Podcast Summary: New Books Network – Jo Nesbø, "Wolf Hour"

Host: Rebecca Buchanan
Guest: Jo Nesbø
Date: February 25, 2026

Overview

In this engaging episode of New Books Network, Rebecca Buchanan interviews acclaimed Norwegian author Jo Nesbø about his latest crime novel, Wolf Hour. The conversation delves into the book’s Minnesota setting, the complex protagonist Bob Oss, Scandinavian vs. American culture, gun violence, and Nesbø’s creative process. Nesbø also shares personal anecdotes, including his immersive research trips and his approach to writing for a global audience.

Episode Highlights & Key Discussion Points

1. Introduction to Wolf Hour and Its Protagonist

[00:45-02:53]

• Nesbø struggles to summarize Wolf Hour, explaining he finds writing synopses difficult.

• The main character, Bob Oss, is a detective in Minneapolis with Norwegian roots. Bob is intentionally depicted as an unremarkable, disliked, and even “despicable” man, with the story’s challenge being to slowly win over the reader’s sympathies.

  "My first job as a writer is to present him to you and make you not, not hate him, but despise him in a way, and then hopefully gradually get the readers over to his side, which is a quite tough job in this case with Bob Oss."
  — Jo Nesbø [01:50]

2. Why Minnesota? Cultural Roots, Outsider Perspective

[03:06-06:16]

• Nesbø discusses his personal and familial ties to the U.S., especially his father’s life in Brooklyn and the enduring presence of American culture in his home growing up in Norway.

• He highlights Minnesota's deep Scandinavian heritage, describing it as entering a "Norway from 30 or 50 years ago."

• The choice to set the story in Minnesota allows him to offer an “informed outsider’s look” at American society, mirroring what he has done for different Norwegian subcultures in past novels.

  "It was like going into a time machine. And it was Norway 30 or 50 years ago. Then I sort of kept up the traditions that had long ago been forgotten in Norway..."
  — Jo Nesbø [04:27]

3. Research Process & Immersion in American Culture

[07:13-10:14]

• Nesbø describes on-the-ground research in Minneapolis, including a near run-in with law enforcement after inquiring about parking garages for a fictional shooting scene—a stark contrast to Norway’s general trust.

• Experiencing the differences in police procedures, gun laws, and America’s unique forms of violence first-hand informed the story deeply.

  “...if I had asked that question in Norway, they would have bought it at face value... But in this case... they had to check out whether this was a terrorist... They had alarmed the governor even."
  — Jo Nesbø [08:54]

  "They told me never do that again. Never do that again. Not don't tell people you're planning to shoot people."
  — Jo Nesbø [10:17]

4. Setting the Book During the 2016 Election

[10:23-14:17]

• The story shifts between 2016 and 2022, with Nesbø highlighting 2016 as a dramatic turning point in American—and international—politics due to the Trump election.

  "It was such a shock to me and I think to most of the world... that the unthinkable happened, that the majority of the American voters had voted for Donald Trump... so something different is going to happen now."
  — Jo Nesbø [11:15]

• Violent history and gun culture in America contrast sharply with Norwegian norms, but Nesbø emphasizes the importance of understanding these differences, not simply judging them.

  "You have to understand it. You have to... It's been dictated by history. It's not like I don't believe that Americans are fundamentally different from people anywhere else."
  — Jo Nesbø [13:16]

5. Guns, Trust, and Social Differences

[15:09-17:10]

• Buchanan and Nesbø discuss American gun culture versus Norwegian norms, including the role of the NRA, illegal arms sales, and differing societal trust levels.

  "There's a lack of trust of your neighbors in the United States, which is in Scandinavia... bordering on being naive, of course, but... it has worked well for Scandinavia."
  — Jo Nesbø [16:19]

6. Bob Oss as Character—Creation and Evolution

[17:10-20:48]

• Nesbø explains that, though he meticulously plans characters, they often develop their own voice and unexpected traits during the writing process—Bob Oss became more darkly humorous and layered than first intended.

