Thank you to Knopf DoubleDay Publishing and to the author for this advanced copy of The Jealousy Man and Other Stories in exchange for an honest review. I counted on you arresting Henrik Bakke as soon as you had the results of the autopsy. I presumed it would be an easy matter to work out that the cyanide came from the chocolates that Bakke had indisputably brought into the house.

The Jealousy Man by Jo Nesbo - Penguin Books Australia The Jealousy Man by Jo Nesbo - Penguin Books Australia

I straighten the liquorice wrapper between my fingers. ‘Lakris – lakrits – lakrids’ it says. Danish and Swedish as well as Norwegian. Easy to understand anyway. It’s good when neighbours speak almost the same language.The officer sits with head bowed. As though he’s the one confessing to murder by poison rather than me. A veritable crime lover’s delight from a true master of mystery and suspense. Experience the #1 New York Times best-selling author as never before in this dark and thrilling short story collection that takes us on a journey of twisted minds and vengeful hearts. The book starts well and the first short story was addictive but many of the other stories were predictable, repetitive and too short to get absorbed. But you didn’t, officer. You didn’t manage to connect the poison to the remains of chocolate you found in her stomach because the chocolate had already melted and dissolved. So I began to worry that Henrik Bakke might get away with it.’ I'm a big fan of Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series so I was really excited when my request was approved. I'm not a big fan of short stories unless the author is a fave of mine.

The Jealousy Man and Other Stories by Jo Nesbo, Paperback The Jealousy Man and Other Stories by Jo Nesbo, Paperback

Jo Nesbo is not a new-to-me author as I am slowly making my way through his Harry Hole series. I have also read a few of his stand-alones and really liked them, so when I heard he had a collection of short stories coming out, I knew I had to read them. I’ve really come to enjoy reading short stories recently and had to see what spin Nesbo would put on them.I say this as though I’ve just made up my mind here and now, but of course that’s not the case. For several minutes now I’ve just been waiting for the right moment. And the right moment is now. I put down my coffee cup and take a Twist from the dish of chocolates. Coconut. Not my favourite, but perfectly acceptable.

The Jealousy Man by Jo Nesbo, Robert Ferguson | Waterstones The Jealousy Man by Jo Nesbo, Robert Ferguson | Waterstones

The writing is typical Nesbø, which, for those who have read some of his work, will know is steeped in symbolism and a deeper analysis of the emotional being. Hidden meanings and ideas permeate the narrative, such that the reader may play close attention to get all that Nesbø presents in his writing. With stories that vary in length, it is even more important to pay attention, as there are times when a piece is over before it really begins, meaning the reader will miss what is being presented.Simone loved chocolates. Especially Twist. Every Saturday when I did the shopping at Kiwi I used to buy a big bag of them. It was one of our few routines. It was a sort of anchor in a life based on opportunism, whims, the occasional evening meal together and, as a rule, waking up in the same bed. We blamed our jobs, and I believed that everything would be different once we had a child. That would bring us together. A child. I remember how shaken she was the first time I brought it up. This is a book containing 12 short stories. Part 1 is seven shorts about jealousy. Part 2 is five shorts about power. Before my review I've listed the twelve short stories in the book and given them a rating between 1-5. The reason you haven’t found anything is simple. I haven’t been here, officer. At least not this past year. And the housekeeper does a thorough job with her vacuum cleaner.’ This architect, Henrik Bakke, I don’t know how she met him. She always said she met him after I moved out, and at first I believed her. But friends have told me how naive I was, pointing out that the guy moved in almost immediately. Before my side of the bed was even cold, as one of my friends put it. And yet, officer – and I know this may sound strange – it’s actually a sort of comfort to know that it was her feelings for someone else that ruined everything for us. That what Simone and I had wasn’t the kind of thing that just burns itself out of its own accord. That it took love to conquer love.’ In his first ever collection of short stories, this master of crime delivers a gripping, edge-of-your seat read that you won't be able to put down.