The Devil’s Star is the third book in this series originating in Norway and now published in the United States. The main premise of the story is the fact that serial killers are a very rare occurrence for Norwegian police. The killer in this case leaves his victims with a missing finger and a red diamond in the shape of a pentagram somewhere on their bodies.

The two top homicide detectives are both very good at what they do but each has demons and faults of their own. They also despise each other and would love to bring an end to each other's career.

Tom Waaler is leading the team. He almost always gets great results but has a tendency to shoot to kill. His archenemy is Harry Hole, a brilliant cop with many skeletons in his closet. Hole is an alcoholic who should have been fired many times over, but his boss has covered for him many times. Harry is self-destructive and blames himself for the death of his former partner. He is also very brilliant and solves the case almost single handedly.

This was a very interesting book and the fact that it set in Norway, a country that I know almost nothing about, made it even more so. The plot was complicated with many clues dropped here and there. The character development was great and the antagonism between the two main characters keeps things moving.

Nemesis, No 4 [review]
The Devil’s Star, No 5 [review]