Jo nesbo brings the superintendent Harry hole back in his fifth book Harry is on a drunken downward slope no on believes him about a bad Apple in the Oslo police force Put on a new case because the police force are short staffed during national holidays a woman has been found with a digit missing and a small jewel placed under the eyelid then a upcoming star has gone missing and a finger turns up then more bodies start turning up with cryptic clues is there a serial killer on Harry patch or his it more sinister Then Harry kidnaps the main suspect from the detention centre just has he is been kicked out of the force can he safe himself + career and solve the crime

From the outset this novel is truly gripping. Harry has his work cut out for him on several fronts. There is a serial killer on the loose, he has his drink demons to contend with, his relationship with Rakel is tricky to say the least, and then there is Tom Waaler and his particular form of nasty looming on the horizon. With regard to the title one can interpret it in several ways. First, of course, is the motive of the killer, but the slightly more worrying interpretation is the one concerning Tom Waaler.......is he the Devil's star pupil? In a superb and tautly plotted thriller, Nesbo takes us through Harry's world and his dealings with his various problems only for many a twist and a smattering of dicey situations to test even the most hardy of souls to the limit. Whether Harry survives intact is open for question. The grisly ends for some of the characters will leave some readers cringing and others cheering (my inner psychopath and sociopath had an interesting discussion regarding one death in particular, I'm not sure which one won the argument about whether it was sufficiently grisly enough!). Nesbo writes Harry's battles with his alcoholism with genuine understanding of the turmoil faced by such tormented individuals, one can almost feel Harry's inner dialogues trying desperately to be heard and answered with 'just a drop, it can't hurt'. Whether he will overcome these demons is a question for the next in the series. I will make a start with that one soon enough with the hope that I enjoy it just as much as this one.

If you are looking for the nexr biggest thing to Stieg Larsson then look no furthur, I give you Jo Nesbo.

The Devil's star is gripping from the start with murders coming left, right and centre. There is a great twist in the middle, and detective Harry Hole finds himself in a tricky situation at the end. Would recommend to anyone!