack’s past lurks in the background, like a black cloud, sending out poisonous tentacles".
With Rivers arrested for murder the reader is drawn to hope that Paaske can find the evidence to clear him.
This is a gripping novel which gradually unravels to a compelling finale. Moral implications from the fallout from an act of vengeance are ruminated in an extremely adept manner to create a story that will live long in the memory.
While a historical novel, it has modern day resonance. Dahl is displaying many of behaviours and motivations behind the key characters that we can identify with. By examining previous unsettled times, I feel he is also mirroring actions that are sadly still prevalent in the modern age.
With a translation by Don Bartlett the prose is fluid. Dahl is often referred to as “The Godfather of Nordic Noir” and The Assistant further enhances his superb reputation.
March 14, 2021
Oh I do love this book. Kjell Ola Dahl is a master at bringing history to life and with The Assistant takes us into the world of prohibition era Norway and the lives of smuggler Jack Rivers and the man whose mission it is to catch him, Ludvig Paaske. But that is only one part of the story for this tale is split over two distinct moments in time - the early 1920s in which Jack's career is based upon getting contraband to those who will pay handsomely for it, and the late 1930's just before the onset of World War Two, when Nazi Germany is starting to make its presence felt around the world and Norway stands at the cusp of significant change. Jack and Paaske aren't the only two characters who accompany us throughout the years, but they are the principal players in a mystery that is many years in the making and their unlikely partnership as Private Investigators, the catalyst for a most shocking but very satisfying finale.
I loved the character of Jack Rivers. From the very outset there is just something about him, his relaxed persona, that knowledge that he is skirting around the wrong side of the law, that makes him an irresistible character to spend time with. He is a romantic at heart, often blinded by love and beauty, but who pays the ultimate price for his trust and his career choices. There is a real sense of adventure and risk about him, but it is clear he has good instincts, for the most part, and an personality akin to an Indiana Jones type that will, for the most part, keep him out of trouble. He's not infallible, and whilst what befalls him is in part justice, it still made me a little angry on his behalf. You want to see him get away. You want to see him succeed in spite of the forces against him.
Passke on the other hand I was never sure about. He was just doing his job, but there is something about him that makes you believe that he can be ruthless when needed. He is certainly relentless and his cat and mouse game with Jack in the 1920s sections of the book were fun to see play out. It makes it all the more believable, perhaps, that they two should find themselves working together in Paaske's Detective Agency, as there is a clear mutual respect, even when their goals are not exactly mutually compatible. Paaske is older but not necessarily wiser and no less likely ot be driven by his passion and his beliefs than Jack. They are a great team. Except when they aren't ...
The writing in this book is beautiful as always, the scene setting just perfect. Whether it is 1920s or 1930s Norway, I felt myself being transported to a very different time and place, the author skilfully capturing the differing moods of the Nation, particularly when capturing the tensions of those fractions pre-war years. That sense of double dealing and subterfuge which sees Jack once again on the wrong side of the law, the betrayal that puts his life and his liberty under threat, felt so real, so authentic, it could be ripped from the pages of history. The mysterious presence of German Secret Service agents, the conflict and tensions in Spain and the impacts of that upon global politics, even the obliviousness of the Global governments to the growing threat of Hitler's Germany, were all depressingly true. None where exaggerated to make the story more exciting, they didn't need to be. But they did serve perfectly to that sense of threat and urgency surrounding the seemingly straightforward case which Paaske and jack are engaged upon in the first place and which brings Jack face to face with a ghost from his past.
This is a thriller, yes, but it is also a skilfully crafted tale of love, passion, friendship and betrayal. A story in which murder and political unrest play second fiddle to the character led dramas that we watch unfol. The action moves in an almost seamless transition between the past and the present, each new memory of Jack's past informing the very dark truth of his present, they two stories and the lives of all the characters so inextricably linked that there almost an inevitability about what comes to pass. If you love KJell Ola Dahl's writing, if you loved The Courier, then you are bound to love this book. I most definitely recommend it and I think that Jack Rivers is a character who will live on in my mind for quite some time.
I loved the character of Jack Rivers. From the very outset there is just something about him, his relaxed persona, that knowledge that he is skirting around the wrong side of the law, that makes him an irresistible character to spend time with. He is a romantic at heart, often blinded by love and beauty, but who pays the ultimate price for his trust and his career choices. There is a real sense of adventure and risk about him, but it is clear he has good instincts, for the most part, and an personality akin to an Indiana Jones type that will, for the most part, keep him out of trouble. He's not infallible, and whilst what befalls him is in part justice, it still made me a little angry on his behalf. You want to see him get away. You want to see him succeed in spite of the forces against him.
Passke on the other hand I was never sure about. He was just doing his job, but there is something about him that makes you believe that he can be ruthless when needed. He is certainly relentless and his cat and mouse game with Jack in the 1920s sections of the book were fun to see play out. It makes it all the more believable, perhaps, that they two should find themselves working together in Paaske's Detective Agency, as there is a clear mutual respect, even when their goals are not exactly mutually compatible. Paaske is older but not necessarily wiser and no less likely ot be driven by his passion and his beliefs than Jack. They are a great team. Except when they aren't ...
The writing in this book is beautiful as always, the scene setting just perfect. Whether it is 1920s or 1930s Norway, I felt myself being transported to a very different time and place, the author skilfully capturing the differing moods of the Nation, particularly when capturing the tensions of those fractions pre-war years. That sense of double dealing and subterfuge which sees Jack once again on the wrong side of the law, the betrayal that puts his life and his liberty under threat, felt so real, so authentic, it could be ripped from the pages of history. The mysterious presence of German Secret Service agents, the conflict and tensions in Spain and the impacts of that upon global politics, even the obliviousness of the Global governments to the growing threat of Hitler's Germany, were all depressingly true. None where exaggerated to make the story more exciting, they didn't need to be. But they did serve perfectly to that sense of threat and urgency surrounding the seemingly straightforward case which Paaske and jack are engaged upon in the first place and which brings Jack face to face with a ghost from his past.
