Wolf Hour

Author: Jo Nesbø
Genre: Crime Thriller, Police Procedural
420 pages
Publisher: Vintage, 2025; English translation, 2026
Translator: Robert Ferguson

Synopsis
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2016. When a small-time criminal and gun dealer is shot down in the street, all signs point to Tomas Gomez, a quiet man with a mysterious past—and deep connections to a notorious gang—who has seemingly vanished into thin air. Other murders soon follow, and it appears Gomez is only getting started. Meanwhile, Bob Oz, a down-and-out suspended police officer with a dubious past of his own, becomes fascinated by the case: he is obsessed with the notion of hunting down a serial killer who only he can understand, a killer with a story as tragic as his own.  

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2022. An enigmatic Norwegian man with ties to Minneapolis—a self-described crime writer—has traveled to the United States to research the Gomez case, in the hopes of writing a book about it. But as his investigation progresses, the writer’s seemingly neutral position reveals itself to be more complicated than the reader is initially led to believe.

With her career on the line, she turns to psychotherapist Sofia Zetterlund. Together, they uncover a chain of shocking events that began decades ago – but will it lead them to the murderer before someone else dies?

My review
Wolf Hour is a solid, hard-hitting police procedural and crime thriller from Jo Nesbø. Best known for his Harry Hole series (which I’ve read in full), Nesbø crafts a twisty tale as only he can, and I was eager to dive into this standalone thriller over the weekend. His signature taut, atmospheric writing is back in full force, but this time, he takes us far from his familiar Norway and into the gritty streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

At first, I wasn’t sure why Nesbø chose to set this story in the U.S. rather than Norway, but as the narrative unfolded, it became clear. Wolf Hour is as much a statement on America’s gun culture as it is a crime thriller. Through depictions of the NRA, an accidental shooting, and the cyclical nature of gang violence, Nesbø explores the devastating ripple effects of gun violence, and how it destroys lives, families, and entire communities. It’s a bleak, sobering theme, handled with his trademark precision and emotional weight.

As always, Nesbø excels at creating complex, deeply flawed characters. Detective Bob Oz, our protagonist, is both repellent and sympathetic. A man unraveling under the weight of grief and rage. Nesbø’s atmospheric writing vividly captures Minneapolis’s underbelly. Though I’ve never been there, I could picture the gritty neighborhoods scarred by graffiti, poverty, and violence. One of the most memorable characters is Mike Lunde, a taxidermist central to the story. Somehow, Nesbø managed to make me fascinated by a topic I’ve always found eerie and unsettling, which speaks to his skill as a storyteller. I also appreciated the subtle ties to Norway threaded throughout the narrative.

The novel unfolds along two timelines, one in 2016, centered on Oz and the killer, and another in 2022, following a writer investigating the case. While the dual structure adds a layer of reflection, I felt the writer’s timeline didn’t add much to the main narrative and could have been eliminated. Similarly, a subplot involving a crooked detective felt more like an add on rather than adding to the story.

The heart of Wolf Hour lies in the tense cat-and-mouse dynamic between Oz and the killer, Tomas. Both men are haunted by the scars of gun violence. Two sides of the same coin, each consumed by grief and anger. Tomas, in particular, is a tragic figure, driven by vengeance after his entire family is killed when they’re caught in the cross fire of gang violence. Nesbø blurs the line between hero and villain with skill and subtlety, keeping the killer’s identity and motivations just out of reach until the very end.

Wolf Hour is a gripping, morally ambiguous thriller that delivers everything I expect from Nesbø: layered characters, sharp social commentary, and a dark, unrelenting plot. Nesbø remains one of the most skilled crime writers working today, and I can’t wait to see where he takes us next.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Vintage, and Jo Nesbø for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

My recommendation: definitely worth the read!