2026-03-11 – March Bokprat: Minnesota by Jo Nesbø (Online)
Schedule:
March 11 (7:00-8:15 pm CT)
Location:
This is an online class hosted on Zoom.
Dr. Maren Johnson, Luther College's Associate Professor of Nordic Studies and Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies Director, facilitates a monthly bokprat, discussing Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. Join us in March for a discussion of Minnesota by Norwegian Jo Nesbø, considered the modern master of Nordic noir.
Set primarily in 2016 Minneapolis, Minnesota by Jo Nesbø, introduces Detective Bob Oz, a hard‑drinking, emotionally scarred investigator whose personal life has fallen apart after the tragic loss of his young daughter and the dissolution of his marriage. When a high‑profile gun dealer survives an assassination attempt, Oz, suspended for past misconduct, disregards official orders and plunges into the investigation. The escalation of precision sniper killings grips the city, and Oz becomes convinced the mysterious shooter is sending a pointed statement about America’s gun culture—and that the killer might be closer in spirit to himself than he wants to admit.
Paralleling this is a 2022 narrative that follows Holger Rudi, a journalist from Oslo who arrives in Minneapolis to document the earlier string of murders. As Rudi retraces the killer’s path, the novel fills in missing pieces of the 2016 timeline. The dual‑timeline storytelling builds toward a morally complex conclusion where Bob Oz and the killer’s motives mirror and collide amid social and emotional turmoil. Packed with the psychological depth, suspenseful pacing, and unexpected twists readers expect from Nesbø, Minnesota renders a brutal, sympathetic, and unsettling portrait of violence, grief, and the blurred line between detective and perpetrator.
Supplies:
Registrants should secure their own copy of the book (available for purchase soon through the Vesterheim Museum Store) and have read it prior to the discussion.
Students will need to provide a computer, laptop, or tablet with a camera and mic as well as a fast, reliable internet connection.
Special Instructions:
When registering for the class, please make sure to use the mailing and email addresses you'd like the Zoom meeting invitations sent to. You will receive links to the Zoom sessions by email sometime during the week prior to the class. If this class is a gift, please sign up with the recipient's mailing and email addresses or be prepared to forward the kit and all communications.
Enrollment Deadline:
February 25, 2026