This is a thriller, yes, but it is also a skilfully crafted tale of love, passion, friendship and betrayal. A story in which murder and political unrest play second fiddle to the character led dramas that we watch unfol. The action moves in an almost seamless transition between the past and the present, each new memory of Jack's past informing the very dark truth of his present, they two stories and the lives of all the characters so inextricably linked that there almost an inevitability about what comes to pass. If you love KJell Ola Dahl's writing, if you loved The Courier, then you are bound to love this book. I most definitely recommend it and I think that Jack Rivers is a character who will live on in my mind for quite some time.
May 21, 2021
My Rating - 3.5*
The Assistant by Kjell Ola Dahl was just published May 20th with Orenda books and is described as ‘both a fascinating portrait of Oslo’s interwar years, with Nazis operating secretly on Norwegian soil and militant socialists readying workers for war, The Assistant is also a stunningly sophisticated, tension-packed thriller – the darkest of hard-boiled Nordic Noir – from one of Norway’s most acclaimed crime writers.’ Excellently translated by Don Bartlett, The Assistant provided an insight into Norway’s history that I was completely unaware of leading me down yet another historical rabbit-hole! Did you know that liquor and fortified wine were prohibited in Norway from approximately 1916 to 1927 leading to wholesale trafficking and smuggling across the borders? Did you know that Norwegians were criminalised if they took up arms against Franco during the Spanish Civil War? This is why I so love historical fiction and also why I love reading translated works. Reading really does open the mind to new worlds.
‘Dark, gritty and compulsive … feels like a classic of the genre’ – William Ryan
The Assistant spans two timelines, during the interwar years of post-1920s and pre-1939. In 1924, Jack Rivers is a smuggler for a transport company run by Arvid Bjerke. They have a good working relationship until Jack eventually gets imprisoned and Bjerke remains on the outside. Fast-forward to 1938 and Jack Rivers is now working as an assistant for a P.I., one Ludvig Paaske, an ex-cop who was involved with the original capture and incarceration of Rivers. They have an unusual relationship due to their past but it works until a woman shows up at the office looking for their help tracking her husband. She is suspicious of his activities and needs help in identifying his movements. Initially Paaske and Rivers are happy with taking on the new work but when Rivers recognises a face from the past, the case takes on a whole new dimension and Rivers finds himself in a fight for his innocence.
The Assistant gives the reader a real sense of what life was like during those years. As tensions were rising across Europe, the rise of communism and fascism were evident. The Spanish Civil War was raging and meetings were being held around Norway looking for support and action against the Norwegian government’s stance on policies. In the midst of all the political drama, Rivers is on the run with the shadow of an enigmatic woman a constant by his side.
Jack Rivers is a great character with a wonderfully convoluted history. He is far from perfect and is a bit of a lothario but his heart is in the right place and his fight for truth and justice is genuine. Ludvig Paaske, on the other hand, is more of a shady individual. Whereas Jack Rivers is an open book, Ludvig Paaske carries some dark secrets. As the status-quo shifts between the two, the truth slowly emerges and their relationship becomes very unstable.
The Assistant is an entertaining thriller, a good old-fashioned mystery that takes the reader right into the heart of Oslo during those very unstable years. This is 100% Noir. The dialogue, the shady characters, prohibition, murder, mystery and, of course, the suave and likeable Jack Rivers right in the centre. I’m hoping for Jack Rivers to be developed further as a character in a future series, a Norwegian Philip Marlowe so to speak, revealing the underbelly of Norway’s war years, pre-, post- and during. Very atmospheric. Very enjoyable!
The Assistant by Kjell Ola Dahl was just published May 20th with Orenda books and is described as ‘both a fascinating portrait of Oslo’s interwar years, with Nazis operating secretly on Norwegian soil and militant socialists readying workers for war, The Assistant is also a stunningly sophisticated, tension-packed thriller – the darkest of hard-boiled Nordic Noir – from one of Norway’s most acclaimed crime writers.’ Excellently translated by Don Bartlett, The Assistant provided an insight into Norway’s history that I was completely unaware of leading me down yet another historical rabbit-hole! Did you know that liquor and fortified wine were prohibited in Norway from approximately 1916 to 1927 leading to wholesale trafficking and smuggling across the borders? Did you know that Norwegians were criminalised if they took up arms against Franco during the Spanish Civil War? This is why I so love historical fiction and also why I love reading translated works. Reading really does open the mind to new worlds.
‘Dark, gritty and compulsive … feels like a classic of the genre’ – William Ryan
The Assistant spans two timelines, during the interwar years of post-1920s and pre-1939. In 1924, Jack Rivers is a smuggler for a transport company run by Arvid Bjerke. They have a good working relationship until Jack eventually gets imprisoned and Bjerke remains on the outside. Fast-forward to 1938 and Jack Rivers is now working as an assistant for a P.I., one Ludvig Paaske, an ex-cop who was involved with the original capture and incarceration of Rivers. They have an unusual relationship due to their past but it works until a woman shows up at the office looking for their help tracking her husband. She is suspicious of his activities and needs help in identifying his movements. Initially Paaske and Rivers are happy with taking on the new work but when Rivers recognises a face from the past, the case takes on a whole new dimension and Rivers finds himself in a fight for his innocence.
The Assistant gives the reader a real sense of what life was like during those years. As tensions were rising across Europe, the rise of communism and fascism were evident. The Spanish Civil War was raging and meetings were being held around Norway looking for support and action against the Norwegian government’s stance on policies. In the midst of all the political drama, Rivers is on the run with the shadow of an enigmatic woman a constant by his side.
Jack Rivers is a great character with a wonderfully convoluted history. He is far from perfect and is a bit of a lothario but his heart is in the right place and his fight for truth and justice is genuine. Ludvig Paaske, on the other hand, is more of a shady individual. Whereas Jack Rivers is an open book, Ludvig Paaske carries some dark secrets. As the status-quo shifts between the two, the truth slowly emerges and their relationship becomes very unstable.
