The Snowman

The Snowman Cover

Jo Nesbo

The night the first snow falls a young boy wakes to find his mother gone. He walks through the silent house, but finds only wet footprints on the stairs. In the garden looms a solitary figure: a snowman bathed in cold moonlight, its black eyes glaring up at the bedroom windows. Round its neck is his mother's pink scarf. Inspector Harry Hole is convinced there is a link between the disappearance and a menacing letter he received some months earlier. As Harry and his team delve into unsolved case files, they discover that an alarming number of wives and mothers have gone missing over the years. When a second woman disappears Harry's suspicions are confirmed: he is a pawn in a deadly game. For the first time in his career, Harry finds himself confronted with a serial killer operating on his turf, a killer who will drive him to the brink of insanity. A brilliant thriller with a pace that never lets up, "The Snowman" confirms Jo Nesbo's position as an international star of crime fiction.
Cover

Richard

Make sure you have a baseball bat under the bed before starting to read The Snowman. It is one of the most unnerving novels about a serial killer I have ever read.

Harry Hole is a Norwegian murder squad detective working out of Oslo. He has recently completed a course in America on catching serial killers and this makes him something of a figure of fun back home because Norway doesn’t have serial killers; never has, never will.

And then women start disappearing. All are wives and mothers, and they vanish on the night of the first snowfall of winter. When the bodies are found, they have been horribly and sadistically butchered. But there is something else: the killer always leaves a trademark behind. A snowman. And a part of the murdered woman is included in the effigy: in one of the most horrific scenes in the book, it is the victim’s decapitated head.

But don’t worry, it’s not unremitting goriness. Harry Hole is an immensely likeable, if flawed, character and Jo Nesbo writes fascinatingly about Norway, with some beautiful passages describing the country’s winter snowscapes. Some of the place-names are tongue-twisters, but that just adds to the appeal of the story’s setting. For all the jolting horror as The Snowman unfolds, you’ll finish wanting to visit Norway.

But I doubt you’ll be building any snowmen anywhere this winter.

Judy

America is traditionally the home of your typical serial killer, certainly as far as fiction goes. So I was unsure at first if nice, quiet, antiseptic Scandinavia would be the right setting for a story about a warped killer on the loose.

Actually, it works precisely because serial killers are practically unknown there, so there is no world-weariness in Harry Hole’s little team of detectives as they confront the horror of what is happening. They are deeply shocked at the crimes they must investigate, and, to begin with, disbelieving that they are dealing with a home-grown monster.

Jo Nesbo has been compared to Stieg Larsson but I think he’s better, and rather more like Michael Connelly in style. He is at his strongest when he creates a tableau of horror: these are the hinges on which books like The Snowman turn and if they don’t work with complete precision, the story falls apart. Nesbo doesn’t put a foot wrong, and as his story builds so does the tension and fear.

These books have to have a surprise ending and Nesbo provides it. I’m normally quite good at seeing them coming but this one virtually jumped out at me. Over 500 tautly written pages and a slam dunk-finish. Works for me.

Jo Nesbo Meets Richard & Judy

Reviews & Comments

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  • The Jo Nesbo "Harry Hole" series is EXCELLENT. He is a Norwegian writer well translated by Don Bartlett. Good well developed characters and intricate plots! You benefit by reading them in order because there is an overriding story arc across the books as well as self-contained story lines. Start with Redbreast, then Nemesis, Devil's Star, Redeemer, and THEN Snow Leopard. The writing is reminiscent of early Michael Connelly "Harry Bosch" series.

    REVEL

  • This is now on my to be read list

    DJ Kirkby

  • I really liked this, at first. It was gripping and i wanted to know who the Snowman was but it got really complicated and really rubbish. The blurb reckoned it was like Steig Larrson but it wasn't really, apart from being set in Scandinavia......pants x

    Annette

  • I haven't read a thriller/crime novel before, however I had a few friends telling me about this author and how they enjoyed his writing. I wasn't dissapointed with this book, I read it within two days and couldn't put it down. There are several twists throughout the book to keep you guessing who the snowman is.I liked the gritty main character Harry hole who seemed unpredictable throughout. I will continue to read more books by Jo nesbo.a good read.

    Lisa h

  • An excellent read, I couldn't put it down and finished in 2 days. Following a detective and his murder investigation, the story is really interesting and original, and makes you want to find out more. Glimpses in to the background of the main character created an urge to read the other novels in the series by this author. The glum, snowy Norwegian setting adds a sense of difference to many other crime novels around.

    Mark B.

  • Thank you Richard, I was all set for a week away in the sun, 2 books bought and all packed when on the day before I was leaving I heard Richard on the radio talking about this year’s book club.

    I listened to him enthuse about ‘The Snowman’ and Stieg Larsson millennium series.

    I was so impressed that at the airport (the place usually start my reading, a pastime I love but with work etc only seem to read when on holiday) I went into the WHSmith and bought the snowman and Larrson’s first in the series The girl with the dragon tattoo.

    What a good idea, the snowman is the best read I have had the pleasure of being gripped by for as long as I can remember, it is excellent, but beware if you like thrillers you will not be able to put this book down.

    Then I started the first of Larrson’s trilogy and got caught again, what a holiday nearly 1100 pages in a week and loved every minute of both books. Thanks again Richard for helping to make this week away great.

