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Blood on Snow
(Blood on Snow #1)
by
Olav lives the lonely life of a fixer.
When you 'fix' people for a living - terminally - it’s hard to get close to anyone.
Now he’s finally met the woman of his dreams.
But there are two problems.
She’s his boss’s wife.
And Olav’s just been hired to kill her. ...more
When you 'fix' people for a living - terminally - it’s hard to get close to anyone.
Now he’s finally met the woman of his dreams.
But there are two problems.
She’s his boss’s wife.
And Olav’s just been hired to kill her. ...more
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Hardcover, 208 pages
Published
April 9th 2015
by Harvill Secker
(first published October 2nd 2014)
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of Blood on Snow (Blood on Snow, #1)
More Nordic Noir! I came across this article about the origin of Scandinavian noir:
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2...
This review: We go into the mind of a killer – a hired hit man. Yet he’s a ‘caring’ kind of guy. He visited a victim of one of his robberies in the hospital. He won’t get involved in prostitution because he tells us he can’t beat up women and ‘falls in love too easily.’
In fact he’s still kind of in love with a prostitute who can’t hear or speak and walks with a limp. Our a ...more
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2...
This review: We go into the mind of a killer – a hired hit man. Yet he’s a ‘caring’ kind of guy. He visited a victim of one of his robberies in the hospital. He won’t get involved in prostitution because he tells us he can’t beat up women and ‘falls in love too easily.’
In fact he’s still kind of in love with a prostitute who can’t hear or speak and walks with a limp. Our a ...more
Wow! Unbelievably good. Stunning. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed this book.
Nesbo is hit and miss with me, mostly his Harry Hole books which don’t work every time. Too dark, depressing. I’ve read them and like them, but they are nothing like Nesbo’s stand alones. Loved, Headhunter, and The Kingdom, and now, Blood On Snow, his best so far. Loooved it.
The story is about a reluctant hit man, who couldn’t make it doing other nefarious criminal jobs. This book's structure reminds me a little ...more
Nesbo is hit and miss with me, mostly his Harry Hole books which don’t work every time. Too dark, depressing. I’ve read them and like them, but they are nothing like Nesbo’s stand alones. Loved, Headhunter, and The Kingdom, and now, Blood On Snow, his best so far. Loooved it.
The story is about a reluctant hit man, who couldn’t make it doing other nefarious criminal jobs. This book's structure reminds me a little ...more
Can someone explain to me what happened in this story?
Oct 16, 2019
☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
underrated,
noir
Nesbo's as usual exhausting the reader with his over-the-top imagery, blood-bath-ery, badassery, and every other kind of assery unimaginable out there.
Who would imagine getting chatty with their victim since the murder happens right before Christmas?
A dyslexic killer enamoured with romance and philosophy. Some cartoonish opposition (so that we would have something to look forward, plotwise). Fantastically dysfunctional familial ties. Picturesque everything.
The protagonist misses out on univer ...more
Who would imagine getting chatty with their victim since the murder happens right before Christmas?
A dyslexic killer enamoured with romance and philosophy. Some cartoonish opposition (so that we would have something to look forward, plotwise). Fantastically dysfunctional familial ties. Picturesque everything.
The protagonist misses out on univer ...more
A hit man with a heart.
A Norwegian hit man to be more exact. From the best-selling author of the fabulously well to do Harry Hole series, Jo “I can write like Mickey Spillane when I want to” Nesbo, his 2014 fast paced novella (translated into Murican by Neil Smith) is a fun departure from his Hole mystery writing.
Not a Scandinavian murder mystery, but most definitely still Nordic Noir. This is a dark and gritty journey into underworld Oslo. Set in the late 70s, Nesbo leads us into the shadowy wo ...more
A Norwegian hit man to be more exact. From the best-selling author of the fabulously well to do Harry Hole series, Jo “I can write like Mickey Spillane when I want to” Nesbo, his 2014 fast paced novella (translated into Murican by Neil Smith) is a fun departure from his Hole mystery writing.
Not a Scandinavian murder mystery, but most definitely still Nordic Noir. This is a dark and gritty journey into underworld Oslo. Set in the late 70s, Nesbo leads us into the shadowy wo ...more
This was my first Nesbø book, so I didn't know what to expect. It's a fast read, but it felt like a first draft of a novella, rather than a completed work.
Blood on Snow is the story of a "fixer" named Olav, which means he's a contract killer. Olav has a dry sense of humor and says killing is the only thing he's good at.