The Assistant is an entertaining thriller, a good old-fashioned mystery that takes the reader right into the heart of Oslo during those very unstable years. This is 100% Noir. The dialogue, the shady characters, prohibition, murder, mystery and, of course, the suave and likeable Jack Rivers right in the centre. I’m hoping for Jack Rivers to be developed further as a character in a future series, a Norwegian Philip Marlowe so to speak, revealing the underbelly of Norway’s war years, pre-, post- and during. Very atmospheric. Very enjoyable!
June 4, 2021
Recently, the books I’ve enjoyed the most have been historical fiction – A Net For Small Fishes by Lucy Jago; Blackout by Simon Scarrow – but they all also contain an element of the crime fiction I love so much. This book’s also historical crime fiction, and, as expected from Orenda Books and the author, very, very good!
What appealed to me initially was that it reminded me slightly of The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck – one of our set books in O-grade English. It’s really just the setting and the rough historical period, but it was a book that always stuck in my mind from school as a favourite…and after reading this, I think I’ll be re-reading it soon.
The novel moves between two periods, 1924 and 1938, and has two main characters. There’s Jack Rivers, who, in 1924 is an assistant to a man called Arvid Bjerke, who runs a legitimate bus and car business with his wife Julie. He also has a network smuggling and distributing spirits, which were prohibited in 1924. Jack is one of his drivers, dropping off the bootleg booze to the various shops which were Bjerke’s customers. He’s pursued pretty vigorously by the police, particularly a policeman called Ludvig Paaske.
But by 1938 Jack has gone straight and become assistant to Paaske, who is no longer a policeman but runs a detective agency. As per the standard noir novel, they are visited by a glamorous but mysterious woman who suspects her husband is having an affair. The investigation doesn’t lead to another woman, however, but dodgy dealings down at the docks, Nazi spies, and more dangerous doings. By this time, Norwegians are also banned from going to Spain to fight Franco’s fascist troops – which, as well as the prohibition, was something I really didn’t know. I think I’ll need to polish up my Norwegian history!
Jack is also, throughout the book, involved with a woman called Amalie – distinctive due to having one blue eye and one brown one. She’s ambitious for a better life, and despite her and Jack’s obvious attraction, she pulls no punches in letting him know she doesn’t think he’ll ever be available to provide this lifestyle. She also has a disabled brother, Johan, who needs care.
The translation is seamless and beautifully done, and the story grips from the start and doesn’t let go. None of the characters are to know how Norway – indeed, the whole of Europe – was on the very cusp of catastrophic change, and lives would be changed forever. This book gives us a thoroughly engrossing (and hugely enjoyable) picture of a Norway which will vanish forever. The characters – mainly Jack, but Paaske too – are likeable and vividly drawn. I massively enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more by the same author. This will definitely a contender for my top ten books of the year!
Very highly recommended!
What appealed to me initially was that it reminded me slightly of The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck – one of our set books in O-grade English. It’s really just the setting and the rough historical period, but it was a book that always stuck in my mind from school as a favourite…and after reading this, I think I’ll be re-reading it soon.
The novel moves between two periods, 1924 and 1938, and has two main characters. There’s Jack Rivers, who, in 1924 is an assistant to a man called Arvid Bjerke, who runs a legitimate bus and car business with his wife Julie. He also has a network smuggling and distributing spirits, which were prohibited in 1924. Jack is one of his drivers, dropping off the bootleg booze to the various shops which were Bjerke’s customers. He’s pursued pretty vigorously by the police, particularly a policeman called Ludvig Paaske.
But by 1938 Jack has gone straight and become assistant to Paaske, who is no longer a policeman but runs a detective agency. As per the standard noir novel, they are visited by a glamorous but mysterious woman who suspects her husband is having an affair. The investigation doesn’t lead to another woman, however, but dodgy dealings down at the docks, Nazi spies, and more dangerous doings. By this time, Norwegians are also banned from going to Spain to fight Franco’s fascist troops – which, as well as the prohibition, was something I really didn’t know. I think I’ll need to polish up my Norwegian history!
Jack is also, throughout the book, involved with a woman called Amalie – distinctive due to having one blue eye and one brown one. She’s ambitious for a better life, and despite her and Jack’s obvious attraction, she pulls no punches in letting him know she doesn’t think he’ll ever be available to provide this lifestyle. She also has a disabled brother, Johan, who needs care.
The translation is seamless and beautifully done, and the story grips from the start and doesn’t let go. None of the characters are to know how Norway – indeed, the whole of Europe – was on the very cusp of catastrophic change, and lives would be changed forever. This book gives us a thoroughly engrossing (and hugely enjoyable) picture of a Norway which will vanish forever. The characters – mainly Jack, but Paaske too – are likeable and vividly drawn. I massively enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more by the same author. This will definitely a contender for my top ten books of the year!
Very highly recommended!
June 8, 2021
There is nothing quite as satisfying as knowing that when you sit down with a novel published by Orenda Books that you are guaranteed a superlative read. Each book they publish is packed with characters that haunt you weeks after you have finished, the story written, edited and translated with passion, to give the reader hours of unbridled enjoyment! So when I sat down to read The Assistant by Kjell Ola Dahl, I did so with a smile on my face and with the luxury of knowing that the story would thrill and delight!
So this review will not surprise, because it will beseech every one to read it!
When I picked up The Assistant I knew I was in for hours of reading pleasure, but still, even with the high standards I have come to expect from Orenda Books and Kjell Ola Dahl, my expectations were blown out of the water and into space. It is to risk repeating my often used phrase stunning. Intelligently written, it delivers a character driven tale within a narrative both clever and deliciously deceptive.
How does he do this?
Most thrillers, very good ones, excellent ones, rely on explosive events to deliver that feeling of tension and threat to the reader. In The Assistant, that is to some extent flipped on its head and instead the writer delivers that feeling of pressure in the readers mind, by giving us characters we feel we know, then subverting our expectations ,destabilizing and unsettling us.
