The Leopard (Nesbø novel)
Encyclopedia
The Leopard is a crime novel by Norwegian
novelist, Jo Nesbø
. Its Norwegian title is Panserhjerte, which does not directly translate to The Leopard; it rather means something along the lines of "armour heart." It is the seventh novel featuring Nesbø's crime detective
, Inspector Harry Hole
.
has gone on leave of absence
and has disappeared. He is found by a new Crime Squad officer, Kaja Sollness, in Hong Kong
, where he has become addicted to opium
.
After failing to convince Harry to return to Norway
by describing the identical murder
of two women, Sollness informs him that his father is seriously ill in hospital
and will not live much longer. This convinces Harry to return to Norway with Kaja Sollness.
Harry returns to Crime Squad to find that it is in a tussle with the Norwegian Police Department, Kripos
. The head of Kripos, Mikael Bellman, and Harry's own supervisor are at odds regarding the murders. Harry himself claims to have no interest in the murder cases, but when a female Norwegian MP
is murdered in a public park, he is drawn into the case.
The third murder initially seems unrelated to the previous two. The previous victims had been found with 24 small incisions emanating from the mouth, but the actual cause of death was by drowning
in their own blood from those wounds, whereas the MP was found having been hanged, though the fall had been considerable and she had been decapitated
by the rope.
Harry, Sollness and one of Harry's former colleagues at Crime Squad work under cover
to try and find the killer. They discover that all three women were at the same ski lodge some time previously all on the same night and Harry deduces that the murders are part of the killer's attempts to cover up his (or her) trail. Suspicion falls on a man known to have been at the ski lodge at the time, but he is eliminated from the enquiry when he also is found murdered having been super glued to his bath
and then slowly drowned, returning to the killer's previous style of murder.
Harry finds another person who had been at the ski lodge at the time who is now in Australia
. She refuses to be bait for the killer, but Harry - who has begun working for Kripos - and Sollness (who Harry has recently discovered has been feeding information to her married lover, Mikael Bellman) instigate a sting operation
to draw out the killer - which fails and almost costs them their lives when they are trapped by an avalanche
which was started deliberately.
Harry finally determines that the murderer is someone that he knows and who has become close to him, following a discussion with The Snowman from his previous case. He realises who he believes to be responsible and has him arrested.
Unfortunately, Harry's instincts have proved wrong and the real killer is discovered to have fled to the Congo
. Harry and Sollness follow them and Harry is kidnapped by associates of the killer. He manages to escape, but Sollness has been captured herself. Harry follows the clues given by one of the killer's associates and finally confronts and kills the murderer at the lip of a live volcano
.
Despite having become lovers during the investigation, Harry cannot commit himself to a life with Kaja Sollness. Following the death of his father, Harry spots his former partner, Rakel, and her son, Oleg, at the funeral
and manages to confirm that they are alive and happy away from Norway - having fled following the events of The Snowman murders. Harry himself returns to see The Snowman, who is gravely ill and it is tacitly suggested that he helps The Snowman to commit suicide
, which Harry feels is payment for having failed to follow his father's previous request for him to perform euthanasia
. At the end of the novel, Harry returns to Hong Kong.
into English
by Don Bartlett
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
novelist, Jo Nesbø
Jo Nesbø
Jo Nesbø is an Edgar Award nominated Norwegian author and musician. As of September 2008 more than one and a half million copies of his novels have been sold in Norway, and his work has been translated into over forty languages....
. Its Norwegian title is Panserhjerte, which does not directly translate to The Leopard; it rather means something along the lines of "armour heart." It is the seventh novel featuring Nesbø's crime detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
, Inspector Harry Hole
Harry Hole
Harry Hole is the main character in a series of, so far, nine crime novels written by Jo Nesbø. Hole is a classic loose cannon in the police force, with few close friends and some unorthodox methods.-Character:...
.
Synopsis
Following the events of the previous novel, Detective Harry HoleHarry Hole
Harry Hole is the main character in a series of, so far, nine crime novels written by Jo Nesbø. Hole is a classic loose cannon in the police force, with few close friends and some unorthodox methods.-Character:...
has gone on leave of absence
Leave of absence
Leave of absence is a term used to describe a period of time that one is to be away from his/her primary job, while maintaining the status of employee...
and has disappeared. He is found by a new Crime Squad officer, Kaja Sollness, in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, where he has become addicted to opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
.
After failing to convince Harry to return to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
by describing the identical murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of two women, Sollness informs him that his father is seriously ill in hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
and will not live much longer. This convinces Harry to return to Norway with Kaja Sollness.
Harry returns to Crime Squad to find that it is in a tussle with the Norwegian Police Department, Kripos
Kripos
Den nasjonale enhet for bekjempelse av organisert og annen alvorlig kriminalitet is a Norwegian special police division under the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police....
. The head of Kripos, Mikael Bellman, and Harry's own supervisor are at odds regarding the murders. Harry himself claims to have no interest in the murder cases, but when a female Norwegian MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is murdered in a public park, he is drawn into the case.
The third murder initially seems unrelated to the previous two. The previous victims had been found with 24 small incisions emanating from the mouth, but the actual cause of death was by drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
in their own blood from those wounds, whereas the MP was found having been hanged, though the fall had been considerable and she had been decapitated
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
by the rope.
Harry, Sollness and one of Harry's former colleagues at Crime Squad work under cover
Under Cover
-Personnel:*Ozzy Osbourne – vocals*Jerry Cantrell – guitars*Chris Wyse – bass*Mike Bordin – drumsGuest musicians*Ian Hunter – vocals on "All the Young Dudes"*Leslie West – guitar solo on "Mississippi Queen"...
to try and find the killer. They discover that all three women were at the same ski lodge some time previously all on the same night and Harry deduces that the murders are part of the killer's attempts to cover up his (or her) trail. Suspicion falls on a man known to have been at the ski lodge at the time, but he is eliminated from the enquiry when he also is found murdered having been super glued to his bath
Bathing
Bathing is the washing or cleansing of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practised for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....
and then slowly drowned, returning to the killer's previous style of murder.
Harry finds another person who had been at the ski lodge at the time who is now in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. She refuses to be bait for the killer, but Harry - who has begun working for Kripos - and Sollness (who Harry has recently discovered has been feeding information to her married lover, Mikael Bellman) instigate a sting operation
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
to draw out the killer - which fails and almost costs them their lives when they are trapped by an avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
which was started deliberately.
Harry finally determines that the murderer is someone that he knows and who has become close to him, following a discussion with The Snowman from his previous case. He realises who he believes to be responsible and has him arrested.
Unfortunately, Harry's instincts have proved wrong and the real killer is discovered to have fled to the Congo
Congo Basin
The Congo Basin is the sedimentary basin that is the drainage of the Congo River of west equatorial Africa. The basin begins in the highlands of the East African Rift system with input from the Chambeshi River, the Uele and Ubangi Rivers in the upper reaches and the Lualaba River draining wetlands...
. Harry and Sollness follow them and Harry is kidnapped by associates of the killer. He manages to escape, but Sollness has been captured herself. Harry follows the clues given by one of the killer's associates and finally confronts and kills the murderer at the lip of a live volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
.
Despite having become lovers during the investigation, Harry cannot commit himself to a life with Kaja Sollness. Following the death of his father, Harry spots his former partner, Rakel, and her son, Oleg, at the funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
and manages to confirm that they are alive and happy away from Norway - having fled following the events of The Snowman murders. Harry himself returns to see The Snowman, who is gravely ill and it is tacitly suggested that he helps The Snowman to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, which Harry feels is payment for having failed to follow his father's previous request for him to perform euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
. At the end of the novel, Harry returns to Hong Kong.
Translation
As has happened with the previous Harry Hole novels, The Leopardis translated from NorwegianNorwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by Don Bartlett
Don Bartlett
Donald "Don" Bartlett is a Canadian curler from Edmonton, Alberta.Until April 26, 2006, Barlett played lead for Kevin Martin....
.