Great book. Well written. I've enjoyed all the books I've read by this author and will be looking out for more in the future.

A classic for a reason! This was my second reading of this novel and it doesn't suffer for it - even vaguely remembering the outcome didn't stop me being taken in by some of the rollercoaster twists and turns. The pure gritty humanity of Harry Hole as the lead is just such a perfect 'flawed detective' archetype, transposed into a modern setting for the ideal Scandi Noir. I find it fascinating that Harry is kept as an alcoholic - not a previous alcoholic who sometimes battles with temptation as is often the case in fiction - but an anti-hero whom at any point may let his demons overwhelm him and the plot would be derailed at the same time. This really lends a tension to the reading of a Nesbo thriller, alongside the gory, inventive, twisty crimes we unravel along the way. As with The Bat, I found the ending borderline ridiculous, but having followed all the labyrinthine turns of this procedural, the build up felt more evenly paced, so the crescendo was better matching. I also like that although references to previous Hole novels are made, you don't need to have read them to understand, so it's a good series to dip in and out of. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the opportunity.

The snowman by Jo Nesbo.
Book 7 of Harry Hole.
Soon the first snow will come
And then he will appear again
And when the snow is gone...
...he will have taken someone else.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Couldn't put it. Brilliant. 5*.

Wanted to read this to see what all the fuss was about. Harry was an engaging character and it was definitely an engaging read, and I enjoyed the insight into aspects of Norwegian life. Was more violent and unpleasant than my usual reading so not sure if I will actively seek out the rest in the series but glad that I read this one.

Hi,

Thanks so much for giving me access to this title. I read it a little while ago but it was at a point when I had a bit of a break from reviewing. I did take some notes as I was reading but I feel a bit too much time has passed now for me to do proper justice to it. I really enjoyed it though and hope this doesn't deter you from approving me for future titles.

Thanks,

Kevin.

What can I come up with to say about Jo Nesbo without sounding unoriginal and repetitive. His books are interesting and thrilling and The Snowman is no exception. I love the Harry Hole books the best and this one does not disappoint.

Another excellent novel from this accomplished author. A plot that is typically gruesome and gritty involving Inspector Harry Hole, who finds himself dealing with a murderer who links each killing with a snowman.

I heard about this book being made into a movie and was intriguied to read more. It completely fulfilled my expectation.

A Harry Hole investigation and snowmen - lots of snowmen. I’m sorry to say that I found this book exceedingly dull and really struggled to finish it. Whether something has been lost in the translation, I don’t know. Such a shame as the cover was tantalising and the book description sounded really creepy, but on this occasion it didn’t really work for me.

This is the 7th Harry Hole mystery by Jo Nesbo, having read him from his debut I found it straightforward to follow being used to his style.
I can see how people coming fresh to them might find the story complex but you don't have to have read the others in order to enjoy this one.
It is quite dark and gruesome so may not be to every taste but this is nothing new for Nesbo. It's not a cosy fireside read! I loved that you really need to pay attention to the story and characters, it's not one for half heartedly reading.
many thanks for letting me read this.

I have never read a Jo Nesbo book before but was interested in this because of the film. I found the story really good but somehow the book didn't hold my attention well. I found the Norwegian street and town names and even some of the characters names difficult to remember and maybe this was why I couldn't relate to the story too well. There was a nice twist to the plot but I found it fairly easy to guess who the killer actually was rather early in the book. A good read but it wasn't the type of book that I find hard to put down.

Unfortunately this book was not my type of book. I think the trailer for the film actually ruined it for me because that's what I was sent it. I felt it was similar to other thrillers I have read and usually, I am not a thriller reader. Not going to lie, I skipped most of the book and did not really finish it but that's my honest opinion. It's another book I don't have much to say on so will not be putting on my blog.

What a great read - can see why this has been picked up for a film.

I found it a little slow to get in to but the plot builds momento quickly and I was so hooked. I will definitely be looking for more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review :-)

November 1980 and a young boy has to remain in the car whilst his mother has a final ‘fling’ with her ‘soon-to-leave’ lover. A snowman is in the garden.

Forward 24 years and it is November 2004 and Jonas’s mother has gone missing, but around the neck of a snowman in the garden is her favourite scarf.

So begins the trail of the serial killer known as The Snowman who strikes at the first snowfall and likes to cut up his victims – not a book for the squeamish!

Harry Hole returns in this book – now turned into a film – unchanged. He is still the alcoholic maverick cop, and we all love him for this. He also seems to maintain an on-off relationship with Rakel, whose son Oleg sees Harry as his true, if not biological, father. Another complication for Harry is that Rakel is presently living with Mathias, a doctor.

The characters are big and bold and the pace of the plot is relentless, but Harry has to use all of his wits and cunning to bring the perpetrator to justice. There are plenty of twists and turns and the odd red herring threw in before Harry will bring the case to an end – or will he?

Sméagol

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

The Snowman – by Jo Nesbo
This was my first Harry Hole novel, and I did enjoy it. As a character I believed in Harry, he had quite a few flaws, but is ultimately decent and a great detective. The supporting characters were also good, and the plot well thought out. It is a slower moving thriller than I have been used to, but it is an interesting premise to have the snowman, usually innocent and non threatening, but in this book turns up a portent of violence.
My only reservation is the difficulties in keeping in mind the very difficult norwegian names for places etc. Ulitmately enjoyable and worth a read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really really liked the authors writing style. It was detailed, unique, and very intricate. I am going to order the previous Harry Hole novels now.

I have to admit that this is the first book I've read by Jo Nesbo. It was a longer read than I was expecting and I did struggle to pronounce place names and some of the characters names in my head, but this didn't take anything away from my enjoyment of the book. I didn't realise it is book 7 of a series until it was already on my Netgalley list. It does work well as a standalone, but I do tend to prefer to read a series in order as I think this helps to get to know the regular characters better.
Harry Hole is an interesting character and one whose job I do not envy at all. An excellent murder mystery with some brutal descriptions. Not for the faint hearted. Absolutely chilling and full of suspense. I will be adding the previous books in the series to my TBR list.

When a young boy looks out of the window and sees a new snowman with his mother's scarf around the neck he is surprised... who built it he didn't.... and then he finds out his mother is missing!

Harry Hole is brought in to investigate and when another mother goes missing with a snowman left outside her house he realises he has a serial killer on his hands!

This is my first Harry Hole book but I really enjoyed it. There was a great storyline with so many red herrings and twists and turns along the way that I didn't guess the outcome... and loads more books to read!

Whilst I’ve seen this book and countless others by its author during my many visits to book shops and airports, this is actually the 1st time I’ve given Jo Nesbo a go. The delightful thing about being introduced to an author late on in their career is that you already have a back catalogue to turn to and don’t have to wait another year for the next one. The Snowman is an excellent novel that follows a game of cat and mouse between maverick cop Harry Hole and the serial killer of the title. The author ratchets up the tension with a measured use of plot twists and turns. Needless to say, I’ll be looking our for the earlier novels to add to my collection.

This is the first Jo Nesbo book I've read and I wanted to read it because of the film coming out. I will now go back to the beginning of the Harry Hole series, it's a fantastic book so I'm looking forward to reading the others. I think it can be read without reading the previous ones, I didn't find any difficulty with that.