Status
Available
Series
Genres
Publication
Vintage Crime/Black Lizard (2016), Edition: Reprint, 192 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:From the internationally acclaimed author of the Harry Hole novels�??a fast, tight, darkly lyrical stand-alone novel that has at its center the perfectly sympathetic antihero: an Oslo contract killer who draws us into an unexpected meditation on death and love. This is the story of Olav: an extremely talented �??fixer�?� for one of Oslo�??s most powerful crime bosses. But Olav is also an unusually complicated fixer. He has a capacity for love that is as far-reaching as is his gift for murder. He is our straightforward, calm-in-the-face-of-crisis narrator with a storyteller�??s hypnotic knack for fantasy. He has an �??innate talent for subordination�?� but running through his veins is a �??virus�?� born of the power over life and death. And while his latest job puts him at the pinnacle of his trade, it may be mutating into… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member SheTreadsSoftly
Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbo is a very highly recommended Nordic noir crime novel about a paid assassin.
It is 1977 and Christmas time in Oslo. Olav Johansen is a hit man, a fixer for the crime boss and drug kingpin Daniel Hoffmann. Olav, a sensitive, thoughtful man with dyslexia came into this
After finishing a fix, Olav is contacted by Hoffmann for another job. This time Hoffmann wants Olav to fix his new, young wife, Corina. This puts Olav into a dangerous position. He already knows too much about his boss's past and this new fix will likely result in Olav being the next target. If he refuses the job, he will also likely be the next target. Olav must figure out a plan to survive. In the meantime, while watching Corina, Olav begins to become smitten with her.
I was totally engrossed in Blood on Snow from beginning to end. I can see why movie rights have been purchased for this short novel. Olav isn't the usual tough talking assassin. He's sensitive, a reader, thoughtful, and impossibly soft-hearted man who has compassion, even while being very good at his job. Nesbo excels at character development and does a great job with Olav in a smaller number of pages than one usually finds in one of his books.
This is sure to draw new fans to Nesbo's Harry Hole novels. While fans of Harry Hole might miss him here, I thought this was a very engaging, compelling novel and I was completely immersed in the action and invested in the character of Olav.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday for review purposes.
It is 1977 and Christmas time in Oslo. Olav Johansen is a hit man, a fixer for the crime boss and drug kingpin Daniel Hoffmann. Olav, a sensitive, thoughtful man with dyslexia came into this
Show More
position because he was seemingly unsuited for any other position within the crime organization. Fixing people is the one thing he has been successful at accomplishing.After finishing a fix, Olav is contacted by Hoffmann for another job. This time Hoffmann wants Olav to fix his new, young wife, Corina. This puts Olav into a dangerous position. He already knows too much about his boss's past and this new fix will likely result in Olav being the next target. If he refuses the job, he will also likely be the next target. Olav must figure out a plan to survive. In the meantime, while watching Corina, Olav begins to become smitten with her.
I was totally engrossed in Blood on Snow from beginning to end. I can see why movie rights have been purchased for this short novel. Olav isn't the usual tough talking assassin. He's sensitive, a reader, thoughtful, and impossibly soft-hearted man who has compassion, even while being very good at his job. Nesbo excels at character development and does a great job with Olav in a smaller number of pages than one usually finds in one of his books.
This is sure to draw new fans to Nesbo's Harry Hole novels. While fans of Harry Hole might miss him here, I thought this was a very engaging, compelling novel and I was completely immersed in the action and invested in the character of Olav.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday for review purposes.
Show Less
LibraryThing member shazjhb
I really like his "Harry" books but it is a nice detour to something a bit different.
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
I have to say, the narrator of this story - the gruff contract killer Olav - really grew on me as the tale progressed. This is a quick, fast-paced (and relatively short) read. I definitely appreciated the author's use of language and character development, although I was a little disappointed (or
Show More
maybe just saddened) by the ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheCrow2
It's not really a new novel from Jo Nesbo more like a quick, light novelette between two 'real' books. It has the disincentive flavour of Nesbo but altogether is too short and quick.
LibraryThing member alexbolding
Wow! Another unmitigated beauty by the master of the thriller (see 'The Son' for another beauty by Nesbo). I tried 'The Bat', the first Harry Hole police detective thriller, but got stopped in my tracks already before I reached the 50 pages mark – boringgg.. stupid serial killer, chased by
Completely written in the first person with a hitman as main character. Olav is a clean, crystal clear, almost crispy thinking and acting personality – hired to kill, or be killed. In the opening scene he shoots one of the Fisherman’s men, with the blood dripping on the hard frozen snow displaying the colours of a King’s mantle. It ends with the protagonist himself frozen, his blood having formed a stark red-white pattern in the hard powdery snow.
