Really enjoyed this one! Thought the characters were excellently written and I really enjoyed the direction of the story.

Jo Nesbo is a master of style, atmosphere, and craft. Literary and genre-oriented, enjoyable and suspenseful — when I see Nesbo’s name on the cover, I know I’m interested. This book is another strong entry:

I read The Kingdom prior to Blood Ties, and this is an excellent duology that is best read together, as the second book picks up where the first left off. Both books are on the thick side, which is where the audio came in for me, and I really enjoyed reading them this way. The fallout from the first book catches up to Roy and Carl in this second book, and they are back having to cover their tracks in this one. There are new characters along with the old which keeps it interesting, and overall I enjoyed this just as much as the first, and thought it all wrapped up nicely.

Thank you to Knopf #partner and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the E-ARC. Even though this was the second book in a series I did not feel like I needed to have read the first one. I love me a good brother love/hate relationship because they are always tricky and this book had plenty of that it is the story of Roy (MMC) and his brother Carl and just that relationship they have or rivalry but how they are bound together to a small town where they want the best for it but also maybe not. There is plenty of corruption and violence and back door deals but its where you can almost forgive it or excuse it because you see the struggle. Of course there is some romance thrown in but I think the main focus here is on that family ties.

So the first book I read by Jo Nesbo was The Snowman, which was so dark I didn't want to read anything else by him, but I have a close friend who loves him and I love Oslo so I'm glad I started reading him again. The Harry Hole books seemed to keep getting better and Blood Ties is an original standalone.
It feels like it has the same nitty gritty from Nesbo's early writing, with characters I like but keep feeling shocked by, with the added skills Nesbo picked up as he wrote more. I love books that make me feel guilty for liking the main character.

Blood Ties was a super interesting read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I'd read more from the author.

More of the misadventures of the Opgard brothers. From page one I was hooked! Roy is still guarding himself and revealing bits and pieces of who he is (or wants to be seen as).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

This was my first read from this author (and this series), and I enjoyed it. It's quite different from my normal genres, which was refreshing. I felt like the comparison to Fargo was a helpful framing in approaching this story, and the translation ended up working really well.

Definitely recommend if you're into thriller/crime stories!

In The Kingdom, Nesbo fans met Carl and Roy Opgard who live in the small town of Os, Norway. Carl is the local entrepreneur, lately returned from the United States, bringing home a wife and lots of plans for a luxury hotel. Roy works in the local garage. The two share a weighted childhood with abuse a common feature until Roy takes matters into his own hands. Since then, the two have managed to remove any obstacles in their way, making them look like accidents or suicides.

Things have moved on. Carl and Roy are living together in the family home, their love/hate relationship still intact. But Roy now owns the garage he used to work in along with some other properties. Carl, now without the wife, is building the biggest house Os has ever seen and planning an extension to the hotel/spa. He is back with his high school sweetheart although she is married.

Roy has a new woman in his life as well. Natalie is a local Os girl but she was sent away when she hit puberty, the result of Roy's interference in her life. Everyone knew her father was abusing her every night but only Roy stepped in. He gave the man a beating to within an inch of his life and insisted that he send Natalie away to grow up in peace with relatives. Now Natalie is back in town and Roy can't believe that she is attracted to him but she is.

But everything isn't perfect. There are business problems with people trying to take what the Osgard brothers have built or cheat them. The local sheriff has been a long time enemy as he suspects that the brothers are behind the death of his father and he won't give up until he has them behind bars. The government is planning a new road, one that will bypass Os and make the hotel obsolete. Will the brothers continue to thrive?

Jo Nesbo is known for his mysteries set in his native Norway. In this novel, Roy is no doubt a horrible person but most of his crimes come from his desire to protect those he cares for. Even though Carl has cheated him all his life, he still loves him and tries to protect him. The reader can't help but pull for Roy as he outmaneuvers his enemies. The plot is intricate and it is a joy to watch it unfold. For me, Jo Nesbo is an automatic read as his work is complex and satisfying. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

I am a big fan of Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole series and remember enjoying an earlier standalone novel of his. Unconnected to the much-loved series, Blood Ties is the sequel to The Kingdom and looks to be the concluding part of a duology.

