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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
Blood on Snow
Classic, hard-boiled crime novella with a remarkably likable assassin as the main character. In keeping with the genre, there's some predictable plot points, but it still feels fresh overall and kept my interest all the way through. Great ending...
Classic, hard-boiled crime novella with a remarkably likable assassin as the main character. In keeping with the genre, there's some predictable plot points, but it still feels fresh overall and kept my interest all the way through. Great ending...
A departure from the norm for Nesbo with Olav, a man tasked with killing a woman he then develops feelings for.
I’m still reeling from reading this. It’s very graphic and that I know is a Nesbo speciality but still… I found it strange that I was starting to worry and wonder about someone who’s just told me he kills people for a living. A killer with a conscious? I’d never read about a man who killed as he wasn’t good at anything else. A man with dyslexia and other issues seems hellbent of doing this hideous job. Just when you think he’s human – he does something violent. The novel is short and almost reads like a novella but it does set the scene for a follow up later in the year.
I rattled through this as it’s an accessible read but I’m still shocked by that ending.
I’m still reeling from reading this. It’s very graphic and that I know is a Nesbo speciality but still… I found it strange that I was starting to worry and wonder about someone who’s just told me he kills people for a living. A killer with a conscious? I’d never read about a man who killed as he wasn’t good at anything else. A man with dyslexia and other issues seems hellbent of doing this hideous job. Just when you think he’s human – he does something violent. The novel is short and almost reads like a novella but it does set the scene for a follow up later in the year.
I rattled through this as it’s an accessible read but I’m still shocked by that ending.
For all I'm a lover of psychological and crime thrillers, this is the first Nesbø book I have read. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Scandinavian writers. A few - Steig Larsson springs to mind - I thoroughly enjoy. But the majority I find mediocre, and some, unreadable. So I haven't really been inspired to seek out a Nesbø book up until this point.
Blood on Snow is a novella of just over 200 pages in length. It's a quick read, but I didn't find it overly engaging. I found it over-written in places, and I couldn't really empathise with any of the characters. The storyline plods along at a slow pace, somewhat surprisingly given the topic is about a professional hitman. I found there was very little drama, and no "edge of your seat" action. There was a mild twist at the end, but even that wasn't enough to save it for me.
I do think there's something about the style of Scandinavian writers that I just don't tend to gel with. I have no idea what it is, but I think in future I will listen to my instincts and steer clear of such authors, including Nesbø.
This review was originally posted on Babs' Bookshelf
Blood on Snow is a novella of just over 200 pages in length. It's a quick read, but I didn't find it overly engaging. I found it over-written in places, and I couldn't really empathise with any of the characters. The storyline plods along at a slow pace, somewhat surprisingly given the topic is about a professional hitman. I found there was very little drama, and no "edge of your seat" action. There was a mild twist at the end, but even that wasn't enough to save it for me.
I do think there's something about the style of Scandinavian writers that I just don't tend to gel with. I have no idea what it is, but I think in future I will listen to my instincts and steer clear of such authors, including Nesbø.
This review was originally posted on Babs' Bookshelf
Dark, Nordic. Novella based on a character from a previous book. If you have not read any other Nesbo, don't make this your first.
If you have a thing for Le Miserable (the story, as opposed to the theatre) it's worth a dive into.
If you have a thing for Le Miserable (the story, as opposed to the theatre) it's worth a dive into.
I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway
This is the first book I have ever read by this author.
Olav is a fixer or you can call him a contract killer. He is really good at his job. His boss sets him up to fix his wife who has been cheating on him. Olav spends time watching the house and the wife and ends up falling in love with her. Things take a turn after that.
I couldn’t help but like Olav. He’s rather down on himself and has such self effacing humor. he doesn’t think he’s smart ( but he tends to spout random things he has read) but the more I read about him I think he was. The fact he has inherited his fathers penchant for brutality and he just happens to be really good at it made him turn course from going to college to getting jobs like pimp ( in which his heart got in the way and he was no good as a pimp) a getaway driver ( he is not good at driving slowly) and a fixer in which he actually excels at.
This book had great kind of dry humor, action, violence and some twists here and there, and honestly I found the main character entertaining and easy to like. It was a short read and one that I found myself engrossed in. The ending superb and heartbreaking.
thriller/crime/suspense/noir/ mystery. I’m looking forward to grabbing another book by Jo Nesbø ( probably the Harry Hole series since it seems it has a big fan base) and to Blood and Snow #2.
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm giving this a 4.5. There are many low ratings for this book. Maybe those people didn't get the elements inspired by Les Miserables. Maybe they didn't like the lyrical writing, the compelling action and interaction of characters. It is short, but full of good storytelling. Coincidentally I watched the movie "Seven Psychopaths" the day before finishing this book and found the same combination of violence, hired killers and exploration of morality in both. I recommend this book and that movie.
Das Buch hat mir von Beginn an gefallen. Es ist mal etwas anderes, eine Geschichte aus Sicht des Mörders. Und zwar nicht wie sonst, wenn dies mal der Fall ist, Einblicke in ein krankes Hirn, nein, Olav ist eigentlich ein ganz normaler Typ, ein bisschen quer, nicht sonderlich intelligent, auch wenn er sich bildet und eigentlich ein netter Kerl mit Gerechtigkeitssinn. Unter den Fittichen seines kriminellen Chefs tut er das was er gut kann: Auftragsmorde.
Doch damit beginnt die Geschichte, er soll die Frau seines Chefs töten und verfällt ihrem Bann.
Die Story hätte etwas größer sein können, und vielleicht hätte man die Besonderheiten Olavs etwas offensichtlicher machen können, ich habe sie zwar wahrgenommen, doch erst zum Schluss richtig begriffen. Aber vielleicht macht gerade das den Reiz aus. Beim zweiten Mal werde ich es auf jeden Fall mit anderem Fokus lesen.
Das Buch "Blood on snow" war definitiv etwas besonderes für mich im Thriller-Genre. Unterhaltsam, gute Wendungen, eine nicht gerade ausgefallene Story aber wunderbar erzählt und zum Schluss hin sogar überraschend tiefgründig.
Ich hab das Buch eigentlich nur weggelegt um zwischen Bahnstation und Haustür nicht gegen irgendwelche Pfeiler zu laufen, es liest sich sehr gut und schnell und als ich es zum Schluss zuklappte, war ich sehr nachdenklich.
Doch damit beginnt die Geschichte, er soll die Frau seines Chefs töten und verfällt ihrem Bann.
Die Story hätte etwas größer sein können, und vielleicht hätte man die Besonderheiten Olavs etwas offensichtlicher machen können, ich habe sie zwar wahrgenommen, doch erst zum Schluss richtig begriffen. Aber vielleicht macht gerade das den Reiz aus. Beim zweiten Mal werde ich es auf jeden Fall mit anderem Fokus lesen.
Das Buch "Blood on snow" war definitiv etwas besonderes für mich im Thriller-Genre. Unterhaltsam, gute Wendungen, eine nicht gerade ausgefallene Story aber wunderbar erzählt und zum Schluss hin sogar überraschend tiefgründig.
Ich hab das Buch eigentlich nur weggelegt um zwischen Bahnstation und Haustür nicht gegen irgendwelche Pfeiler zu laufen, es liest sich sehr gut und schnell und als ich es zum Schluss zuklappte, war ich sehr nachdenklich.
Meh. Didn't hate it, but almost. Didn't like the characters, the story was ok. Didn't care for the jumping around between present and stuff he'd done in the past. Would have been ok in a longer book, but for such a short book it just made the main part of the story not be much of the book. MCs were unlikable and there was stupid insta-love.