Like walking around a labyrinth you are constantly taking wrong turns, so that at each dead end, you come across another version of Ludvig Paaske or his assistant Jack Rivers. It is only as you finally emerge from the twists and turns that have seduced you, with the feeling of panic building up in your chest, that chameleon like, both characters are revealed in all their glorious variety.
They, as much as the turbulent events both men are caught up in, are what make this novel so sumptuous, so addictive and so utterly compelling. By littering his book with an ensemble caste of spies, sex workers, smugglers and cold hearted killers and embroiling in a period of history where normal order was disintegrating into madness and mayhem, he displays humanity in all its glory, in all its ugliness and weaves it into an outstanding thriller.
If your looking for a clever, intelligent, beautifully written novel to add to your collection then this is the one!
So this review will not surprise, because it will beseech every one to read it!
When I picked up The Assistant I knew I was in for hours of reading pleasure, but still, even with the high standards I have come to expect from Orenda Books and Kjell Ola Dahl, my expectations were blown out of the water and into space. It is to risk repeating my often used phrase stunning. Intelligently written, it delivers a character driven tale within a narrative both clever and deliciously deceptive.
How does he do this?
Most thrillers, very good ones, excellent ones, rely on explosive events to deliver that feeling of tension and threat to the reader. In The Assistant, that is to some extent flipped on its head and instead the writer delivers that feeling of pressure in the readers mind, by giving us characters we feel we know, then subverting our expectations ,destabilizing and unsettling us.
Like walking around a labyrinth you are constantly taking wrong turns, so that at each dead end, you come across another version of Ludvig Paaske or his assistant Jack Rivers. It is only as you finally emerge from the twists and turns that have seduced you, with the feeling of panic building up in your chest, that chameleon like, both characters are revealed in all their glorious variety.
They, as much as the turbulent events both men are caught up in, are what make this novel so sumptuous, so addictive and so utterly compelling. By littering his book with an ensemble caste of spies, sex workers, smugglers and cold hearted killers and embroiling in a period of history where normal order was disintegrating into madness and mayhem, he displays humanity in all its glory, in all its ugliness and weaves it into an outstanding thriller.
If your looking for a clever, intelligent, beautifully written novel to add to your collection then this is the one!
May 31, 2021
#giftedby #randomthingstours @annecater14
*Synopsis*
Oslo, 1938. War is in the air and Europe is in turmoil. Hitler’s Germany has occupied Austria and is threatening Czechoslovakia; there’s a civil war in Spain and Mussolini reigns in Italy.
When a woman turns up at the office of police-turned-private investigator Ludvig Paaske, he and his assistant – his one-time nemesis and former drug-smuggler Jack Rivers – begin a seemingly straightforward investigation into marital infidelity. But all is not what it seems, and when Jack is accused of murder, the trail leads back to the 1920s, to prohibition-era Norway, to the smugglers, sex workers and hoodlums of his criminal past ... and an extraordinary secret.
So I part liked this book and part not sure. This is the first time I've read a historical thriller and I'll be honest, I'm not too sure it's for me!?
Usually I'm not bad with different time frames and going from past to present. But this book I got confused at times (even though the chapter states which timeline we're in). I don't know whether it's because this story is very heavy into politics and also a war with Nazi's and Hitler and politics in books aren't my jam unfortunately. I can probably get past the era of this book but politic wise a lot of the time I got bored and just felt like skim reading to the end.
However, the thriller aspect of this book was good and it kept me guessing throughout the story which helped make me continue reading. The two characters Jack and Ludvig are very interesting, especially Jack and his shady past which we got an insight in. They certainly were entertaining and interesting, albeit Ludvig seems a lot more cold and reserved.
I do see a lot of potential in this book and the writing is done so well, the author knows how to capture you into the story. I think for historical fans and nordic-noir fans, you'll love this. I just prefer books not to be in the past or heavy on politics and wars.
*Synopsis*
Oslo, 1938. War is in the air and Europe is in turmoil. Hitler’s Germany has occupied Austria and is threatening Czechoslovakia; there’s a civil war in Spain and Mussolini reigns in Italy.
When a woman turns up at the office of police-turned-private investigator Ludvig Paaske, he and his assistant – his one-time nemesis and former drug-smuggler Jack Rivers – begin a seemingly straightforward investigation into marital infidelity. But all is not what it seems, and when Jack is accused of murder, the trail leads back to the 1920s, to prohibition-era Norway, to the smugglers, sex workers and hoodlums of his criminal past ... and an extraordinary secret.
So I part liked this book and part not sure. This is the first time I've read a historical thriller and I'll be honest, I'm not too sure it's for me!?
Usually I'm not bad with different time frames and going from past to present. But this book I got confused at times (even though the chapter states which timeline we're in). I don't know whether it's because this story is very heavy into politics and also a war with Nazi's and Hitler and politics in books aren't my jam unfortunately. I can probably get past the era of this book but politic wise a lot of the time I got bored and just felt like skim reading to the end.
However, the thriller aspect of this book was good and it kept me guessing throughout the story which helped make me continue reading. The two characters Jack and Ludvig are very interesting, especially Jack and his shady past which we got an insight in. They certainly were entertaining and interesting, albeit Ludvig seems a lot more cold and reserved.
I do see a lot of potential in this book and the writing is done so well, the author knows how to capture you into the story. I think for historical fans and nordic-noir fans, you'll love this. I just prefer books not to be in the past or heavy on politics and wars.
April 29, 2021
I enjoyed this historical thriller set in Norway. The backdrop was fascinating. The story moves between the 1920s, when hard liquor was prohibited in Norway, and pre-war 1938 as Hitler’s tentacles are spreading across Europe, European leaders are ignoring his imperialism, and hundreds are setting off to fight for the Spanish Republic.
Jack Rivers is a wonderful character who really came alive for me. In 1924 he lives a reckless life working for a shady underworld character, delivering prohibited hard tack to the locals. One scene, involving him trying to outrun the police, had me holding my breath in sheer disbelief as I rooted for Jack to escape a near impossible and possibly fatal situation.
