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A review by billd
The Snowman by Jo Nesbø
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Snowman is the 7th book in the Norwegian mystery series featuring police inspector Harry Hole by Jo Nesbø. I've previously enjoyed 3 other books in this entertaining series. I've had Snowman on my shelves the longest of the other couple books I currenlty own and still have to read. Snowman was also turned into a movie in 2017, with Michael Fassbender playing Harry Hole.
So enough preamble. The story starts in November 1980 when a woman goes to meet a lover in a vacant house. In the back seat she has left her young son. When they depart the home, the boy says, "I saw him." And adds, 'The Snowman."
The story jumps to the present and Harry Hole will soon be investigating the disappearance of a woman from their relatively isolated home. Another woman will also have disappeared, leaving her son alone. Into Hole's team comes a young woman cop from Bergen, Katrine Bratt. She's mysterious (and played by Rebecca Ferguson in the movie, if you're interested)
As the team begins to investigate, they realize that over the past years a number of women have gone missing. Harry has also received an anonymous letter from someone called The Snowman. Oh and Harry's apartment is being torn apart by some guy who showed up saying he's investigating mould. Yup.
It's an investigation that goes back many years, leading Harry and Katrine back to Bergen where they discover the body of an ex cop, suspected of murdering women in the past. There turn out to be many suspects; a flashy newspaper owner who seems to have been fathering children everywhere, including the children of the two most recent missing women; a couple of doctors, involved in exploring blood links between children, mothers and their 'fathers'. And who is Rakel's new boyfriend (Rakel is Harry's ex, but they continue to meet clandestinely for sexual evenings).
Harry is troubled, as always. He's an alcoholic, trying to stop and the pressure makes it even more difficult. The case keeps turning this way and that and they keep finding more bodies, especially of their suspects! It's all very interesting and comes to a thrilling, tense conclusion. I like how the story starts with one small incident and then at the end, concludes from that incident going through all the follow-on events. Neat way of resolving a mystery / thriller. All in all, even though I did keep putting the story aside at the beginning, it was another entertaining Harry Hole mystery. Harry is always good value for money. (3.5 stars)
So enough preamble. The story starts in November 1980 when a woman goes to meet a lover in a vacant house. In the back seat she has left her young son. When they depart the home, the boy says, "I saw him." And adds, 'The Snowman."
The story jumps to the present and Harry Hole will soon be investigating the disappearance of a woman from their relatively isolated home. Another woman will also have disappeared, leaving her son alone. Into Hole's team comes a young woman cop from Bergen, Katrine Bratt. She's mysterious (and played by Rebecca Ferguson in the movie, if you're interested)
As the team begins to investigate, they realize that over the past years a number of women have gone missing. Harry has also received an anonymous letter from someone called The Snowman. Oh and Harry's apartment is being torn apart by some guy who showed up saying he's investigating mould. Yup.
It's an investigation that goes back many years, leading Harry and Katrine back to Bergen where they discover the body of an ex cop, suspected of murdering women in the past. There turn out to be many suspects; a flashy newspaper owner who seems to have been fathering children everywhere, including the children of the two most recent missing women; a couple of doctors, involved in exploring blood links between children, mothers and their 'fathers'. And who is Rakel's new boyfriend (Rakel is Harry's ex, but they continue to meet clandestinely for sexual evenings).
Harry is troubled, as always. He's an alcoholic, trying to stop and the pressure makes it even more difficult. The case keeps turning this way and that and they keep finding more bodies, especially of their suspects! It's all very interesting and comes to a thrilling, tense conclusion. I like how the story starts with one small incident and then at the end, concludes from that incident going through all the follow-on events. Neat way of resolving a mystery / thriller. All in all, even though I did keep putting the story aside at the beginning, it was another entertaining Harry Hole mystery. Harry is always good value for money. (3.5 stars)