The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

As mentioned in my review of Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist (which can be found here); I am a big lover of the foreign horror genre. One of my favourite authors within this genre is Jo Nesbo and his Harry Hole series. Even though this is the fifth book in the series, it was the first one I read, and has remained my favourite for many years, so I thought I would give it a review and explain why it is so much better than all the others.

Title: The Snowman

Author: Jo Nesbo (translated by Don Bartlett)

Publisher: Vintage Books

Release Date: 19th August 2010

Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller, Nordic Noir

Summary:

As the first snow falls in Oslo, Norway; a serial killer is on the loose leaving a snowman in the snow for all to see. The killings seem random and unprovoked, but are they? Is there some connection to these pointless murders? Harry Hole, a workaholic (and slightly alcoholic) policeman, is however on the case after receiving a threatening letter from the so called, Snowman. Pushing himself to the limit to catch his horrendous and evil murderer, it is obvious that Harry cannot trust anyone.

Review:

Jo Nesbo is a bit like marmite; you either love him or you hate him. I, unlike marmite, love him. If not for his ability to create complex and clever storylines but for his sheer imagination and unbelievabley gory writing style. I love gore and horror filled stories so this aspect was a big hit for me! I may have read the book some years ago but there is one particularly haunting scene in the book which has stuck with me made me partially scared of snowmen and going into woods...disgusting...

His intelligent and gory writing style is present throughout The Snowman and ensures that there is never a dull moment; unlike others in the series, where I found myself getting bored quickly as there was no action and gory murders! 

Another aspect of the book which I love is the protagonist, Harry Hole. His story throughout the series is such a tragedy, in the sense that his workaholic attitude and his constant focus on 'the job' is his fatal flaw. To say that he brings his work home with him; is a bit of an understatement as, in the end, his fatal flaw affects the ones he truly cares about, like his sister, Rakel and Oleg. Even though the tragedy runs throughout the series, I feel that it is particularly evident in The Snowman (you will know what I mean if you read the book) and also towards the end of the series. It just makes me feel sorry for him.

I feel that The Snowman is one of the greatest books in the series and highlights the expert writer that Nesbo is. I do not like the other books in the series as much as I feel as though the momentum, which peaked during The Snowman, is slowing down, with the storylines becoming less action packed and more laborious to read. I especially found the later books in the series tired and boring.

I think maybe it is time to give Harry Hole, a nice happily ever after? God knows he deserves it... 

Rating: 10/10. The best in the series.

You can buy The Snowman from Amazon here.

For those that are interested, as of January 2014, this is the Harry Hole series in order:

• The Bat
• The Cockroaches
• The Redbreast
• Nemesis
• The Devil's Star
• The Redeemer
• The Snowman
• The Leopard
• Phantom
• Police