Headhunters

tags: crime, mystery, thriller

⭐⭐⭐⭐

From Goodreads

Roger Brown has it all: clever and wealthy, he's at the very top of his game. And if his job as a headhunter ever gets dull, he has his sideline as an art thief to keep him busy. At a gallery opening, his wife introduces him to Clas Greve. Not only is Greve the perfect candidate for a position that Brown is recruiting for; he is also in possession of one of the most sought-after paintings in modern art history. Roger sees his chance to become rich beyond his wildest dreams, and starts planning his biggest theft ever. But soon, he runs into trouble - and it's not long before the hunter becomes the hunted...

I read this book in December 2012 after watching the movie based on this book. I never heard of Jo Nesbø before that. I really liked the movie and I had to read the book. I became a fan and I have read almost all of his books since, except the children's books. 

I'm rereading it after 13 years although I've seen the movie 3 times already and it is still on my Hoopla watch list where it streams in its original Norwegian language. Other streaming sites are English dubbed.

Roger Brown is an arrogant unlikable character, acts as though he is the most clever person in the world, and has expensive taste in everything but does not have the means to sustain his luxurious lifestyle and his wife's art gallery. He bought an expensive house and the art gallery for his wife and to pay for them, he steals expensive artworks, replaces them with copies, then fences them with the help of a weird character.

The writing is fast paced, humorous, and full of [sometimes gross  but funny] surprises and twists.  

The Art Of Sarah

tags: con artist, crime, Korean drama, mystery, Netflix, psychological thriller

complete 12 episodes

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Synopsis from Wikipedia

Sarah Kim, a woman who has created a false identity based on wealth and social status, whose life is thrown into confusion when a body believed to be hers is found in a sewer beneath Seoul's upscale district. Detective Park Mu-Gyeong investigates the case and discovers that Sarah has no clear personal records, leading him to uncover inconsistencies in her background and evidence that she has lived under multiple identities. As the investigation progresses, Sarah's constructed life begins to collapse, revealing the consequences of long-term deception and raising questions about identity, truth, and self-invention.

Wow. This new psychological thriller from Korea is mesmerizing. Sarah is a true fictional con artist like no other. She is played by one of the best actresses in Kdramaland, Shin Hae-sun., who is perfect for this role.

The series is a mash-up of murder mystery, police procedural, and a social commentary on people's obsession in having luxury name brand imported items that they are willing to line up for early in the morning or even the night before if a new item goes up for sale in an exclusive store.   

Contrails or Chemtrails?

what are these?

I woke up this morning with these trails all over the sky above our houses in Savannah GA. I have seen and heard of these but never saw a lot of them hovering above, maybe 2 or three at the most and far from us. Conspiracy theorists are saying these are chemtrails either to poison people or to cover the sun to fight "climate change". I am not a believer in these conspiracies but how do you to explain snow and temps in the 20s in Savannah GA for the last 2 Winters, 2025 and 2026? 

Maybe conspiracy theorists are right, even the Italian author Umberto Eco believed in conspiracies. He wrote about the subject in his fiction novels here and here but cautions conspiracies may turn out to be true. 

my poor ranunculus/anemone froze to death on January 31

 

Detective Hole

The wait is over! The teaser for Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole - the first-ever series based on Nesbø’s bestselling novels - is here! Get ready to meet one of crime fiction’s most iconic detectives like never before. The series premieres worldwide on March 26.

Coming to Netflix on March 26. Actor playing Harry Hole looks accurate in height, although he has green eyes instead of blue. And he is American of Swedish descent. Aren't there Norwegian actors who will fit Harry's description and stats? I hope he will be better than the actor in The Snowman. I have read all 13 Harry Hole books and I expect an actor that will look like him. Is that too much to ask?