June/July 2011 Group Read: The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

[Jeanne]

I have now read both The Devil's Star and The Snowman by Jo Nesbo and am very impressed by the writer. Harry Hole is a terrific addition to detective fiction. Loved both books!

[Kim]

Carol wrote: "A question for you and everyone else:
Did you find yourself suspecting a number of people along the way? Was the Snowman one of your earlier suspects or a later revelation? ..."

I was pretty sure I had worked out the identity of the killer by half way through the book. I rather hoped I was wrong, but I never really suspected anyone else. The clues that gave it away for me were these: (view spoiler)[ Mathias told Harry that Vetlesen had talked to him about carnadrioxide, the drug Vetlesen had allegedly used to commit suicide. Harry then demonstrated that Vetlesen's death could not have been a suicide. However, he didn't appear to ask himself why, in this case, Vetlesen would have asked Mathias about the drug. Shortly thereafter Rakel talks about Mathias having a physical peculiarity about which he is embarrassed. I suspected that this was a lack of nipples, which linked back to the first scene. (hide spoiler)]. Consequently, I spent much of the last part of the novel wanting to tell Harry Hole that he was wasting time fishing for red herrings and that he should just get on with the job!

[Sue]

I recently finished this book, even without knowing it was being read by a group i just discovered, and I really like The Snowman, however was also a big fan of The Girl With books

[Carol]

Kim wrote: "Carol wrote: "A question for you and everyone else:
Did you find yourself suspecting a number of people along the way? Was the Snowman one of your earlier suspects or a later revelation? ..."

I..."
Aha! So that's what gave it away for you, Kim! (view spoiler)[ I suspected Mathias at that point as well, and I even thought back to that first scene in the book. I think I just couldn't think of the boy killing his mother because my brain just stopped processing that and I went back to Mathias and the list of other suspects! (hide spoiler)] I love to go back at the end of a book and think about when I suspected the guilty character or what I missed clue-wise. That is precisely where we should have figured it out, but that is quite early in the story. I wonder if Nesbo wanted us to know at that point! I wish we could ask him!

[Hapzydeco]

Carol - Thank you for introducing me to Jo Nesbø’s Oslo. Harry Hole coupled with Lisbeth Salander and Kurt Wallander make for a splendid fictional triad. The Snowman was an intriguing read.

[paul]

AGREE. hope hole lives on with nesbo. nesbo just hitting his stride.

[Kim]

Carol wrote: "I love to go back at the end of a book and think about when I suspected the guilty character or what I missed clue-wise. ..."

Carol, I'm with you. I also like to go back to check on the clues! I think in many ways Snowman is a very traditional crime fiction novel. (view spoiler)[ You know the kind: a limited cast of characters all have motive and/or means and/or opportunity, are in turn suspected by the detective and it turns out that the least likely suspect is the culprit. (hide spoiler)] Not that there's anything wrong with that. However, some of the crime fiction novels I like best work differently. Dorothy L Sayers, for example, who is one of my favourite writers, wrote some traditional whodunnits, but she also wrote novels in which the "who" was obvious and the "why" or the "how" comprised the mystery. And over the weekend I read and really enjoyed Karin Slaughter's latest offering Fallen, in which (view spoiler)[the crime appears to be about one thing but in fact is about something quite different (hide spoiler)]. I'll have to read more of Nesbo to see whether he sticks to the traditional whodunnit format, or whether he mixes things up a bit!

[Anne]

I have had the pleasure of hearing Jo Nesbo speak and he is very funny and entertaining. I really like the Snowman. I agree with others that it has alot of twists and turns. It was a hard one to put down once I started it. I have only read one other by him and I am definitely going to read more of his.

[Robert]

I am 100 pages ish into the book First time read this Jo Nesbo Has anyone else felt that Harry Hole character very much like Rebus from Ian Rankin books?
Lives alone drink issues and the popular music conection
Maybe I am wrong but if right who first Rankin or Nesbo?
I think Rankin
Bob

[Michael]

Patricia wrote: "I finished this book today, and gave it a 5-star rating, and I don't often give 5-stars. I almost gave up on this book, but am so glad I stayed with it. It just kept getting better and better, an..."

Glad you stuck with it. This one had me from the get go.

I guess I am on a Scandinavian bent right now. I've read several Mankell books before and after the Larssen series.

currently reading

The Hypnotist the author Lars Kepplar is a husband and wife team. Very good so far.

[Carol]

Robert wrote: "I am 100 pages ish into the book First time read this Jo Nesbo Has anyone else felt that Harry Hole character very much like Rebus from Ian Rankin books?
Lives alone drink issues and the popula..."

Hi Bob,
Check out Donna's post (#41 in this discussion). She gives a good description of the Scandinavian detective type. You are quite right!

[paul]

Anne wrote: "I have had the pleasure of hearing Jo Nesbo speak and he is very funny and entertaining. I really like the Snowman. I agree with others that it has alot of twists and turns. It was a hard one to..."

nesbo definitely is growing as a writer/plotter. try fossum, another fine scandinavian mystery spinner. karen is first name.

[Carol]

Murrowboy2 wrote: "Anne wrote: "I have had the pleasure of hearing Jo Nesbo speak and he is very funny and entertaining. I really like the Snowman. I agree with others that it has alot of twists and turns. It was ..."
Thanks! I've added him to my TBR list.

[[deleted user]]

Thank you Carol for leading the discussion this month. The thread will remain open so you can all continue or join at a later date.

[Meera]

I'm currently reading this right now and I have about a third left. I think I know who the killer is but maybe not. I've read The Devil's Star and I had liked that.

[Jan C]

I only got it this morning although I did read the kindle sample earlier. Can't wait to get back to it.

[Meera]

I finished Snowman and I ended up giving a lower rating than The Devil's Star. The killer was who I had thought but I felt that (view spoiler)[ there were too many twists and turns before we arrived to the killer. I also didn't like how it had gotten so personal for the killer. I guess I like the traditional police procedurals where the detective's personal life doesn't get involved with his job. But just like the last book I had read by him, in this also, people he loves were thretened. I felt annoyed by the fact that he used that again in this book. (hide spoiler)]