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    Headhunters
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    Headhunters
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    Headhunters
    Ebook291 pages4 hours

    Headhunters

    By Jo Nesbo and Don Bartlett

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Cockroaches comes a funny, dark, and twisted caper worthy of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers—about an aspiring art thief and the target who’s about to destroy his life.

    “If you don’t know Nesbø, it’s time to get with it.” —USA Today

    Roger Brown is a corporate headhunter, and he’s a master of his profession. But one career simply can’t support his luxurious lifestyle and his wife’s fledgling art gallery. At an art opening one night he meets Clas Greve, who is not only the perfect candidate for a major CEO job, but also, perhaps, the answer to his financial woes: Greve just so happens to mention that he owns a priceless Peter Paul Rubens painting that’s been lost since World War II—and Roger Brown just so happens to dabble in art theft. But when he breaks into Greve’s apartment, he finds more than just the painting. And Clas Greve may turn out to be the worst thing that’s ever happened to Roger Brown.

    Don't miss Jo Nesbo's new thriller, Killing Moon, coming soon!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
    Release dateSep 6, 2011
    ISBN9780307948694
    Unavailable
    Headhunters
    Author

    Jo Nesbo

    A musician, songwriter, and economist, Jo Nesbø is also one of Europe’s most acclaimed crime writers, and is the winner of the Glass Key Award, northern Europe’s most prestigious crime-fiction prize, for his first novel featuring Police Detective Harry Hole. Nesbø lives in Oslo.