"To sum up, let's put it like this: I'm no good at driving slowly, I'm way too soft, I fall in love far too easily, I lose my head when I get angry, and I'm bad at math. I've re ...more
Blood on Snow is the story of a "fixer" named Olav, which means he's a contract killer. Olav has a dry sense of humor and says killing is the only thing he's good at.
"To sum up, let's put it like this: I'm no good at driving slowly, I'm way too soft, I fall in love far too easily, I lose my head when I get angry, and I'm bad at math. I've re ...more
May 24, 2017
James Thane
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime-fiction,
jo-nesbo
This relatively slim novel is a stand-alone from Jo Nesbo, the creator of the great series featuring Norwegian homicide detective Harry Hole. The protagonist is a contract killer named Olav who works for a crime boss in Oslo. Olav is one of the best "fixers" in the business and approaches his work with a cold-blooded efficiency until he is given the job of killing a woman who has taken a lover, thus infuriating her husband.
In preparation for the hit, Olav watches the woman for several days from ...more
In preparation for the hit, Olav watches the woman for several days from ...more
A surprisingly satisfying tale of a hitman with a human heart and the capacity to take risks out of love and an emerging sense of justice. This stand-alone novella from the author of the popular series about Norwegian detective Harry Hole gives you the interior view of the minimalist life of Olav, who has the job as “fixer” for a powerful gangster in Oslo. He acquired the position by default after inadequacies in other positions such as pimp or getaway driver. The few people he had to kill were
...more
An enjoyable (and very dark) read with a sympathetic anti-hero.
May 20, 2015
Brandon
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Hard Case Crime
My first experience with Jo Nesbo came about two years ago when I received his first Harry Hole novel, The Bat, as a gift. Honestly, I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. I found that the story was all over the map like a dysfunctional GPS. However, when I heard he had recently released a stand-alone thriller*, I thought I would give him another shot. I’m glad I did.
Blood on Snow tells the story of Olav, a “fixer” for a heroin dealer in Olso. When a job goes awry, Olav becomes his boss’ targ ...more
Blood on Snow tells the story of Olav, a “fixer” for a heroin dealer in Olso. When a job goes awry, Olav becomes his boss’ targ ...more
This is the 1st book in the 'Blood on Snow' series by Jo Nesbo.
The lead character Olav Johansen is a seasoned criminal with a sordid past and whose one success in life is as a 'fixer'. He is employed by the drug baron Daniel Hoffmann to kill his wife Corina Hoffman who he suspects of adultery. While casing the proposed crime Olav becomes infatuated by Corina and his plan changes when he witnesses the abusive lover and decides he is a more deserving victim. This decision has life threatening cons ...more
The lead character Olav Johansen is a seasoned criminal with a sordid past and whose one success in life is as a 'fixer'. He is employed by the drug baron Daniel Hoffmann to kill his wife Corina Hoffman who he suspects of adultery. While casing the proposed crime Olav becomes infatuated by Corina and his plan changes when he witnesses the abusive lover and decides he is a more deserving victim. This decision has life threatening cons ...more
I never went and looked through Jo Nesbo’s page of books he had written on Goodreads, and I only know him because of his Harry Hole novels, but he writes other books, too.
Some of those are a series of books for kids that revolve around farting.
And he also has this stand alone novel that was written under a pseudonym and is being released this spring.
I’ve only read one of Nesbo’s books before, so I’m not all that familiar with how his novels go. But the one that I read was a fairly dense and in ...more
Some of those are a series of books for kids that revolve around farting.
And he also has this stand alone novel that was written under a pseudonym and is being released this spring.
I’ve only read one of Nesbo’s books before, so I’m not all that familiar with how his novels go. But the one that I read was a fairly dense and in ...more
I don't read enough of Jo Nesbo! Blood on Snow is the first of a new series and it's an excellent beginning. I love the main character, Olav. He's a fixer, but he has a conscience and I love a little dark humor when someone is on the chopping block.
...more
A friend has been recommending the novels of Jo Nesbo to me for a while, so when I saw “Blood on Snow” at my local bookstore I picked it up. It is an excellent & quick read. Perfect for a sunny day, or a cozy winter weekend by the fire.
At 180 pages, this tautly paced thriller is worth your time. Nesbo has an excellent facility for words and there are no extra ones here. Yet, the characterization is complete, there is definitely an inner psychology to the protagonist, and the novel is not underwr ...more
At 180 pages, this tautly paced thriller is worth your time. Nesbo has an excellent facility for words and there are no extra ones here. Yet, the characterization is complete, there is definitely an inner psychology to the protagonist, and the novel is not underwr ...more
The storytelling, characters, descriptions, dialogues and whole action somehow reminded me of Quentin Tarantino movies. Also, quite broken, disturbed, psychotic characters seems to be Nesbo forte. I liked Olav, the main character, the'fixer' who falls in love too easily, which also seems to be his biggest weakness.
