The Snowman (2007)

Good and grisly! Sucked me in, could NOT stop reading. ( )

Deliciously creepy, intricate plot, complex characters, Norwegian backdrop--heavenly! ( )

Creepier than the previous ones I have read from the series.
Fun, palate-cleansing reading for a lazy brain. ( )

Well constructed. That's the key thing to say about this Norwegian thriller. Before you find out who the killer is, there are numerous plausible alternative suppositions and reversals. Every bit of information pays off like the Chekhovian revolver, which, once introduced in Act I, must be fired by Act III.

Harry Hole is one of those master sleuths that's actually smarter than the constant reader of mystery fiction. When he reaches an insight, the perceptive reader hasn't necessarily gotten there before him, although in hindsight his conclusion is completely logical.

This is my first book by Nesbo, but it's obvious that there's an overall continuity from one book to the next; that things are paying off that were set up in previous books; and that things set up in this book will play out in subsequent books. Nevertheless, this book stands on its own to be enjoyed on its own merits.

I will definitely return to this series. Too bad the first two haven't been translated into English yet. ( )

I would have liked to have given this novel more than three stars. After all, it has a lot going for it: an exotic setting (Oslo and Bergen are about as far away from my part of the world as it's possible to get!), an interesting hero of the flawed-and-dealing-with-inner-demons variety and a pacy narrative. Plus the fact that there is generally something pretty compelling about the better Scandinavian crime fiction. All of these factors made this novel a much more than okay read. However, I can't say that I really loved it, let alone that it was amazing.

That said, I suspect the problems with this novel from my point of view are more to do with me than they are to do with the book. Firstly, I identified the killer about half way through. I don't mind feeling clever when reading crime fiction, but I really don't like being way ahead of the detective and feeling that he or she has missed some pretty major clues. Secondly, I am feeling somewhat jaded with serial killer stories in which the killer dreams up disturbingly complicated and bizarre ways of murdering his or her victims . I've been re-reading quite a lot of golden age mysteries recently and this may have decreased my tolerance for more extreme versions of the genre.

Anyway, I liked this novel enough to be reasonably confident I will read more by its author. I didn't like it enough to want to race out and buy Nesbo's entire oeuvre or to give away copies of this particular novel as birthday presents. Recommended for lovers of Scandanavian crime fiction and crime fiction fans with fairly strong stomachs, but it won't be for everyone. ( )