Nominated for the Skroutz Book Awards 2025.
The brothers Carl and Roy Opgaard have succeeded in life. Or at least as much as a small town like Os would allow. Carl manages the area's elegant hotel-spa, and Roy runs the gas station and is planning a theme park with a roller coaster. When they learn that a new highway is about to be built next to Os, they decide they must do something to stop it, even if it means playing dirty.
Fortunately, the brothers have plenty of experience in scheming and are not afraid to get their hands dirty. Meanwhile, the sheriff has found new evidence and believes he can prove the involvement of the two brothers in murders from the past. And there will be more.
The King is an ambitious, suspense-filled novel about loyalty, family bonds, powerful love, and the fight against authority.
WHAT THE PRESS WROTE
The brothers Roy and Carl Opgaard return in the addictive and chilling sequel to The Kingdom. Bestseller Jo Nesbo masterfully immerses readers in the soul of a charming killer, infusing scenes of carnage with pop culture references and touches of disarming humor reminiscent of Harry Hole. The result is a terrifying noir with plenty of dark humor that will haunt readers for a long time. Publishers Weekly
In his second book featuring the Norwegian brothers (after The Kingdom, 2020), Nesbo raises the level of suspense. A well-written story that captivates readers, where Roy's ruthless logic clashes with a barrage of threats, emotional ties, and conflicting desires. Readers will remember it vividly even long after they've read its last pages. Booklist
Nesbo's latest book is unexpectedly comical... A dark and highly entertaining thriller. Kirkus Reviews
The most charming Nesbo. Dagblatet
The king of crime fiction. Dagsavisen
Nesbo never stops surprising us. Nettavisen
Read an excerpt
Everyone has a weak spot. This is a knowledge my father instilled in me when he was teaching me boxing. I was younger than the other boys, but he showed me that even the fiercest opponent has a hole in their defense, some uncovered spot, a mistake they are doomed to repeat. He also taught me that it’s not enough to discover this spot; you must also have a heart of ice, so you won’t hesitate for a moment to exploit it. And that was exactly my weak spot: a heart that bled for people like me, that recognized every weakness of theirs as my own. But gradually I learned. And my heart froze. One could say that now my heart is a frozen, dormant volcano, which last erupted eight years ago. But even then it was cold. Cold enough, that is, to make me a killer.
