The Snowman

by Jo Nesbø

Harry Hole #7

Vintage Canada (4 janvier 2011)

464 pages - 19.95 $

After reading the Leopard, I bought this book, because it's often cited as one of the best of Jo Nesbø and more importantly, I wanted to know why Harry Hole was in such a bad shape and it seemed it was due to the Snowman ...

Synopsis

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.

What I think of it

In that book Harry's professional and personal relationships mingle and meet and you get to know better the different characters, which makes us closer to the protagonists and gives us the impression of being part of the team. I met Harry Hole again with pleasure. He's in a better state than in The Leopard (which was written after The Snowman), but as I haven't read them in the order... It's in this book that I knew the extent of the horror experienced by Harry and why he's hurting so much in the future. In any case, I enjoyed discovering more about Harry 's relationship with his colleagues who regularly mock his propensity to see a serial killer behind every dog run. I made acquaintance with Rakel - and discovered their history - and Oleg who worships Harry.

Here, no action at all costs, no chases in each chapter, but tension rises gradually. We have a sense of failure and a feeling of the horror to come. Harry must investigate the murders of the past in connection with the disappearances of the present time and it takes time. Time during which the danger increases and we feel that something bad is coming but the killer seems quite too smart for Harry and, indeed, he's on the verge of not succeeding. The atmosphere is cold as can be - probably because it's about the first snow (perhaps to read it in July would not have the same impact!) - and adds to the tension and anxiety. As to discover the culprit... beware the obvious!

Harry's struggle not to drink, his efforts and the anger he feels all the time are obviously recurring in the series, but this is what makes him an endearing character (yes, cliché die hard in thrillers!). However, even if you can read the books by itself because it does not interfere with the story, there are several references in the books to what happened before. It seems to me that it's best to read them in order, especially as Harry's state of mind is linked with what he has experienced and therefore what happened in the previous books.

In a nutshell

Second book I've read by Jo Nesbø and I'm sold! He has a style of his own, where the horror of the crimes, the anxiety associated with the investigation and the atmosphere will guarantee you cold chills! One thing is certain, you will not see snowmen in the same way... 4/5 for this volume .

My thought on closing the book : Poor Harry, he really caught hell!

The Leopard

by Jo Nesbø
Thriller
Vintage Crime/Black Lizard
Knopf and Vintage Books - 2012
688 pages - 19.95 $

En français ici

I bought this book with a gift card received for my birthday. I had decided to buy only authors I did not know. Jo Nesbø was one of them but he's so well known by lovers of good thrillers, it was absolutely necessary for me to read one of his book.

Synopsis

Two women are found murdered in Oslo – both of them have drowned in their own blood. What mystifies the police, is that the puncture wounds in the victim’s faces have been caused from the inside of their mouths. Kaja Solness from Homicide is sent to Hong Kong to track down a man that is the Oslo Police Department’s only specialist on serial killings. The severely addicted detective has tried to disappear in the vast, anonymous city. He is on the run and haunted by his last case

What I think of it

I love it! Nesbø became one of my favorite authors. He now stands next to Chattam and Holm (that is something!) In less than ten lines, I was caught up by the story, I could not take it down. So beware, once again, this is an author who does not hesitate to stage violence. This is not for everyone, because honestly, some scenes are difficult to read because they're very graphic. As I love this style, it was pure happiness through the 688 pages that scroll at an extraordinary speed. Yes, 688 pages for a thriller can be scary, but do not worry, it devours quickly! (I've read the French version which contains 848 pages...)

But what makes this book so good, dear reader?

The characters, especially Harry Hole, disillusioned inspector, alcoholic, drug addict, but oh so endearing! This was my first encounter with him, and not in the best conditions, it must be said, since he's found drugged in Hong Kong. Yet, the depth of his character brings us to love him, because we can sense that there is something else behind this fucked facade. The other characters are equally well written, complex, a little predictable for some and they emphasize different aspects of Harry.

The story gets off the a good start, a really good one. We are in the action since the first page, we live the crime through the eyes of the victim, it's pretty intense, thank you! The pace did not falter. We travel a lot: in Asia, the Congo, Rwanda, Norway, as the investigation goes along. Nesbø gives us a very clear idea of ​​the countries Harry visits, their history and particularity, which makes an even more gripping story. We feel that there is a solid basis to the story, which makes it more concrete, more realistic.

The investigation seems to go in all directions, we are lost, we think we have figured it out and we find ourselves elsewhere, in short Nesbø play with our nerves. The motive seems confusing, the investigation complex, we do not see the threat coming, we take it in the face and bam! we remain shocked at having been deceived... again. With all that, Nesbø still manages to bring through the crime a good old feud between two services, a war in which one organization (Kripo or criminal brigade) will win, leaders who put sticks in the wheels, making the investigation more difficult. In summary, there is no dead time (but a lot of deads).

I read on blogs that Nesbø is the new Stieg Larsson (author of the Millennium). Come on! In my case, if Larsson helped the Scandinavian kind of crime fiction to be known worldwide, I have not found that his three novels were exceptional. Nesbø is, in my opinion, a much better writer! I did not experience as many emotions while reading the three Millennium that I had with The Leopard. The suspense is more intense, the dialogues are better written, the characters are very endearing, realistic and well-written (ok, Lisbeth was very well written too). I tell you, we are a notch above with Nesbø (and the notch is high!)

Here's an excerpt of the book and tell me, honestly, does it not make you want to read more?

Excerpt

The drowsiness came. Harry stopped digging. Even though he knew this spell death. A seductive, alluring death, taking him into its arms. Why protest, why fight, why choose pain when he could succumb? Why choose anything other than what he has always done? 

Harry closed his eyes. 

(entire excerpt here on Jo Nesbø's site) 

In a nutshell

One of the best books I've read this year. An author I learned to love. Amateurs of black, Nordic, complex and panting thrillers, treat yourself! A book that should be included in any good bookshelf. I give it a 5/5.

My thought on closing the book: Oh damn, that was good!