Headhunters is a standalone crime novel by Norwegian author Jo Nesbø, first published in Norway in 2008 under the title Hodejegerne. The story follows Roger Brown, a successful corporate headhunter who moonlights as an art thief to fund his lavish lifestyle and keep his wife happy. When he targets a painting owned by a charismatic former mercenary, he finds himself drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy everything he has built.
The novel is a departure from Nesbø's popular Harry Hole detective series, functioning as a tight, fast-paced thriller with darkly comic undertones. It explores themes of identity, insecurity, and the lengths to which people will go to maintain appearances. The book was a commercial and critical success in Norway and internationally, praised for its clever plotting, relentless pacing, and sharp characterisation.
Headhunters cemented Nesbø's reputation as a master of Scandinavian noir capable of delivering gripping standalone stories alongside his series work. Its cinematic qualities made it a natural candidate for adaptation, and it remains one of his most widely read novels outside the Harry Hole franchise.
