Hole and Solness, teaming up with Hole's former colleagues at Crime Squad, begin an undercover investigation into the case without the knowledge of Kripos. Contrary to Bellman's conclusions, Hole believes that the MP's murder is connected to the other two. Hole is reluctant to take part in the investigation until a female MP is found murdered in a park. Hole finds himself the target of Bellman's hostility, though Bellman is keen to take credit for the results of Hole's work. He returns to Norway to find that the Crime Squad is in the middle of a power struggle with Kripos and its power-hungry head, Mikael Bellman, who seeks to put his agency in sole charge of the country's murder cases. Hole is convinced to return when told that his father, Olav, is seriously ill and will not live much longer. Kaja Solness, a new Norwegian Crime Squad officer, tracks down Hole and asks for his help investigating possible serial killings in Oslo. The Leopard is the eighth novel featuring Nesbø's crime detective, Inspector Harry Hole.įollowing the traumatic Snowman case, former police inspector Harry Hole has exiled himself in Hong Kong. Panserhjerte is also a Norwegian term for Constrictive pericarditis. Moreover, 'leopard' refers to the stealthy tread of the killer in the book, while 'armoured heart' is what Harry Hole himself gains by his experiences. Its Norwegian title is Panserhjerte, which does not directly translate to The Leopard it rather means something along the lines of 'armoured heart'.

The Leopard is a crime novel by Norwegian novelist Jo Nesbø. Jo Nesbø talks about The Leopard on Bookbits radio.

The Leopard by Jo Nesbø