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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence
Minor: Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual violence
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I constantly see good things about Jo Nesbø and his Harry Hole series, but since I still haven’t committed to starting that, I still hadn’t read anything by him. Then along came Blood Ties all over Booksta and I decided to start with this! I will say though that I started it and quickly realized it was book two of a series and immediate went back and started with The Kingdom. While this could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend not doing that and reading in order especially, so you have all of the wonderful characterization from book one. Carl and Roy are quite the pair of brothers, and I am torn over how much I like either of them. Past trauma doesn’t make things any easier for either of them in this installment, and I loved that Nesbø gave us backstory as well as present day shenanigans.
I personally think the audiobook is the best way to read this series, and I was happy that Euan Morton was the narrator for both books. I got so used to him as the voice of Roy that I don’t think I could imagine anyone else voicing these characters. He does a fantastic job and makes the book even more interesting. I would describe this as Nordic Noir meets family saga meets suspense, and I didn’t find it to have any thriller or mystery elements myself. The translator did a wonderful job here and I didn’t think anything was lost in translation. I couldn’t help myself and found that I was rooting for Roy to find love and for Blood Ties to have a good ending. There is the slightest touch of romance in the story but not the swoony ones you find in romance. I was very happy with the ending, and I have to say Nesbø immediately made it onto my new favorite authors list.
Read this if you are looking for complex characters, plenty of murder and deception, and page-turning dark goodness.
I received a complimentary listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I personally think the audiobook is the best way to read this series, and I was happy that Euan Morton was the narrator for both books. I got so used to him as the voice of Roy that I don’t think I could imagine anyone else voicing these characters. He does a fantastic job and makes the book even more interesting. I would describe this as Nordic Noir meets family saga meets suspense, and I didn’t find it to have any thriller or mystery elements myself. The translator did a wonderful job here and I didn’t think anything was lost in translation. I couldn’t help myself and found that I was rooting for Roy to find love and for Blood Ties to have a good ending. There is the slightest touch of romance in the story but not the swoony ones you find in romance. I was very happy with the ending, and I have to say Nesbø immediately made it onto my new favorite authors list.
Read this if you are looking for complex characters, plenty of murder and deception, and page-turning dark goodness.
I received a complimentary listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Not a thriller in my opinion but still very good.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know how he does it, but Jo Nesbo always gets me to root for the rule breakers and, in the case of Carl and Roy Opgard for stone cold murderers and accessories to murder. The brothers live in Os. They were introduced to us in The Kingdom in 1921, back when I still pre-ordered hard cover books by my favorite authors, which includes Nesbo. Carl is the younger brother and returned from working in the US to Os. He has established a spa there, with Roy and others as investors and he needs to make sure that the new road the is planned to use a tunnel to get through the mountain, instead of going near Os is deep-sixed. Roy is the one who owns the local gas station, a bar and other properties in Os. He has a dream to acquire a former lover's campgrounds and build the world's largest wooden rollercoaster. On the whole, Roy has a value system that keeps making you root for him as he does many, many things that are very bad. They are not altruistic. He is our narrator. Carl seems more evil, but that might be attributed to the fact Roy is the narrator. They both have lots of childhood trauma to inform the reader of how they got that way.
Natalie, a young woman who lived in Os until her mid-teens has returned and begins working for the spa. Roy and Natalie have a history because he helped her out in a huge way at one time and they develop a close relationship. For me, what's fun is that he keeps telling Natalie every thing he's ever done wrong (with some exceptions) and their friendship seems to get stronger.
Kurt Olson, the town sheriff, has it in for the Opgards because he "knows" they killed his father. who was the former sheriff. As he continuously investigates them, a practice he started many years ago, he distances himself from his role in their football (soccer) club and pulls up cars that went over the cliff at a turn in the road and into a lake.
Nesbo partly makes these guys likable along with all the characters that make up a small town, because he uses humor freely. And repeatedly, it is the gossip and careful backfilling done by all involved that means there is always dirt against the person who is against you. How it is uncovered and used is amusing to read. I highly recommend Blood Ties.
Natalie, a young woman who lived in Os until her mid-teens has returned and begins working for the spa. Roy and Natalie have a history because he helped her out in a huge way at one time and they develop a close relationship. For me, what's fun is that he keeps telling Natalie every thing he's ever done wrong (with some exceptions) and their friendship seems to get stronger.
Kurt Olson, the town sheriff, has it in for the Opgards because he "knows" they killed his father. who was the former sheriff. As he continuously investigates them, a practice he started many years ago, he distances himself from his role in their football (soccer) club and pulls up cars that went over the cliff at a turn in the road and into a lake.
Nesbo partly makes these guys likable along with all the characters that make up a small town, because he uses humor freely. And repeatedly, it is the gossip and careful backfilling done by all involved that means there is always dirt against the person who is against you. How it is uncovered and used is amusing to read. I highly recommend Blood Ties.
Okay, so this is book 2, but I highly recommend avoiding book 1, it's way too wordy and just plain stupid. Everything that happens in that book, is eventually revealed throughout this one, so there's legit no point in boring yourself with book 1
With that being said, this book was much better. Definitely a bit too long, and neither character is likable and you really have a hard time rooting for anyone. No one deserves to be happy in this, but for some damn reason, I was so freaking interested. I'm going to say that's just the gift of Jo Nesbø...
With that being said, this book was much better. Definitely a bit too long, and neither character is likable and you really have a hard time rooting for anyone. No one deserves to be happy in this, but for some damn reason, I was so freaking interested. I'm going to say that's just the gift of Jo Nesbø...
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced