Hello everyone! This is going to be my first book for the Nordic Mystery Challenge!

The Snowman takes place in Oslo, Norway and is the fifth book in Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole series. This is my first Jo Nesbo novel so I haven’t read the previous books in the Harry Hole series, but I have to say it was pretty easy to jump into without having read the previous books. No gaping holes in the plots, you get the feeling that some of the relationships are further developed in previous novels, but enough information is given that you don’t feel lost.

Anyway, back to Oslo. We open up to a newly fallen snow in a chilly November day in 1980. A woman pulls up to a house and tells her son to wait in the car. The son asks questions but she dismisses him, as she is going in to have one last goodbye romp with the man she is having an affair. During their passionate moment, her lover gets startled, fearing he’d seen a face in the window, closer inspection reveals a snowman. The lovers part ways and the woman comes back to the car, where her son says that he saw him. Startled, fearing her son had seen her with her lover, she asks him who he saw. He says the snowman. Relieved she pulls away and starts down the street, when her son then leans forward and says “We’re going to die” (Jo Nesbo, The Snowman)

This is a synopsis of the opening chapter of The Snowman. And honestly when opening chapters end with sentences like that, how can you not be hooked?

This book satisfied every mystery novel need that I had. I haven’t read a book that satisfied my mystery craving this well in such a long time. Jo Nesbo managed to explore every idea of “who done it” I had in interesting ways. Harry Hole is the epitome of broken detective. Haunted by his past, recovering alcoholic, and brilliant mind. Lots of twists and turns, I think any fan of mystery/murder genre will love this book.

I will definitely be picking up more of Nesbo’s work, as I believe he may be well on his way to becoming my new favorite author.