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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
This was a book club read and not my usual genre. Well written with lots of twists and turns. I felt that the large cast of characters as well as bringing in characters and information from previous books in the series made it a tad confusing at times. As the book went on it became a bit far fetched. It might have worked better if it had been trimmed down a bit. "Harry Hole" (what a name?) is very popular, so I think I am in the minority not loving this series. I had quite a few upsetting dreams whilst reading this book, so I am obviously not cut out for reading crime fiction
I didn’t think I’d be reading another Scandinavian murder-mystery so soon… After enjoying the mostly-excellent [b:The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo|2429135|The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)|Stieg Larsson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327868566s/2429135.jpg|1708725], I was recommended this book by a friend on Goodreads- while I don’t think it quite lives up to Stieg Larsson’s novel, I was still entertained by The Snowman.
Starring a detective named Harry Hole (LOL) who specializes in catching serial killers, this story is actually the 7th in an ongoing series focused on his mystery-solving. While there are some moments throughout the book that require background knowledge of events from the previous books, it mostly stands on its own and can be enjoyed as a separate entity.
Amongst the compelling mystery elements, I think that there is about 100 total pages of fluff and unnecessary detail. We didn’t need a victim perspective chapter for every single murder, in my opinion, and there are a lot of obvious red herring bait-and-switches that play out. I also predicted who the murderer was, literally from the very first moment they appeared. This doesn’t make me especially clever or anything, it’s just that the way the person is introduced is… not subtle. I spent the whole book waiting to be proven right, until the “shocking” climax.
As by-the-numbers as the mystery turned out to be, I still enjoyed myself for the most part. The writing style was chilling (pun intended) and brutal, the kills were imaginative, and the main characters Harry and Katrine were great. There was more depth to the story than I would have expected, and certain characters get taken to surprising places, psychologically speaking. I’m not sure I’d care to read another book in this series, but I’m glad I picked this one up. I give it a 6.5 out of 10.
(UPDATE): a major reason I had for reading this was because a movie adaptation starring Michael Fassbender was coming out- Fassbender is one of my favorite actors, so I was looking forward to it- not anymore. I haven’t seen it yet, but people seem to universally agree that it was garbage. Oh well!
Starring a detective named Harry Hole (LOL) who specializes in catching serial killers, this story is actually the 7th in an ongoing series focused on his mystery-solving. While there are some moments throughout the book that require background knowledge of events from the previous books, it mostly stands on its own and can be enjoyed as a separate entity.
Amongst the compelling mystery elements, I think that there is about 100 total pages of fluff and unnecessary detail. We didn’t need a victim perspective chapter for every single murder, in my opinion, and there are a lot of obvious red herring bait-and-switches that play out. I also predicted who the murderer was, literally from the very first moment they appeared. This doesn’t make me especially clever or anything, it’s just that the way the person is introduced is… not subtle. I spent the whole book waiting to be proven right, until the “shocking” climax.
As by-the-numbers as the mystery turned out to be, I still enjoyed myself for the most part. The writing style was chilling (pun intended) and brutal, the kills were imaginative, and the main characters Harry and Katrine were great. There was more depth to the story than I would have expected, and certain characters get taken to surprising places, psychologically speaking. I’m not sure I’d care to read another book in this series, but I’m glad I picked this one up. I give it a 6.5 out of 10.
(UPDATE): a major reason I had for reading this was because a movie adaptation starring Michael Fassbender was coming out- Fassbender is one of my favorite actors, so I was looking forward to it- not anymore. I haven’t seen it yet, but people seem to universally agree that it was garbage. Oh well!
I LOVE this series and this is the creepiest Harry Hole thriller yet! The snowman had me seriously freaked-out in a hair-rising-on-my-arms kind of way. Caution: You may not want to read this one while snowed in at your ski cabin!
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dear The Snowman,
You are my first Jo Nesbo book. You were different from a lot of mysteries and police procedurals that I am used to. While I am not sure what parts felt too long, you were a long book. The fact that there were multiple red herrings really threw me as well. I did like Henry Holt and his off the cuff approach to being a detective, and the details of your story and the murders was a unique concept. Getting used to a translated book was a bit of a challenge, but I will be reading more Jo Nesbo books.
You are my first Jo Nesbo book. You were different from a lot of mysteries and police procedurals that I am used to. While I am not sure what parts felt too long, you were a long book. The fact that there were multiple red herrings really threw me as well. I did like Henry Holt and his off the cuff approach to being a detective, and the details of your story and the murders was a unique concept. Getting used to a translated book was a bit of a challenge, but I will be reading more Jo Nesbo books.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After teasing a showdown with a Norwegian serial killer throughout the books leading up to The Snowman, Detective Harry Hole is now dealing with a homegrown case in every sense of the word.
I don't read anything else that can be considered classic "crime" besides this series by Jo Nesbø. It doesn't really fit in with what I read when I first joined bookstagram, and it certainly doesn't fit now, but several years ago, I picked up the first in the series after reading about the flawed main character who struggles with alcohol, and I've enjoyed the ride ever since. Given my own past struggles, this makes sense.
As far as this particular book goes, it's more over-the-top and a bit sensationalistic than previous books in the series. The Snowman was made into a movie, and it makes me wonder if perhaps it was written with a film adaptation in mind. Other than that observation, this book is solid and it's on brand with Harry's growth as a character. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and Nesbø hasn't let me down once.
I will say though, that these books ARE a series, and reading them out of order, or picking one up at random means that a lot of important things will go right over your head. If you're interested in this series, start at the beginning. If you keep reading, you'll be glad you read them in order.
I don't read anything else that can be considered classic "crime" besides this series by Jo Nesbø. It doesn't really fit in with what I read when I first joined bookstagram, and it certainly doesn't fit now, but several years ago, I picked up the first in the series after reading about the flawed main character who struggles with alcohol, and I've enjoyed the ride ever since. Given my own past struggles, this makes sense.
As far as this particular book goes, it's more over-the-top and a bit sensationalistic than previous books in the series. The Snowman was made into a movie, and it makes me wonder if perhaps it was written with a film adaptation in mind. Other than that observation, this book is solid and it's on brand with Harry's growth as a character. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and Nesbø hasn't let me down once.
I will say though, that these books ARE a series, and reading them out of order, or picking one up at random means that a lot of important things will go right over your head. If you're interested in this series, start at the beginning. If you keep reading, you'll be glad you read them in order.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Equal parts thrilling and annoying, I really liked this book. Annoying because it is part of a series that I haven't read and refers back to characters and histories from past books. Fortunately, this doesn't impact the reading of this novel. Equally annoying is that it is such a thriller it kept me up at night reading AND woke me in the wee small hours with nightmares!
A very well written thriller, I can see why it was recommended by a friend. I am torn between wanting to start the Harry Hole series at the beginning and wanting to enjoy more restful sleep by not reading any more Jo Nesbo.
A very well written thriller, I can see why it was recommended by a friend. I am torn between wanting to start the Harry Hole series at the beginning and wanting to enjoy more restful sleep by not reading any more Jo Nesbo.
I enjoyed the book. I am new to the series but was familiar with the authors name. I would read another book in the story. I found Harry to be very interesting and enjoyed that it did not take place in America. The country itself (Norway?) in itself is its on character.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes