Changes

''The Leopard'' is the sixth in the Harry Hole crime series by Jo Nesbo to be translated by Don Bartlett into English and is a fantastic read from start to finish. Nesbo's writing is modern, punchy and highly accessible, and where he really scores is his ability to write in this manner, but with such subtlety that he never gives much away. Naturally , I couldn't help constantly guessing who the killer might be (even writing a list at one point), and realised some way through that Nesbo clearly knows his readers are going to try to outwit him, so goes to great lengths to head you off in the wrong direction. What at first might seem an irrelevant conversation or scene should not be ignored. Although this can be a little frustrating, and I did kick myself for allowing myself to become distracted on occasion, it also made me appreciate just how talented Nesbo is at keeping his readers guessing and made me determined not to miss any other pertinent clues.

The plot itself is intense, complex, vast and gruesome, spanning the entire book (there's little room for irrelevancies), and is extremely hard to predict. I really had no idea where Harry and the investigation was were headed from one chapter to the next, despite my brain working overtime trying to figure it all out, and I was consistently surprised by the turn of events, but completely satisfied by the outcome. Every chapter is a joy to read, despite turning my stomach a few times, and it's such an exciting read I honestly found it hard to put down even though I knew I would benefit from taking the time to digest what I had read. There are also some excellent scenes where it is not exactly clear who is present, which although exasperating are incredibly clever and add to the suspense and mystery.

Harry Hole, like the plot of ''The Leopard'' , is an intense, complex and intelligent man. He is also an alcoholic, and is clearly broken in some respects by his previous investigations, as well as being deeply troubled by his personal and family life. I've heard him referred to as a cliché before, fitting the alcoholic detective who has barely anything else in life other than his job mould, but this for me makes him more interesting and human. Described as a ''notorious maverick'' Harry is somewhat of a nightmare to work with, arrogant in the extreme and a fierce breaker of rules in his determination to solve the case in his own way, ignoring orders from above and the internal politics of the police force. Despite all this , he is very likeable and it was easy to root for him at every turn, particularly as he maintains his quick wit, giving us something to laugh at even in the worst of circumstances. How Nesbo manages to inject humour into such a disturbing read I will never know.