Roy and Carl Opgard are tied by blood, not only because they are brothers but also because of the several deaths they have caused. Carl is dashing and audacious, and likes to think of himself as the King of Os, a small mountain town in Norway, where he owns a swanky hotel and other properties. Roy, the elder one, is reticent and intelligent, and does what needs to be done without much fuss. He owns a gas station and has an ambitious plan to build an amusement park with an iconic roller coaster. Both Carl and Roy have a ruthless streak and have never hesitated to play dirty, though Roy has his own moral compass that takes him to difficult places. The brothers’ thriving lives are getting complicated fast, with a proposed tunnel threatening to divert the traffic away from Carl’s hotel, and the local sheriff’s unrelenting efforts to pin a few old murders, including that of the sheriff’s own father, on them. Feeling a strong sense of loyalty towards Carl due to their twisted past, Roy fights to protect his kid brother, at times even from himself, but things get to a point where loyalty alone will not be enough.

Blood Ties, despite its serious body count, is far different from the Harry Hole series due to its sweeping range, proof of Nesbo’s versatility. The characters, big and small, are superbly etched, with personalities complex and realistic. Roy, Sheriff Kurt Olsen, and Natalie Moe are especially memorable. The storytelling is languid by the standards of the Harry Hole series, but it is compelling enough to resist putting the book down. The plot feels like a winding mountain road with tight turns and unexpected obstacles, which Nesbo’s characters navigate fascinatingly. The first-person narration in Roy's voice has the right measure of emotions, humour, and articulation, and is immensely enjoyable. Though it is the second novel featuring the Opgard brothers, I had no problems reading it as a standalone. Aided considerably by Robert Ferguson’s top-notch translation, Blood Ties is a splendid ride that will interest all thriller fans.

I am extremely thankful to Alfred A. Knopf / Penguin Random House for the digital review copy of Blood Ties through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

really good mystery. Kept me on my toes and loved all of the characters and what they went through on this journey. Loved that they a happy ending happened.

The link below is my spoiler free review on this book. If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out.

https://youtu.be/JLc6e5jy52c

Blood Ties
By Jo Nesbo

This is the follow-up to "The Kingdom", a book about two brothers in Norway: Carl Opgard – handsome, smart, and charismatic – the younger brother; and Roy Opgard – quiet, dyslexic, not as good looking – the older brother who is determined to protect his younger brother at all costs. Theirs is a love/hate relationship. Roy is guilty because, when his father was sexually abusing his baby brother, he could do nothing to stop it. All of this is explained in the first book and mentioned again here.

Now the brothers are middle-aged men. They are well-off through a number of endeavors both legal and not. As their various activities lead them on separate paths, Roy, the narrator here, begins to distrust his brother and distance himself, taking his own path. Carl continues to think of Roy as not too bright but a loyal follower. Roy has even killed for his brother. But Carl fails to understand that the relationship is changing.

In true Nesbo style, Roy manages to extricate himself from several sticky situations, just when you think he is caught out. Maybe Roy is much smarter than his brother – and most other people - believe. The slick way he manages to outwit the sheriff, the engineers, and even his brother will keep the reader entertained.

This book can be read as a standalone. However, having read the first one, I think "Blood Ties" has much more to offer if you have read "The Kingdom". I am a fan of Jo Nesbo's books and hope he has plans for another Opgard book.

Thank you to the publisher and NeetGalley for this ARC.

My favorite author but...just addicted to Harry Hole. Jo's other books are well written but font scratch the itch like my fave!

I really enjoyed this book. However at times I felt like it was more of a family drama book than a mystery or thriller.

It did hook me from the beginning and kept me entertained throughout the book.

The drama between the brothers was insane at times and definitely added to the intrigue of the book.

Being a longtime Harry Hole series fan, I absolutely love the writing of Jo Nesbo. This book is not a part of that series but a follow up to The Kingdom, which I unfortunately didn’t read. I believe I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the Kingdom. Having a deeper understanding of the Opgard brothers would enhance the story. Even so, I’d give this book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars as the writing is wonderful as always.

Nesbo constantly gives us crisp, fresh stories. Always hard to put down. Writing is terse. Every word counts. Loved this book about a couple of brothers getting in over their heads. Great ending.

A story that has two brothers who are controlling things in the town and also killing people. When a new highway is looking at being built they want to put a stop to it one way are another. As well as anyone who gets in their way or finds their dumping ground. Especially when the sheriff has new technology that can look into the ground. A dark story but if you are into it a good read.

Thank you Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an arc for my honest opinion.

Blood Ties picks up where we left off in "The Kingdom". For all the bad things that Roy has done, you can't help but like him and root for him. Carol is just a terrible person and it's so frustrating that he gets away with so much. I enjoyed reading about the brotherly competition, the sheriff constantly trying to trip up Roy and Carol and the bit of romance that's in the book. I was a little bored in the beginning with the book because there was a lot of recapping, but it was an enjoyable read overall and I found that I needed to keep coming back to find out what the "town gossip" was.