We then meet Jack in 1938, when, in a strange twist, he is now working as ‘the assistant’ to former police officer, Ludvig Paaske—the very policeman who once tried to arrest him.
Paaske is now a detective. He is approached by a wife who wants the agency to spy on her husband to see what he is up to. Nothing about this case is as it seems, however, and nobody seems to be who they claim to be. And a whole lot of people from Jack’s past suddenly come to the fore as he and his boss move forward with this mysterious investigation. As Jack investigates the new case, it seems his life may be in danger, and he manages to get into trouble with the police yet again.
Dahl creates memorable characters who have stayed with me. Apart from the intrigue, both political and personal, the story is also about relationships and passion and love.
I found the language a little formal and a bit clunky in parts, which affected the flow for me, but perhaps it was faithful to the era.
Jack Rivers is a wonderful character who really came alive for me. In 1924 he lives a reckless life working for a shady underworld character, delivering prohibited hard tack to the locals. One scene, involving him trying to outrun the police, had me holding my breath in sheer disbelief as I rooted for Jack to escape a near impossible and possibly fatal situation.
We then meet Jack in 1938, when, in a strange twist, he is now working as ‘the assistant’ to former police officer, Ludvig Paaske—the very policeman who once tried to arrest him.
Paaske is now a detective. He is approached by a wife who wants the agency to spy on her husband to see what he is up to. Nothing about this case is as it seems, however, and nobody seems to be who they claim to be. And a whole lot of people from Jack’s past suddenly come to the fore as he and his boss move forward with this mysterious investigation. As Jack investigates the new case, it seems his life may be in danger, and he manages to get into trouble with the police yet again.
Dahl creates memorable characters who have stayed with me. Apart from the intrigue, both political and personal, the story is also about relationships and passion and love.
I found the language a little formal and a bit clunky in parts, which affected the flow for me, but perhaps it was faithful to the era.
April 21, 2025
Noir set in OSLO
Noir set in OSLO's interwar years
The novel opens in Kristiania in 1924. Kristiania became Oslo in 1925 and much of the story is set in and around the city in the later 1930s.
In the early pages there is a real sense of clandestine operations. Jack Rivers is driving his truck covertly, avoiding the authorities, delivering contraband where it is required. This was a time when Prohibition was in place (1916-26) and smugglers and their loot were outlawed – but, of course, they found ways to carry out their nefarious dealings.
Ludvig Paaske is a police officer tasked to catch him and he is focussed on accomplishing his mission.
Fast forward to 1938, when much has changed politically in the intervening years, and the two men have started working together, their inimitable talents and experience dovetailing, although their personalities are very different.
When a seemingly nervous woman comes to Paaske’s office, he and his side-kick approach her case as one of simple marital infidelity, she surmises her husband is having an affair. But as they start to look further into the case, they find a world opening up that involves criminals and spies, coloured by the threat of looming war and the activities of foreign nations on Norwegian soil.
The author creates a real sense of a dark netherworld, supported by an excellent and highly textured sense of time and place. He creates a very appealing historical context, creatively bringing the difficult time to the attention of readers. Kjell Ola Dahl is always a reliable and engaging storyteller.
Noir set in OSLO's interwar years
The novel opens in Kristiania in 1924. Kristiania became Oslo in 1925 and much of the story is set in and around the city in the later 1930s.
In the early pages there is a real sense of clandestine operations. Jack Rivers is driving his truck covertly, avoiding the authorities, delivering contraband where it is required. This was a time when Prohibition was in place (1916-26) and smugglers and their loot were outlawed – but, of course, they found ways to carry out their nefarious dealings.
Ludvig Paaske is a police officer tasked to catch him and he is focussed on accomplishing his mission.
Fast forward to 1938, when much has changed politically in the intervening years, and the two men have started working together, their inimitable talents and experience dovetailing, although their personalities are very different.
When a seemingly nervous woman comes to Paaske’s office, he and his side-kick approach her case as one of simple marital infidelity, she surmises her husband is having an affair. But as they start to look further into the case, they find a world opening up that involves criminals and spies, coloured by the threat of looming war and the activities of foreign nations on Norwegian soil.
The author creates a real sense of a dark netherworld, supported by an excellent and highly textured sense of time and place. He creates a very appealing historical context, creatively bringing the difficult time to the attention of readers. Kjell Ola Dahl is always a reliable and engaging storyteller.
March 28, 2021
A few years ago, I read my first Kjell Ola Dahl novel, The Courier, and since then I’ve been reading my way through his Oslo Detectives series. When I first heard of The Assistant I was hoping it would be another instalment in that series, but when I learnt it was a standalone historical thriller, I was even more excited: I’ve always loved thrillers and over the last couple of years I have found myself falling in love with historical fiction and I know I can always count on Kjell Ola Dahl to expertly combine outstanding historical fiction with great crime fiction. The Assistant? Case in point.
The Assistant kicks off in Oslo – or Kristiania as it was then called – in 1924. Jack Rivers is making illegal alcohol rounds and is nabbed by his arch nemesis police officer Ludvig Paaske, the Batman to his Joker, if you will. When the story jumps to Oslo in 1938, Paaske has become a private investigator and Rivers his assistant. Quite the twist, what a change of heart, and one that immediately sparked my curiosity: what on earth had moved these men to become co-workers, or to continue the analogy: what had made Rivers the Robin to Paaske’s Batman?!
That’s not the main mystery of course, that kicks off when Paaske is visited by a woman who wants him to investigate her husband whom she suspects of infidelity. Only, said woman is not who she claims to be, and this investigation not as cut and dried as it seems at first.
And so, my dear friends, after few chapters my little thrill(er)-loving heart was beating a joyful tattoo at all this mystery and intrigue!
After finding out more about the Second World War from a Norwegian perspective in The Courier, I learnt about two other fascinating periods in Norwegian history: interbellum-Norway on the one hand, and the Norwegian prohibition era on the other. Talk to me about prohibition and I’ll tell you all about US bootleggers, speakeasies, the Roaring 20s in North America. But bootleggers in Norway, selling illegal hooch?! Who knew?! (Well maybe you did, but I sure as hell as didn’t.) It turns out that prohibition-era Norway is just as fascinating as prohibition-era USA and I enjoyed this look at this part of history in this part of the world tremendously.
