THE MAGICAL FRUIT

Amid drama in both the sewers of Oslo and London’s immense Wobbley Stadium, the intrepid trio that previously saved Legoland (Who Cut the Cheese?, 2011) tackles an even more nefarious threat.

Maximus Rublov is gathering astronomical sums to purchase soccer great Ibranaldovez for his Chelchester City team and has stolen Norway’s entire strategic gold reserve (one bar). To retrieve it, diminutive Nilly (the “biggest—and also the smallest—liar in all of Norway”) with his friends Lisa and brilliant scientist Victor Proctor hie off to London. They are armed with courage, quick thinking and several of Dr. Proctor’s unusual inventions, notably a potion that turns pee into a freeze ray and his puissant “fartonaut powder.” The three not only break into the Bank of the Very Rich located beneath Parliament (one of Rublov’s recent acquisitions), but pull off both a (more or less) successful mission and a stunning victory on the pitch for underdog Rotten Ham. Readers of Nesbø’s mysteries for adults will find less hard-boiled crime and more Terry Pratchett–like foolery in this 4th outing with Dr. Proctor.

Another lighter-than-air exploit from Norway’s best-selling novelist, buoyed by alimentary humor and occasional illustrations (the latter not seen).