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    Reviews for Headhunters

    3.5/5

    543 ratings45 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Didn't finish. I really enjoy the Harry Hole novels by Nesbø, and found this book a bit boring, and not as well-written.
    • 5/5
      Headhunters by Jo Nesbo; (5*)What a great piece of Scandi-Noir about corporate 'headhunters'. If there is any truth to be had here it would be that the winning of these 'games' is all in the confidence held in the heads & bodies of these 'headhunters'. This was a marvelous story with enough twists and turn to really keep me on the edge of my seat. Just how I like my noir!And I love, love, love Jo Nesbo. I find all of his stand-alones to be superior to his Harry Hole series.
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars because it's by Nesbo. Totally different from Nesbo's Harry Hole series, but if you like his writing, you'll like this too. The main character is very unlikable in my opinion and never shows any positive development. I kept wondering if I wanted him to succeed or fail in his endeavors. As a "headhunter" who matches job-seekers to executive positions, Roger Brown can't afford his luxurious lifestyle, so he supplements his income with art thefts. He runs across some unsavory characters, horrible situations and the police before the end of the book. There were enough twists and turns to keep this reader reconsidering her predictions as to the outcome.
    • 4/5
      Roger Brown goes through quite a lot in this book! He is a corporate headhunter (hence the title!)by day, art thief by night (and day). He gets into trouble, survives an outhouse (blech) and a car accident (strange air bags)and being pursued by a different kind of headhunter! It's a really good read, and I loved the way it wrapped up, with all of the twists and turns! I also liked that Roger went to a hotel that is also in Nesbo's "The Snowman", which I had just read.
    • 3/5
      Started out well, fast paced and entertaining, a little OTT. Didn't really like that the venal Roger got away with it...
    • 4/5
      Another great Nesbo read. Plot a bit far out, but still good.
      Even made a decent movie.
    • 3/5
      As a note of interest, this book was made into a movie in Norway (with English subtitles) by Norway's Nordisk Film. Netflix has it. I gave the book a 3 star rating because, for me, it wasn't as thrilling as the other Nesbo books I have read. A Newsday reviewer had written "Chance are you'll be hooked..." The reviewer did not write, You will be hooked. But for those who like crime stories, it should satisfy, meaning it is definitely not a waste of time.
    • 3/5
      A first Nesbo book for me and while the plot is surprising the protagonist is unique which one would seldom find in fiction
      Characters wise would prefer more development or explanations on how the protagonist became who he is
    • 4/5
      I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Amazon.com description says that it is worthy of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, which is exactly what I thought BEFORE reading the Amazon description. I would love to see this made into a movie.Roger Brown is a headhunter known for always placing the right candidate, and he is also an art thief devoted to his beautiful wife Diana. At an exclusive preview at Diana's art gallery, he meets Clas Greve, and thus begins Roger's downfall...or is it?This book kept me interested from the beginning. Roger has learned his interviewing technique from the FBI, and is very calculating when it comes to picking candidates for both his clients, and his art thefts. When he meets Clas Greve, it is apparent that he has met his match, as Clas has a background in intelligence and knows the same techniques as Roger.Somehow Roger stumbles through using his intelligence and a not inconsiderable amount of luck, matching his wits against Clas' intelligence background. There is a lot of action, and there are many twists to the story. Just when you think it is over...the twists go to the very end.Who survives in the end? Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out.
    • 3/5
      This is a stand-alone crime novel by the creator of Harry Hole. Roger Brown is a headhunter for upper, upper corporate executives. He is also an art thief, and uses his interviews with potential clients to learn if they own art, where the art is located, whether their homes have burglar alarm systems, whether anyone is at home during the day, whether they have a dog, etc. etc. All goes well until he interviews Clas Greve, and learns he owns what may be a Rubens painting missing since the Nazis confiscated it during WW II. The book then becomes a game of cat and mouse between Brown and Greve, with the reader wondering who is scamming whom. This is a book in which a criminal is hunted by a worse criminal.
    • 5/5
      Dark thriller with an ending I never suspected.
    • 3/5
      Roger Brown is a "top of the heap" headhunter, meaning that every client he recommends for the job gets it. Clas Greve conspires for months to set up a chance meeting with Brown, knowing he has what it takes to land a job with one of Brown's clients, a company that will make him a very wealthy man. And so begins a story with plenty of Nesbo's trademark twists and turns, chase scenes, murders and intrique. The story line was not terribly believeable but I still enjoyed it. I kept thinking that Harry Hole would have been able to solve the crimes committed in The Headhunters in a jiff.
    • 4/5
      Not as gritty as his Harry Hole series, this Norwegian thriller had a bit of a slow start but once it got going, it became a pretty good thriller about a professional executive headhunter who supplements his income with art thefts. He may have bitten off more than he can chew on his latest heist though when he discovers the man he's stealing from is having an affair with his wife. When he decides not to recommend this man later as a suitable candidate for a job position he would be perfect for, he doesn't know that he has set off a chain of events that will result in the death of a friend and business partner, him assuming another identity, and voluntarily submerging himself at the bottom of a cabin's rustic toilet. Things are not as they seem and the finale came as a total surprise.
    • 5/5
      An older Nesbo story but the first time I've read it. Not similar to the Harry Hole stories more like his latter novellettes. A real page-turner about the duel of two headhunters (a corporate and a real one). If I have to say something negative about it, it seems a bit unrealistic to make such a big open bloodbath to get a company.
    • 4/5
      This was good, really good, but I have grown to expect so much from Nesbo. The main character, Roger Brown, really reminded me of Brett Easton Ellis's Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. He was observant, meticulous, thought that the world was his oyster, and oh yeah, anal. Even though he was all of these things, I still grew to like him.
    • 3/5
      solid story but then gets a little frazzled. i was surprised to different characters than detectic horn but that was a nice change. translation was better than the leopard. easier read.
    • 4/5
