Phantom: Harry Hole #9 [Signed First Edition]

Nesbo, Jo (1960- ) translated by Don Bartlett

ISBN 10: 1846555213 / ISBN 13: 9781846555213

Published by Harvill Secker, London, 2002

About this Item

FIRST APPEARANCE OF HARRY HOLE'S DARKEST CASE A signed first British edition of the ninth Harry Hole novel, one of the key entries in Jo Nesbo's internationally influential Scandinavian crime series. Set in Oslo's brutal drug underworld, Phantom presents Hole returning from exile to investigate a murder tied to someone he once tried to protect, blending police procedural tension with psychological noir and modern Nordic social critique. Signed by Jo Nesbo on the title page without inscription. The novel reflects the darker, emotionally layered phase of the Harry Hole sequence that helped establish Nesbo as one of the dominant voices in contemporary international crime fiction. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Black cloth binding with silver spine titles. Octavo, 9 inches tall. 452, [2] pages. First English-language edition published by Harvill Secker. CONDITION: No flaws or blemishes beyond minimal shelf handling. Appears unread. Still gift quality. Signed by the author on the title page without personalization. First Edition, First Printing. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE - Jo Nesbø emerged as one of the defining figures of Nordic noir in the early twenty-first century. The Harry Hole novels achieved major international success through translation and adaptation interest, contributing significantly to the global popularity of Scandinavian crime fiction. Phantom presents Harry Hole at perhaps his most vulnerable and obsessive. Returning to Oslo after years abroad, Hole becomes consumed by a murder investigation connected to Oleg, the son of the woman he loves. Nesbo combines the pace of a thriller with morally complex characterization and an increasingly bleak portrait of urban criminal networks. The Harry Hole novels helped bring Scandinavian crime fiction into mainstream English-language readership alongside writers such as Stieg Larsson and Henning Mankell. Phantom is particularly noted for its darker emotional tone and its exploration of loyalty, addiction, corruption, and sacrifice. Several Harry Hole novels have been adapted or optioned for film and television, including The Snowman (2017). SUBJECTS: Harry Hole, Scandinavian crime fiction, Oslo noir, serial crime investigation, police procedural, Norwegian literature in translation, Nordic noir fiction, Jo Nesbø signed editions, psychological suspense, contemporary mystery fiction, Crime Fiction, Nordic Noir, Mystery, Thriller, Detective Fiction.

Seller Inventory # 22018

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Phantom: Harry Hole #9 [Signed First Edition]
• Publisher: Harvill Secker, London
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1846555213
• ISBN 13: 9781846555213
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition, First Printing.
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Weight: 4 pounds
• Signed: Signed
• Seller catalogs:
  • LITERATURE [Many Sub-Catagories]

About this title

Synopsis

First Edition. A near fine copy in a near fine dust jacket. Small bump to the book's lower front corner. The dust jacket has a small bump at the same corner and some small scratches at the front panel's lower right corner. A Harry Hole novel.

Review

Amazon Exclusive: An Essay by Jo Nesbø on Harry Hole

It is not easy to summarize the protagonist of the series in a few words, but here are some features of Harry’s personality that are important to me when I write about him: he’s the type of guy who is driven by his good side as well as his darker side. At times he believes in his role as law enforcer, at other times he doesn’t. And occasionally he is so gripped by his emotions that they overwhelm his basic belief in the principles of a state governed by law. He hunts down criminals with such an intense hatred and finds revenge so hard to resist that at times he could be mistaken for the antagonists he is fighting. But at the same time he can feel empathy for, perhaps even a kinship with, the lawbreaker. Harry Hole is a hero with pronounced weaknesses. All interesting heroes have an Achilles heel, and in Harry’s case, it is alcohol.

Harry feels something akin to what the serial killer feels, the same tension and excitement, when he approaches a victim and the same anti-climax after the killer is caught. It is Harry’s ambition to understand both love and evil. He is a passionate guy in all ways. And he is the type of man who has difficulties controlling his impulses. The fact that he cannot set limits permeates his drinking habits and his attitude to his job. He takes on cases and is swallowed up by them. It is the same with his relationships with women. I could have chosen to make Harry and Rakel live happily ever after and have children, but then we have a completely different person. I like the fact that he is in transit in his own life, as far as his emotions and his job are concerned. I'm often asked how much Harry and I have in common. I won't answer that in detail, but when you make a person a hero, as a writer you are bound to have at least a basic set of values, a goal, a need or a longing that you can relate to.