Book Review: The Redeemer

Jo Nesbo's The Redeemer isn't the kind of book I would normally read.  In fact, it is kind of amazing that I continued reading despite the filth included in this book.  My interest was piqued because the book is about a Salvation Army soldier who is murdered while standing at a kettle at Christmas time in Norway (the author is Norwegian and has apparently been translated into 47 languages).  I think I wanted to see if the author really did his research and got the presentation of Army people correct.

My analysis?  He failed to accurately portray The Salvation Army and their constituents.  He presented a shell of Salvation Army terms and concepts adorned with entirely worldly attributes (lust, greed, corruption, immorality, etc.).  Of the eight or nine soldiers presented in the tale, all but one give in to sexual misconduct or some other form of ethical misconduct.  I think the author saw using The Salvation Army as an interesting device, with little concern for accuracy in presentation.

I can understand the appeal of his books.  He writes well.  In the almost 400 pages of this book, he keeps the reader guessing clear up to the end as to who is responsible for the hiring of the hit man. Although confusing at times, because it jumps around from character to character, the pacing in the book was perfect.  The solution to the puzzle was an interesting premise.  The story carried you along, anticipating the climax and resolution.

The characters, however, were entirely immoral.  The book was full to the brim with casual sexual encounters, lewd homosexual acts, rape, and the like.  The sad thing is that this tale could have been told without all that filth.  The premise was worthwhile.  The thought of a religious organization being targeted is intriguing. The police investigation was gripping.  Sadly, it was all overrun with despicable behavior.

If this author interviewed Salvation Army officers for his research for this book, I can imagine that they would be horrified to know what came of his research.  They would not be happy with his presentation of The Salvation Army.  As a former member of The Salvation Army, I'm disturbed by the images presented in this book. 

Obviously an author has fair game for inventing story lines within any segment of society, but sadly the Army was presented in a bad, completely erroneous light in this fictional tale.  Then again, one cannot expect an author with no religious moorings to portray true Christianity or even a hint of the depth of meaning behind true redemption.  As a crime writer, he nailed his subject, but his religious commentary was far from the mark.  What's sad is that people buy into this presentation as if it is accurate.  For example, a writer for the Daily Telegraph declared it "a complex story, impossible to second-guess, which proves that greed, lust and a desire for revenge lurk within the saintliest of folk."  While I admit that even the saintliest of folk can be susceptible to sin's allure, such attributes are the exception, rather than the rule and Army people, on the whole, are more interested in being a light in the darkness than in acting in the manner this author presents.