The Kingdom

Author/Guide: Jo Nesbo

Why a Booktrail?

2000s: Two brothers with lots of secrets

ISBN: 978-1787300798
Genre: Crime

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What you need to know before your trail

When Roy and Carl’s parents die suddenly, sixteen-year-old Roy is left as protector to his impulsive younger brother. But when Carl decides to travel the world in search of his fortune, Roy stays behind in their sleepy village, satisfied with his peaceful life as a mechanic.

Some years later, Carl returns with his charismatic new wife, Shannon – an architect. They are full of exciting plans to build a spa hotel on their family land. Carl wants not only to make the brothers rich but the rest of the village, too.

Locations

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Travel Guide

Nesbo’s Norway and a village kingdom

Os is the remote Norwegian village where the two brothers in the novel grew up. This is farmland and the village is remote. There’s also a deadly ravine called the Huken where cars (and bodies) begin to build up making this the most deadly ravine in the country! With Nesbo at the helm, it’s no surprise.

This is the village where the two brothers grew up but since then they’ve led such different lives – they were raised atop a mountain in Norway that their father dubbed The Kingdom. One has since fled to the states and another has a dream of owning a service station….

The Kingdom draws them back…..and Nesbo is waiting…

Booktrailer Review

A standalone from Nesbo was always going to be a book I was going to pick up but this wasn’t one of my favourites.

Nesbo of course can be dark and soaks his novels in Noir but this was very Noir. Two brothers, one VERY dysfunctional family with events taking place over the years that cause one brother to spiral out of control and the other to pick up the pieces. However, picking up those pieces is not exactly easy or indeed, morally or legally right. This is one seriously messed up family.

The premise is good. Very intriguing but it would have worked so much better in a shorter, snappier novel. You can’t fault the writing. This is Noir Nesbo at his descriptive and evocative best. That setting – the hotel and the remote, landscape with that sense of foreboding throughout….very, very good.