    Can’t wait to start the next book now….

    Leigh Redman

    Leigh R

  • I LOVE this book. I bought this book to read on a camping trip and when I finished it I couldn't bring myself to pick up another book as I thought I would be immediately disappointed. Upon finishing it my head was filled with the plot and all of its twists and turns and the characters and how they were all linked. I was sucked in immediately. A real page turner. I am going to go back and read the other books and get the background story on Harry Hole now.

    Mind you...I was a bit spooked walking to the loo on my camp site in the pitch black having been reading this. Couldn't make me put it down though. Just looked over my shoulder for a snowman every 10 seconds! Brilliant read

    Emma Scott

  • Very good book. A bit predictable as I guessed who the snowman was half way through but I would recommend anyway as the plot is excellent.

    Rakhvinder

  • I saw Richard and judy talking on this morning about this book and it sounded so good I just had to buy it even I don't read these types of books.well I wasn't disappointed,I finished it in a couple of days I couldn't put it down.The only problem was I was reading it in bed when everyone was asleep and it did give me the chills.Very well written,this story really sucks you in.I loved it and I would recommend it.I agree with Richard would make a great movie.

    Deb watts-wilson

  • I loved this book suffering withdrawn symptons already best book from all the books in the book club so far.

    Karen Walker

  • I loved this book! I would NEVER have picked this myself but am so glad I did. It truly frightened me but in an addictive way - I have now ordered Jo Nesbo's other books. I can't wait to start on those now!

    Thanks

    Ceri

  • I don't think I have read a book that is written to scare since I was a teenager and this book has brought back the thrill of trying to read as fast as I can to find out what happens next. I found this book to be so well thought out and well rounded. I found it hard to get into for the first couple of chapters, but this may have been due to me not being used to reading this genre. My only disappointment would be that I worked out the majority of the ending too early on for my liking and I was left with a couple of questions, which didn't quite make sense to me. All in all a very good book and I am looking forward to Jo Nesbo's new book in the Spring.

    Anna

  • I LOVED this book. A real page turner. My heart was racing while I read. I loved every bit of it. ~Thought it was very clever. A "chilling" read!

    Marie

  • I haven't got to this book as of yet as I am reading the first books in the series of Harry Hole. Start with The Redbreast followed by Nemesis, The Devils Star and The Redeemer. Even though they can be read as stand alone books you will find that they refer back and there are some twists that continue through the books. I haven't read an author that makes me want to read one book after another like Jo Nesbo has made me do! The Snowman is actually the 7th in the Harry Hole series but the first 2 books (The Batman and The Cockroaches) haven't as of yet been translated. Love all these books and highly recommend them you will be sucked in!

    Ali Osmond

  • Heard about this from Richard on Good Morning interview. Was a fantastic read from start to finish..gripping compelling and unputdownable... lent to my sister who read it in one day....have now joined the richard and judy book club...Richard was right the next stieg larsson...Brill

    michael beattie

  • The Snowman is an incredible read with some brilliant well written characters by Joe Nesbo. Very fast paced, but I thought slightly long. Not for the faint hearted, highly recommended. Atthe back of the book there's mention of a new Harry Hole mystery early part of 2011, can't wait. Now on to my last read of the eight, No and Me. Sounds good.

    Mike Garrick

  • Excellent read. I loved this so much I went out and purchased the previous Harry Hole novles. Loved the mystery and suspense but more than eanything loved Harry and the Norway setting. Glad this has been picked up by the film studios- just hope they do it justice!

    J Spears

  • This is certainly one for my list, it sounds really good, can't wait to go and buy it, if its as good as it sounds will prob read it in couple days!

    karin jeggo

  • This was a thoroughly enjoyable and original read. I spent a few months reading it as I didnt want it to end!

    Jeremy Willmott

  • This is as far from Stieg Larsson as you could get - utter drivel - it was obvious from the minute you met him who the killer was. My husband loved it though and went right out and bought two or three other books be same author - now even he admits they are rubbish!

    Lulla

  • Loved this book. Definitely kept me gripped

    Peak

  • This was my second Jo Nesbo book and it was very difficult to put down. Just finished and I have two questions...who is Oleg's biological father (the man who left Rakel in Russia) and who was the 'mold man"? Was he a real mold man or some wierd part of the story?

    JW

  • Whilst 'The Snowman' is well written and certainly engaging, it's fatal flaw lies in the fact that the killer is blindingly obvious before you're even halfway through the book. I assumed it was a red herring because the evidence kept mounting to a ridiculous degree and not only did Harry not work it out, he didn't even remotely suspect it. Thrillers rise and fall on their ability to keep you guessing, so whilst this book had characters that were likeable, a good atmosphere and pace, it's hard to buy into the aura of Harry Hole as this great detective when you spend 2/3rds of the book feeling smarter than him. It could have been a great book if not for that. Very frustrating indeed.

    Nathan

  • This book started me on the Harry Hole trail. I am now a Harry Hole junky. I have always loved thrillers but these are exceptional. whilst I loved the steig Larson films the books were hard to read: Harry Hole isn't. I have now read all the series and each book is a delight (the 3 in the middle need reading in order because of thread that runs through them). I am now distraught! These are must read books and anyone who moans bout them doesn't know how to shut themselves off and just enjoy a cracking read!

    Su Trinder

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