Different Shades of Crime in Jo Nesbo’s The Son

Abstract

Scandinavian Crime Fiction is related with the portrayal of social criticism. The genre of crime fiction unfolds various strings of shock and surprises linked with a murder mystery or any unlawful act. Nordic Noir, that forms a major part of this genre, portrays a deftly plotted story with the description of brutality, vengeance, human trafficking and illegal trade of drugs in a socially welfare state of Norway. Jo Nesbo, a prolific author, has followed the convention by his sprawling, exuberant story detailing the intertwined lines of the gangsters of Norway in the novel The Son (2014). This paper mainly focuses upon the depiction of different types of crime in the novel The Son. The details of crimes and criminal schemers in the novel exhibit the hidden channel of the corrupt police officials who work for the mafia. The novel successfully depicts the ‘whodunit’ agenda through the story of a man who takes revenge for forcing his father towards corruption by killing them. He is on vendetta and his actions serve as redemption of his father’s sins. The novel is therefore, a fantastic tale woven around the themes of violence, love, betrayal, corruption and revenge.