The Assistant is clearly well researched but it doesn’t for one moment read as anything other than fiction. It is never dry, it is never boring, it’s just a great crime thriller that happens to be set in the past and therefore emanates a certain zeitgeist and highlights some historical figures and events through the fictional characters and events. It is my favourite way of reading about history, because while the focus is on the fictional part, I always feel I’ve learnt something without really trying.
The Assistant is a fascinating read for any historical crime fiction lover. Recommended!
The Assistant kicks off in Oslo – or Kristiania as it was then called – in 1924. Jack Rivers is making illegal alcohol rounds and is nabbed by his arch nemesis police officer Ludvig Paaske, the Batman to his Joker, if you will. When the story jumps to Oslo in 1938, Paaske has become a private investigator and Rivers his assistant. Quite the twist, what a change of heart, and one that immediately sparked my curiosity: what on earth had moved these men to become co-workers, or to continue the analogy: what had made Rivers the Robin to Paaske’s Batman?!
That’s not the main mystery of course, that kicks off when Paaske is visited by a woman who wants him to investigate her husband whom she suspects of infidelity. Only, said woman is not who she claims to be, and this investigation not as cut and dried as it seems at first.
And so, my dear friends, after few chapters my little thrill(er)-loving heart was beating a joyful tattoo at all this mystery and intrigue!
After finding out more about the Second World War from a Norwegian perspective in The Courier, I learnt about two other fascinating periods in Norwegian history: interbellum-Norway on the one hand, and the Norwegian prohibition era on the other. Talk to me about prohibition and I’ll tell you all about US bootleggers, speakeasies, the Roaring 20s in North America. But bootleggers in Norway, selling illegal hooch?! Who knew?! (Well maybe you did, but I sure as hell as didn’t.) It turns out that prohibition-era Norway is just as fascinating as prohibition-era USA and I enjoyed this look at this part of history in this part of the world tremendously.
The Assistant is clearly well researched but it doesn’t for one moment read as anything other than fiction. It is never dry, it is never boring, it’s just a great crime thriller that happens to be set in the past and therefore emanates a certain zeitgeist and highlights some historical figures and events through the fictional characters and events. It is my favourite way of reading about history, because while the focus is on the fictional part, I always feel I’ve learnt something without really trying.
The Assistant is a fascinating read for any historical crime fiction lover. Recommended!
May 5, 2021
It’s not easy to make a review when a book is good and you can’t stop thinking about it! This had been a slow paced rollercoaster, with multiple characters and very interesting subplots, it was easy to lose track of time while I was reading “The Assistant”.
This book has two different time frames in Norway, not to distract the reader but to show how everything started and how it will end… (maybe?). The story is told from Jack Rivers’ perspective, the assistant of the PI Ludvig Paaske that will accept a case that will change both of their lives forever.
Jack and Paaske had a past together, but now that they are working as a team, trust is the most important thing. But the new case, a marital infidelity, is not as simple as it seems, Jack has a past connection with the wife; and when he starts hiding important information to Paaske everything will be at risk. Jack doesn’t seem to be a bad man, he is a hard worker and a good friend; but he has a weak point, a young woman she met a long time ago. But now she has reappeared to his life, with a new name and a new German husband. Their story together is truculent and it will be revealed slowly as the story passes; sadly, love and pain are always linked together.
This is a mystery, but it has so many layers and historical details that it felt difficult to only give it one label; friendship, war, spies, love, vengeance…
This is not a book to rush, everything will be revealed, you only have to let the story flow and be absorbed by it, it’s worth every page, believe me!
Are you ready to discover “The Assistant”?
This book has two different time frames in Norway, not to distract the reader but to show how everything started and how it will end… (maybe?). The story is told from Jack Rivers’ perspective, the assistant of the PI Ludvig Paaske that will accept a case that will change both of their lives forever.
Jack and Paaske had a past together, but now that they are working as a team, trust is the most important thing. But the new case, a marital infidelity, is not as simple as it seems, Jack has a past connection with the wife; and when he starts hiding important information to Paaske everything will be at risk. Jack doesn’t seem to be a bad man, he is a hard worker and a good friend; but he has a weak point, a young woman she met a long time ago. But now she has reappeared to his life, with a new name and a new German husband. Their story together is truculent and it will be revealed slowly as the story passes; sadly, love and pain are always linked together.
This is a mystery, but it has so many layers and historical details that it felt difficult to only give it one label; friendship, war, spies, love, vengeance…
This is not a book to rush, everything will be revealed, you only have to let the story flow and be absorbed by it, it’s worth every page, believe me!
Are you ready to discover “The Assistant”?
May 6, 2021
As I read The Assistant, I was struck by the flawless plotting as the narrative moved between two decades in the 20th Century- the 1920's and the 1930's. It never jarred but as each period alternated, you could see the effects of earlier days on the central characters, as secrets and betrayals were gradually uncovered. When you meet the PI Paaske and his assistant, Jack Rivers, they are on opposite sides of the fence. The 20's were prohibition years in Norway and Jack's criminal past brings him into contact with the police officer, Paaske. Fast forward a decade to the pre-war years and you find them both working together. Paaske is now a PI and it seems that he has employed Rivers as his assistant: an odd couple indeed. Who trusts who?
Although very much a crime thriller, with the twists and turns you would expect, there are some interesting historical threads within this standalone story. You explore the effects of political decisions on everyday life and of course in the chapters devoted to the 1930's, you come up against the rise of the German state, its incursion below the surface into daily life and at the other end of the spectrum, the communism which took a quite different view of the place of the state. It feels authentic and the social commentary never intrudes on the novel's direction but rather illuminates characters' actions. For a thriller which is character driven and full of surprises, give this a go!