I would not say the book is among my favorites but I definitely enjoyed all aspects of it. I can move on to part 2 now. ...more
I would not say the book is among my favorites but I definitely enjoyed all aspects of it. I can move on to part 2 now. ...more
Not as captivating as the Harry Hole series. Still good, cause Nesbø.
3.5* ...more
3.5* ...more
Jo Nesbø's Blood on Snow fits in nicely with classic Nordic crime noir, and authors like Stieg Larson, Henning Mankell, and Karin Fossum. The main character, Olav, our tortured antihero, is ultimately looking for a better life. The story is less about him being a fixer for a top crime boss and more about him longing for a better life. Olav is limited but has excellent insight and understanding of others, which he uses as leverage to get what he wants. He has been quite successful as a fixer. How
...more
May 28, 2017
Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Never having been introduced to the legendary Harry Hole or having read Jo Nesbo before I had few preconceptions ahead of reading Blood on Snow and hence for me, meeting "fixer" Olav in this clever noir thriller was an unexpected delight. A contract killer with a soft-centre might sound mutually exclusive but that is until readers meet Olav who narrates this short offering set in the brutal chill of a pre-Christmas Olso in 1976. Protagonist and anti-hero, Olav, has worked for Daniel Hoffmann for
...more
This is a well written and intriguing novella about Olav, a fixer or contract killer, with a kind heart. I like the descriptions of some of the insalubrious characters who are easy to picture. I like the occasional black humour and there are some interesting twists. An easy, quick read and if you like Jo Nesbo then definitely worth your while.
If you could see my bookshelves (real bookshelf), Jo Nesbo is the first name you'd read. When I was on thriller binge, like two years ago, I heard about Nesbo and bought bunch of his books, all pretty lengthy, his name written with big fonts on the spine of the book. I've five books of him, but unfortunately, I don't think I'll ever read any of them. When i read Redbreast i thought it was pretty amazing even though I'd skimmed last few pages- I rated it four stars here because I thought I'd miss
...more
This first American edition is signed by Jo Nesbo.
A perfect crime novella from Jo Nesbo. It’s related to Contract Killing. The whole novella is a great combination of love, doubt, greed and blood hunting!!! It was a enjoyable read.
3.5*
A bit different to reading midnight sun which i prefered but this was still good.
Something about jo nesbo he just hooks you and you know your going to end up reading more of his books.
Short but had great amount of detail. Characters were brilliant. This Added a human element to the main characters line of work or explained his situation/backstory. Did not see that ending coming.
Loved it.
A bit different to reading midnight sun which i prefered but this was still good.
Something about jo nesbo he just hooks you and you know your going to end up reading more of his books.
Short but had great amount of detail. Characters were brilliant. This Added a human element to the main characters line of work or explained his situation/backstory. Did not see that ending coming.
Loved it.
This is a really short book and before you know it you are looking at the last page and are wondering where time went. But honestly the story does not really stretches too long and neither does it outstay it welcome.
The book is about a fixer/killer who is rather decent at his job but has too much of a good heart. It is this that makes him make a fatal mistake during one of his contacts that changes the game for him.
The leading character is a limited one and not really that interesting, the story ...more
The book is about a fixer/killer who is rather decent at his job but has too much of a good heart. It is this that makes him make a fatal mistake during one of his contacts that changes the game for him.
The leading character is a limited one and not really that interesting, the story ...more
My first Nesbo read and I really enjoyed the style. Looking forward to reading the Harry Hole series next
One does not often hear the phrase “hitman with a heart of gold,” but that seems the best way to describe Jo Nesbø's excellent “Blood on Snow.”
Olav Johansen is a “fixer.” He has been fixing problems for his boss Hoffmann for some time; always trying to calculate when he needs to leave (as sooner or later you know enough about your boss that you too might need fixing). Well, it looks like that time has come, as his newest job is to fix Hoffmann’s wife, and considering that Olav will be the only o ...more
Olav Johansen is a “fixer.” He has been fixing problems for his boss Hoffmann for some time; always trying to calculate when he needs to leave (as sooner or later you know enough about your boss that you too might need fixing). Well, it looks like that time has come, as his newest job is to fix Hoffmann’s wife, and considering that Olav will be the only o ...more
3.5 Stars
Olav is a "fixer" (i.e. contract killer) who has been tasked with killing his boss's cheating wife, Corina. While spying on Corina, Olav begins to write her story in his mind, and cannot come to terms with killing her....instead he kills her lover, who happened to be his boss's only son. He then must kill his boss before his boss kills him.