• Central scenes of the novel focus on conversations in a taxidermy shop—analogous to a church or confessional—where themes of loneliness, grief, and mortality play out.

  "It’s his church. It's two lonely men that come together and talk about their lives and about loneliness and about grieving.”
  — Jo Nesbø [19:17]

7. Inspiration from Taxidermy and Setting

[20:48-23:24]

• Real-life visits to Midwestern taxidermy shops inspired the book’s pivotal scenes, which Nesbø describes as "beautiful... like a church"—offering a somber and memorable backdrop for the protagonists’ emotional conversations.

  "It was beautiful place. It was like walking into church... with beautiful dead animals there, like in a graveyard... And when the taxidermist came in, he was also this soft spoken guy... it was like a church or... funeral parlor."
  — Jo Nesbø [21:23]

8. Writing Process, Mysteries, and Literary Tradition

[23:24-25:53]

• Nesbø carefully plots his murder mysteries, aiming to give readers a fair chance to solve the case, drawing inspiration from family storytelling traditions.

• He stresses both the artistry in storytelling style and the flexibility to improvise, diverging from the plan when the story demands.

  “I spend probably as much time planning and writing synopsis as I do writing the actual novel... I am allowed to make you watch my right hand while I do the trick with the left hand.”
  — Jo Nesbø [24:12]

9. On Translation, Humor & Global Reception

[25:53-29:55]

• Nesbø initially read early translations of his work but stopped, acknowledging that subtle nuances—especially humor—are often lost. He praises his translators but prefers not to dwell on differences.

• Asked about writing for different audiences, he describes writing “for two friends” in Oslo and himself, emphasizing the importance of inviting readers into his literary “home,” regardless of their origins.

  "It's not about visiting people where you think they live, but it's about inviting them to your home... If they don't like it, there's... other places, but it's the only thing you have to offer is your own home, your own literary universe."
  — Jo Nesbø [29:10]

10. Future Projects and Harry Hole News

[29:55-31:00]

• Nesbø is returning to the Harry Hole series and reveals that a Netflix adaptation (“HarryHooler”) premieres worldwide on March 26. He’s served as a showrunner, and the series will be in Norwegian with English subtitles.

  "On the 26th of March, Netflix is starting the HarryHooler show... I’ve been a showrunner on that series. So that’s what I’ve been working on for the last three years."
  — Jo Nesbø [30:13]

Memorable Quotes

• “I'm not trying to accommodate readers in other countries. I find that writing and telling stories is not about visiting people where you think they live, but it's about inviting them to your home..."
  — Jo Nesbø [29:10]

• “The deal is that I’m not allowed to lie, but I am allowed to make you watch my right hand while I do the trick with the left hand.”
  — Jo Nesbø [24:45]

• "Never do that again. Not don't tell people you're planning to shoot people."
  — Jo Nesbø [10:17]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:45 — Introduction to Wolf Hour and Bob Oss
• 03:06 — Discussion of Minnesota setting and personal ties
• 07:13 — Anecdote about research in Minneapolis
• 10:23 — Why set the story in 2016
• 15:09 — American gun culture vs. Norwegian perspectives
• 17:10 — Developing Bob Oss as a character
• 20:48 — Inspiration for taxidermy scenes
• 23:24 — Writing process and mystery construction
• 25:53 — On translation and writing for international audiences
• 29:55 — Harry Hole Netflix adaptation announcement

Tone and Language

The tone is conversational, candid, and filled with wry humor—especially from Nesbø, who is unafraid to critique both American and Scandinavian cultural traits while affectionately revealing his creative motivations and mistakes. The discussion blends literary seriousness with down-to-earth anecdotes.

Summary prepared for those who haven't listened; highlights all major themes, plot elements, and creative insights from Jo Nesbø regarding his new novel, Wolf Hour.