      Reason for Reading: I read every new book by this author!This is Jo Nesbo's first standalone thriller and I have to say the publisher's summary does not do it justice. Headhunters in the title refers to Roger Brown's job as a corporate headhunter; someone who finds the perfect candidate for high position corporate jobs, such as CEO. Going into this book, knowing I loved Jo Nesbo as an author, I didn't really know what to expect about a story that the publisher's back summary told me was about art theft and the corporate business world. Two things not exactly up my alley. As I read, the opening hook caught me and I knew I'd have to finish the book just find out what that was all about! But as I read on the character of Roger Brown intrigued me and Nesbo had me, even though art theft was not my thing. I was missing the serial killer aspect of his Harry Hole books.However, at a certain point in this extremely short (for Jo Nesbo) book the plot takes a certain twist and art theft almost is forgotten, as the theme becomes one of a man hunted, running for his life, finding he has no allays, and turning his intelligence to new matters as he tries to outwit a master. This part of the book is fantastic! It should make an incredibly suspenseful movie. Twist after twist keeps the reader on their toes and you never know how things will turn out in the end as both men must change their plans repeatedly. The book is dark and violent, yet humorous with it's black comedy and some of the grossest moments have a certain comedic air to them. A quote on the back of my book mentions "worthy of Quentin Torentino" and that is just exactly how I see this as well.One thing I did not like was the ending, there is, of course, a final twist, which left me a little cold. I thought it was better if things had been left the way they were before this twist and would have preferred a different ending. But overall, an exhilarating novel which lets me know Nesbo can write anything. I've read his Harry Hole series, his children's Dr. Proctor trilogy and now this standalone thriller and will continue to read any book emblazoned with the words "by Jo Nesbo". A little research shows he has an anthology of short stories which has not been translated into English yet. This reader would look forward to the publication of that volume in the near future!
    • 4/5
      Grim, far-fetched but very entertaining. All the plot details come together nicely at the conclusion. Roger Brown is an obnoxious character but somehow his superficial life and insecurities - after all, he's only 168 centimeters - make him less so.
    • 3/5
      Why would someone write a crime fiction novel with a headhunter as a protagonist? I kept asking myself that for the first 100 pages, came up with many way out there explanations including a lost bar wager - but nothing fit, and I continued. I learned a lot about interviewing techniques, not only for corporate leadership executives, but also methods used by police and intelligence agencies. So-so. The plot involves stolen art and stolen lovers, a murder or two, a highly skilled Special Forces type, and of course a twist or two. It's entertaining, but I kept hoping that there would not be future stand-alones from Nesbo and that he will get back to Hairy Hole and enjoy a monogamous relationship. There are some real stretches here, and a few situations that anyone who has watched an autopsy focused TV crime show for no more than 30 minutes will not buy, but overall it was OK. 3 stars, completed 11/17/11.
    • 4/5
      Very readable but though the description of the book called the lead character likable, I did not like him at all. That said I did enjoy the book, the flow of the book moved swiftly and the storyline was well thought out and interesting. Still like the Harry Hole novels best because this wasn't at all like most of the Nordic novels I have read.
    • 5/5
      Prefer his Harry Hole novels but this book is a good read, about a man Roger Brown who has it all, clever, wealthy, top man in his business, beautiful house , beautiful wife but he also leads a double life. A gripping read about a man willing to risk everything.
    • 4/5
      This book, which was chosen the 2008 Norwegian Best Novel of the Year, is a standalone thriller, not part of the Harry Hole series.Roger Brown seems to have it all. He has a good career: he is a headhunter who is very successful at selecting the right candidates for top corporate positions. He is married to Diana, a beautiful, accomplished woman. All is not as it seems, however. Brown has insecurities (his height) and is morally dubious; he dabbles in art theft as a sideline. He wonders why his wife is "incapable of seeing my contemptibility, my treacherous nature, my weakness when I encountered adversity, my mindless wickedness when I encountered mindless wickedness" (22).Because of financial straits, Brown burgles Clas Greve, a candidate he is considering for a prestigious job, but things go seriously wrong and he finds himself in the sights of another type of headhunter. A thrilling cat and mouse game ensues. The book is an entertaining read. Roger is a fully developed character. The dialogue is quick and witty with touches of black humour. The fast-paced plot is complex with many twists and turns, but if the reader pays close attention, he/she can work things out since Nesbo does not cheat. Be forewarned: there are some gruesome scenes.
    • 4/5
      It took me ages to finish this book. I didn't like any of the characters and about halfway through I just didn't care what happened. But a friend of mine read the book and promised that it got better and it did. The twists the Nesbo threw in were surprising (and at times both shocking and amusing). The end surprised me, even though I read a few parts several times. It was quite clever and over all I liked (not loved) this book. Not as good as Harry Hole, but good nonetheless.
    • 5/5
      What a great cover eh? Take a second look at it....creepy and clever. And so is the author Jo Nesbo. I picked up Headhunters thinking that it would feature Nesbo's recurring series character Detective Harry Hole. I started reading, realized that it wasn't and felt slightly disappointed. But I lost that feeling about 10 pages in. Nesbo has written an ingenious, intricately plotted stand alone thriller that had me hooked from start to finish. Roger Brown is a professional recruiter, a 'headhunter' if you will. He's not just one of the best, he is the best, as he'll tell you. And Roger likes having the best of everything. Sadly his salary does not quite match the lifestyle he's created for his wife and himself. So Roger dabbles....in art theft. Conveniently during his many recruitment interviews, he steers the discussion to art. His latest applicant, Clas Greve, has a piece of art that would leave Roger sitting pretty for the rest of his life. Roger breaks into Greve's home in search of the painting and finds much more than he bargained for......Nesbo's characterization of Roger is perfect - he comes across as a cocky, superior know-it-all, confident in his abilities to out think and out maneuver anyone and everyone. When Clas Greve begins to challenge Roger's abilities, a delicious game of cat and mouse is the result. The dialogue is quick, witty and darkly humourous. The plotting is very inventive and had me guessing until the very end.Headhunters has been made into a film in Nesbo's native Norway. The publisher's blurb on the back of the book.." Nesbo has crafted a funny, dark and twisted caper worthy of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers" is spot on.
    • 5/5
      I've read 3 of the Harry Hole series and really liked them. This is proof that the guy can really write.
    • 4/5
      "I had been thinking of putting a single bullet through your head as a mark of respect for being a prey worthy of a hunter, Roger. But I think I'll go back to the original plan after all. Shooting you in the stomach. Have I told you about the stomach shots? How the bullet bores through your spleen causing gastric acid to leak out and burn its way through the rest of the intestines? Then I have to wait until you beg me to kill you. And you will, Roger."