Blood on Snow is an interesting novella. I especially liked how Nesbo plays around with writing one's story. However, if you are expecting this book ...more
Olav is a "fixer" (i.e. contract killer) who has been tasked with killing his boss's cheating wife, Corina. While spying on Corina, Olav begins to write her story in his mind, and cannot come to terms with killing her....instead he kills her lover, who happened to be his boss's only son. He then must kill his boss before his boss kills him.
Blood on Snow is an interesting novella. I especially liked how Nesbo plays around with writing one's story. However, if you are expecting this book ...more
Really a novella. Olav, the main character is a talented “fixer” for one of Oslo’s most powerful crime bosses. He has fallen into this job, but failing at most others for various reasons, such as dyslexia and a tender heart. His boss orders Olav to kill his wife, and things get very strange as Olav disobeys orders and finds himself caught in the cross-hairs of Oslo's underworld. I did not care for the ending. My advise is to stick with Nesbo's Harry Hole series.
...more
A stand-alone novel about a hitman with dark, ironic humor and laments on love and death.
Quite different from other work by Nesbo that I've read, this short novel is a psychological thriller about an Oslo hitman ("fixer"), Olav.
Olav guesses that his life is going to go all to hell when his crime-kingpin boss, Hoffmann, tells him his new commission is to fix Hoffmann's trophy second wife, Corina, who's been having an affair. As soon as Olav sees Corina, though, he's consumed by love/lust for her, and on impulse he fixes the boyfriend instead. What he doesn't realize at the time is th ...more
Olav guesses that his life is going to go all to hell when his crime-kingpin boss, Hoffmann, tells him his new commission is to fix Hoffmann's trophy second wife, Corina, who's been having an affair. As soon as Olav sees Corina, though, he's consumed by love/lust for her, and on impulse he fixes the boyfriend instead. What he doesn't realize at the time is th ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play Book Tag: Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbo 4 stars | 4 | 7 | Apr 30, 2022 12:05PM | |
| Crime, Mysteries ...: Blood on Snow - July & August 2016 | 23 | 88 | Oct 02, 2016 11:58AM | |
| 2015 Reading Chal...: Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbo | 5 | 53 | Sep 29, 2015 03:57PM | |
Men's Book Club:
Blood On Snow, by Jo Nesbo
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Jo Nesbø is a bestselling Norwegian author and musician. He was born in Oslo and grew up in Molde. Nesbø graduated from the Norwegian School of Economics with a degree in economics. Nesbø is primarily famous for his crime novels about Detective Harry Hole, but he is also the main vocals and songwriter for the Norwegian rock band Di Derre. In 2007 Nesbø also released his first children's book, Dokt
...more
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“Dán několikrát zatočil vlasy, jedním krokem se odrazil, rozmáchl se paží podél těla jako hráč bowlingu a hlavu pustil. Plachtila vzhůru s vlasy rozevlátými, ale v příliš příkrém úhlu, takže zasáhla strop, odrazila se opět na schody a kutálela se zpátky k nám s křupáním, jako když lžičkou rozbíjíte skořápku vajíčka natvrdo.
„Musím jenom pořádně zamířit,“ zamumlal Dán, hlavu zas popadl, srovnal si nohy, pro lepší soustředění zavřel oči a přitom se několikrát zhluboka nadechl. Došlo mi, že psychicky je to teď se mnou na hraně, protože jsem se málem rozesmál. Pak Dán oči otevřel, udělal dva kroky vpřed a rozmáchl se. Uvolnil úchop. Čtyři a půl kila lidské lebky vykroužily pěkný oblouk k vrcholu schodiště, dopadly na podlahu a my jsme slyšeli, jak hlava poskakuje a kutálí se chodbou.”
—
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„Musím jenom pořádně zamířit,“ zamumlal Dán, hlavu zas popadl, srovnal si nohy, pro lepší soustředění zavřel oči a přitom se několikrát zhluboka nadechl. Došlo mi, že psychicky je to teď se mnou na hraně, protože jsem se málem rozesmál. Pak Dán oči otevřel, udělal dva kroky vpřed a rozmáchl se. Uvolnil úchop. Čtyři a půl kila lidské lebky vykroužily pěkný oblouk k vrcholu schodiště, dopadly na podlahu a my jsme slyšeli, jak hlava poskakuje a kutálí se chodbou.”
“What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?”
—
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