The Kingdom - review

Synopsis:

Before Roy's father died in the car crash that also killed Roy's mother, he told his teenaged son that it was his job to protect his little brother, Carl, from the world and from Carl's own impulsive nature. Roy took that job seriously, especially after the two were orphaned. But a small part of him was happy when Carl decided that the tiny town of Os in the mountains of Norway wasn't big enough to hold him and took off to Canada to make his fortune. Which left Roy to pursue the quiet life he loved as a mechanic in the place where they grew up.

Then suddenly an older Carl is back, full of big plans to develop a resort hotel on the family land, promising that not only will the brothers strike it rich, but so will the town. With him is his fierce and beautiful wife, Shannon, an architect he met on his travels, a woman who soon breaks down the lonely Roy's walls. And Carl's reappearance sparks something even more dangerous than envy in his brother's heart--it sparks fear. Carl's homecoming threatens to shake loose every carefully buried family secret.

As psychologically acute as it is disturbing, with plot twists you never see coming, Jo Nesbo's new novel is the work of a master of noir at the top of his game.

My Review:

If you love slow burn thrillers, this book is for you. Set in an isolated Norwegian town in the mountains, The Kingdom explores the story of two brothers and the extent to which family are willing to go to protect each other.

The small cast of characters are given lots of depth and development, which for me is the best part of this book. Each relationship is explored and analysed and you really begin to feel each character’s motivations and emotions.

The plot was very dry at the start, and I almost gave up, but from part four the story really got going and I was hooked. Each twist is good, but never seems to fully satisfy you, so you are forced to continue reading to learn the rest of the story.

The story is quite dark and tense at times. There are some really good lessons and quotes within The Kingdom concerning family, and how history repeats itself. I also really appreciated the use of metaphors to aid the story (cats, birds, etc)

Overall, a very good book in terms of characters, atmosphere and writing, but the pacing was just a bit too slow for me at the start.

My Rating: 8/10

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