      Fast paced. Couldn't put it down, Can't wait for the movie. Four stars.
    • 2/5
      Nesbo takes a step away from his Harry Hole mysteries and gets into another equally interesting place, complete with his usual damaged characters living difficult lives, being not quite honest with themselves, wrapped up in what they deem to be their success stories, and overplaying their lives. Headhunters also figure in more than one capacity. There are the egotistical headhunters who interview and recommend top level applicants for top level positions; there is a nod to the headhunters of the tropical rainforests through the auspices of "curacit," a deadly poison that is administered by a sharp prick by a needle embedded in a small curacit-filled grape-sized ball; there are the "great white hunters" of the corporate world who are looking for heads for their walls.And, not to disappoint, Nesbo still manages to surprise me at the end. That's what I enjoy the most about Nesbo. He can always figure out how to turn the tables in the end and leave me with my jaw dropped, wondering how I missed that twist.
    • 4/5
      An anti-heroic narrator is dangerous. I wasn't crazy about him at the beginning of the novel and not sure by the end if I liked him any better. But the nasty things he does and lives through to survive are fascinating. And the ending-it was quite a surprise! Will be thinking about it for awhile, that's for sure.
    • 4/5
      Very pleasantly impressed. Reminiscent of a nordic Don Winslow with a little more substance. THe set-up is terrific and very convincing. I am a sucker for book's that involve art heists, although, the art heist in this novel is a Maguffin of sorts. Roger Brown, the main character, has a authentic and convincing voice. The action is a bit over-the-top, the Quentin Tarantino references are well-arned. ALthough there are several laugh out-loud sections; the book does loose some of its credibility. Ultimately, I think the book may have been stronger relying on the real emotions that were created early on. I found the epilogue to strain believability even within the books own constructs. I have not yet read any of the Harry Hole books, overall, I did enjoy this stand alone.
    • 4/5
      This was up to the brilliant standard of the Harry Hole books in terms of excitement with the added extra of some laugh-out-loud moments. The ending was quite good though just a tad too pat, as evidenced by the media savvy but clueless detective. However the ending was also quite funny. Definitely one of the better Nordic thrillers as are the Harry Hole books.