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book
May 11, 2021
As a fan of Nordic Noir I was looking forward to reading this, a new author for me. This historical thriller is set in Oslo in the 1920’s and in 1938 with the world on the brink of another World War. The book jumps between the timelines and I did have to go back more than once to check what year we were in.
Many of the character characters are involved in both eras. For me two characters really stood out. Jack Rivers, who goes from transporting bootleg alcohol in the early year, and a prison sentence, to working with a former police officer Ludvig Paaske as a private investigator. And Amalie a woman who is both beautiful and cunning and who is determined to rise from her lowly beginnings by whatever means necessary.
The later years reveal how undercover Nazis are working in Norway prior to the start of the war and Norway declaring neutrality. This all becomes interspersed with the case Rivers and Paaske are working on and links back to the life and people Jack knew and worked with during prohibition.
An intricate and clever plot connecting the two dates but in places I did find it didn’t flow as well as I would like, maybe a personal preference. Although I enjoyed the book and would read this author again there was something missing for me and I would give this a solid 4*.
Many of the character characters are involved in both eras. For me two characters really stood out. Jack Rivers, who goes from transporting bootleg alcohol in the early year, and a prison sentence, to working with a former police officer Ludvig Paaske as a private investigator. And Amalie a woman who is both beautiful and cunning and who is determined to rise from her lowly beginnings by whatever means necessary.
The later years reveal how undercover Nazis are working in Norway prior to the start of the war and Norway declaring neutrality. This all becomes interspersed with the case Rivers and Paaske are working on and links back to the life and people Jack knew and worked with during prohibition.
An intricate and clever plot connecting the two dates but in places I did find it didn’t flow as well as I would like, maybe a personal preference. Although I enjoyed the book and would read this author again there was something missing for me and I would give this a solid 4*.
April 30, 2021
This is the first Kjell Ola Dahl novel I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the settings and glimpses of Norway. I also enjoyed the historical elements which showed me an aspect I knew nothing about.
The writing carried me along, the characters are interesting and complex, and I finished reading the book quickly. I was immersed in the story and although I could guess some of the twists and turns, the ending still surprised me.
The story is set in Norway (mostly Oslo) and switches between two timeframes - 1920 and 1938.
Oslo during the prohibition years (the 1920s) is seen mostly through the eyes of Jack Rivers who is involved in running illegal grog. His life and experiences are neatly connected to the later time frame.
We also experience Oslo's interwar years (1938), a tumultuous time with militant communists agitating workers and Nazis secretly scheming on Norwegian soil. The Nazi annexation of Austria and the Spanish civil war add another backdrop for this story.
Ludvig Paaske and Jack Rivers, private investigators, are asked by a woman to follow her husband. It isn't what it seems. The plot ties together the characters and their lives from the two timeframes.
This is an entertaining and enjoyable read.
The writing carried me along, the characters are interesting and complex, and I finished reading the book quickly. I was immersed in the story and although I could guess some of the twists and turns, the ending still surprised me.
The story is set in Norway (mostly Oslo) and switches between two timeframes - 1920 and 1938.
Oslo during the prohibition years (the 1920s) is seen mostly through the eyes of Jack Rivers who is involved in running illegal grog. His life and experiences are neatly connected to the later time frame.
We also experience Oslo's interwar years (1938), a tumultuous time with militant communists agitating workers and Nazis secretly scheming on Norwegian soil. The Nazi annexation of Austria and the Spanish civil war add another backdrop for this story.
Ludvig Paaske and Jack Rivers, private investigators, are asked by a woman to follow her husband. It isn't what it seems. The plot ties together the characters and their lives from the two timeframes.
This is an entertaining and enjoyable read.
June 2, 2021
The Assistant takes the reader to a fascinating epoch - Norway, on the brink of the Second World War, where former smuggler, Jack Rivers, and ex-cop, Ludvig Paaske, run a detective agency together. (Rivers is the "Assistant" of the title). In the best traditions of noir, a woman turns up one morning at their offices and inevitably, trouble follows...
Actually The Assistant goes to two fascinating periods - alongside the 1930s story, other chapters hark back to the 20s, a world of Prohibition, speedboats, hideaways in remote fiords and gangsters' molls. This was an aspect of Norway's history I was totally unfamiliar with but am now obsessed by! Hard drink, banned from sale, is being brought in under the noses of the authorities and distributed from flatbed lorries and via corner shops and village groceries. The police (led by Paaske) and Customs are relentless in their pursuit (at one point Jack's boat gets fired on by a naval vessel) and we're witness to daring escapes, stake-outs and betrayals.
Jump forward again to 1938, and that young woman in the detectives' office dangles an apparently simple job - she thinks her husband in unfaithful, and wants him followed. But this will lead the pair into a fiendishly complex affair involving Nazi spies, Communist saboteurs intent on stopping arms exports to the Spanish insurgent forces - and some old scores. Of course we know, even if Jack, Ludvig, Amalie, Julie and Bjerke don't, that all this is taking place in a looming shadow of war, invasion and occupation.
I loved the way that, in this book, Kjell Ola Dahl juggles the personal and the national, even the international. Everyone we follow here was involved in the chases and chicanery in the 20s which were deadly serious at the time but now, looking back, seem rather like games. However, things were done - promises made and broken, betrayals carried out and accepted - that left faultiness, faultiness which persist to the later 30s, reasons for suspicion, regret and revenge. In 1938 it's as though the wars and rumours of wars have brought all that back to the surface, injected a new sense of jeopardy, of higher stakes but also - for some - an open door to opportunity.
The characterisation here is excellent. Paaske, a bit of a fusspot, a man with routines, obsessed with the state of his shoes (and judging others by theirs) but also a man missing his daughter, lost somewhere in the European maelstrom. Jack, still a bit Devil-may-care (though less so than we saw in his 20s escapades) but someone with regrets, especially about his mother's death which he missed, being in jail. Julie, a femme fatale if ever there was one. Amalie, distinctly ambiguous, a woman who has come far, clearly has secrets, and who moves in many different circles - but who nevertheless still cares for her brother, now committed to an asylum. There's a sense they have all been waiting fifteen years to begin the dance that starts now. Despite that, though, the moves are uncertain, intentions conflicted and - it seems at times - the outcomes all bad.
I really enjoyed The Assistant. (Can you tell?) There are some familiar themes and tropes but they are given new life and force and expressed in a totally different milieu from what you might expect. Yes, guns, girls, smoky clubs and spies. But also, political idealism and cold-eyed men (and women) with a lightning calculus of guilt, innocence and motivation. So much of the action is about who is second guessing who and where that will lead. Who is bluffing, and what they'll do if called. It's really, really intoxicating and often very visual: a couple of episodes take place in a villa with large, lit up windows so that key events are seen by other characters as though on a theatre stage or the silver screen itself, pointing up the theatricality, the film-like quality of the whole series of events that plays out - with the drama maintained at high pitch till the last moment of the last reel.
Don Bartlett's translation feels classic noir, falling into an easy, raconteur's style that yet points up the atmosphere of a foggy morning in Oslo or a dark night out on the fjord.
An intoxicating read, best enjoyed, perhaps, late at night with a glass of the hard stuff to hand and rain pouring down outside...
(I acknowledge being gifted a copy of The Assistant to consider for review)
Actually The Assistant goes to two fascinating periods - alongside the 1930s story, other chapters hark back to the 20s, a world of Prohibition, speedboats, hideaways in remote fiords and gangsters' molls. This was an aspect of Norway's history I was totally unfamiliar with but am now obsessed by! Hard drink, banned from sale, is being brought in under the noses of the authorities and distributed from flatbed lorries and via corner shops and village groceries. The police (led by Paaske) and Customs are relentless in their pursuit (at one point Jack's boat gets fired on by a naval vessel) and we're witness to daring escapes, stake-outs and betrayals.
Jump forward again to 1938, and that young woman in the detectives' office dangles an apparently simple job - she thinks her husband in unfaithful, and wants him followed. But this will lead the pair into a fiendishly complex affair involving Nazi spies, Communist saboteurs intent on stopping arms exports to the Spanish insurgent forces - and some old scores. Of course we know, even if Jack, Ludvig, Amalie, Julie and Bjerke don't, that all this is taking place in a looming shadow of war, invasion and occupation.
I loved the way that, in this book, Kjell Ola Dahl juggles the personal and the national, even the international. Everyone we follow here was involved in the chases and chicanery in the 20s which were deadly serious at the time but now, looking back, seem rather like games. However, things were done - promises made and broken, betrayals carried out and accepted - that left faultiness, faultiness which persist to the later 30s, reasons for suspicion, regret and revenge. In 1938 it's as though the wars and rumours of wars have brought all that back to the surface, injected a new sense of jeopardy, of higher stakes but also - for some - an open door to opportunity.
The characterisation here is excellent. Paaske, a bit of a fusspot, a man with routines, obsessed with the state of his shoes (and judging others by theirs) but also a man missing his daughter, lost somewhere in the European maelstrom. Jack, still a bit Devil-may-care (though less so than we saw in his 20s escapades) but someone with regrets, especially about his mother's death which he missed, being in jail. Julie, a femme fatale if ever there was one. Amalie, distinctly ambiguous, a woman who has come far, clearly has secrets, and who moves in many different circles - but who nevertheless still cares for her brother, now committed to an asylum. There's a sense they have all been waiting fifteen years to begin the dance that starts now. Despite that, though, the moves are uncertain, intentions conflicted and - it seems at times - the outcomes all bad.
I really enjoyed The Assistant. (Can you tell?) There are some familiar themes and tropes but they are given new life and force and expressed in a totally different milieu from what you might expect. Yes, guns, girls, smoky clubs and spies. But also, political idealism and cold-eyed men (and women) with a lightning calculus of guilt, innocence and motivation. So much of the action is about who is second guessing who and where that will lead. Who is bluffing, and what they'll do if called. It's really, really intoxicating and often very visual: a couple of episodes take place in a villa with large, lit up windows so that key events are seen by other characters as though on a theatre stage or the silver screen itself, pointing up the theatricality, the film-like quality of the whole series of events that plays out - with the drama maintained at high pitch till the last moment of the last reel.
Don Bartlett's translation feels classic noir, falling into an easy, raconteur's style that yet points up the atmosphere of a foggy morning in Oslo or a dark night out on the fjord.
An intoxicating read, best enjoyed, perhaps, late at night with a glass of the hard stuff to hand and rain pouring down outside...
(I acknowledge being gifted a copy of The Assistant to consider for review)
May 14, 2021
The Assistant switches between two different timelines 1924/26, where Jack Rivers works for Arvid Bjerke, the owner and f a transport company, driving vehicles transporting goods, including illegal batches of alcohol. And 1938, where Jack this time is working as assistant for Ludvig Paaske, a former police officer and now private invastigator.
The book is expertly layered and as the author goes back and forth in time, we see the two strands of the story becoming heavenly interwoven. The historical period was well researched and yet again I was surprised to learn new things, as for example that the Norwegian government opposed its citizens joining those fighting the fascists in the Spanish Civil War.
Jack Rivers’ characterisation is absolutely brilliant! He is a loyal man always pushed over the edge by the ones he loves. He is caring, passionate and extremely clever. Paaske instead is a bit of tricky character, he seems the emblem of morality, but things turn out pretty differently at the end.
I definitely wouldn’t mind to see Jack Rivers character being developed in a sequel of some sorts.
The book is expertly layered and as the author goes back and forth in time, we see the two strands of the story becoming heavenly interwoven. The historical period was well researched and yet again I was surprised to learn new things, as for example that the Norwegian government opposed its citizens joining those fighting the fascists in the Spanish Civil War.
Jack Rivers’ characterisation is absolutely brilliant! He is a loyal man always pushed over the edge by the ones he loves. He is caring, passionate and extremely clever. Paaske instead is a bit of tricky character, he seems the emblem of morality, but things turn out pretty differently at the end.
I definitely wouldn’t mind to see Jack Rivers character being developed in a sequel of some sorts.
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