In between, Olav kills his boss’s son (without knowing he was the son) instead of the cheating wife of his boss, as ordered by the latter. Next Olav elopes with her, while all the time declaring his love to a deaf-dumb girl working as cashier in the local supermarket (he follows her daily on her trip home in the underground). After his act, Olav knows it is either him or his boss, so he goes to the main competitor, the Fisherman, and offers him to kill his boss. While this is the main plot, Nesbo manages to have Olav relate his youth, how he got to kill his own alcoholic, violent father with a ski-stick; how he suffered for his mother who lived a totally altruistic life. Next the plot thickens, with Olav having thought of a sheer perfect way of getting rid of his boss (by getting himself and two helpers of the Fisherman into empty coffins in the crypt where the deceased son has been kept for burial and mourning). But they counted beyond the sister and her husband, their child, and the mother. In a dramatic scene, the boss gets shot, as does his main bodyguard. But also the son-in-law and his daughter. Next the treacherous henchman of the Fisherman gets killed by a Russian bodyguard outside, which leaves Olav and ‘the Dane’ to run away – and that’s when Olav gets shot. He is left for dead, which he is not. Olav manages to get back to his flat where the woman does not manage to hide her surprise. She binds his wounds, he falls asleep, and when he wakes up he sees her in the phone box outside. Then he knows, the smell of ammonia has given her away. It is the smell of the Fish shop. He asks how many more minuets he has. Twenty. He runs off, manages once more to take the Volvo, but the bleeding of his leg does not stop. In the end he crashes the car, in front of the shop of the deaf-dumb girl. In his delirium he is discovered by the girl, Maria, and she fixes him up by taking him in the car to a surgeon friend. But in reality, he is found the next morning, frozen, in front of the shop, leaving her a love letter.
Only 185 widely spaced pages, fast moving, with lovely twists, and yet this gem contains so much that is good about a thriller. Nesbo is good and let’s hope he learns to forget about boring police procedurals…
Show More
alcoholic lonely dectective, bla, bla. But this blood on snow is a real diamond! (MIND, SPOILERS BELOW!!)Completely written in the first person with a hitman as main character. Olav is a clean, crystal clear, almost crispy thinking and acting personality – hired to kill, or be killed. In the opening scene he shoots one of the Fisherman’s men, with the blood dripping on the hard frozen snow displaying the colours of a King’s mantle. It ends with the protagonist himself frozen, his blood having formed a stark red-white pattern in the hard powdery snow.
In between, Olav kills his boss’s son (without knowing he was the son) instead of the cheating wife of his boss, as ordered by the latter. Next Olav elopes with her, while all the time declaring his love to a deaf-dumb girl working as cashier in the local supermarket (he follows her daily on her trip home in the underground). After his act, Olav knows it is either him or his boss, so he goes to the main competitor, the Fisherman, and offers him to kill his boss. While this is the main plot, Nesbo manages to have Olav relate his youth, how he got to kill his own alcoholic, violent father with a ski-stick; how he suffered for his mother who lived a totally altruistic life. Next the plot thickens, with Olav having thought of a sheer perfect way of getting rid of his boss (by getting himself and two helpers of the Fisherman into empty coffins in the crypt where the deceased son has been kept for burial and mourning). But they counted beyond the sister and her husband, their child, and the mother. In a dramatic scene, the boss gets shot, as does his main bodyguard. But also the son-in-law and his daughter. Next the treacherous henchman of the Fisherman gets killed by a Russian bodyguard outside, which leaves Olav and ‘the Dane’ to run away – and that’s when Olav gets shot. He is left for dead, which he is not. Olav manages to get back to his flat where the woman does not manage to hide her surprise. She binds his wounds, he falls asleep, and when he wakes up he sees her in the phone box outside. Then he knows, the smell of ammonia has given her away. It is the smell of the Fish shop. He asks how many more minuets he has. Twenty. He runs off, manages once more to take the Volvo, but the bleeding of his leg does not stop. In the end he crashes the car, in front of the shop of the deaf-dumb girl. In his delirium he is discovered by the girl, Maria, and she fixes him up by taking him in the car to a surgeon friend. But in reality, he is found the next morning, frozen, in front of the shop, leaving her a love letter.
Only 185 widely spaced pages, fast moving, with lovely twists, and yet this gem contains so much that is good about a thriller. Nesbo is good and let’s hope he learns to forget about boring police procedurals…
Show Less
LibraryThing member bookczuk
A somewhat different sort of fiction from Jo Nesbø, which carries his usual complex characters and subtly sudden twists of plot. Olav Johansen, the central character, isn't very good at a lot of things: he makes a lousy get-away driver, he's not good as a bank robber or as a pimp. But he is good
Show More
at being a fixer: the guy who does the dirty jobs for the boss and kills on demand. Nothing personal, of course. Someone wants somebody else dead and Olav is the guy for the job. The book opens with Olav on an assignment, and moves on to his next job, which proves to be a bit sticky: to kill the boss's wife at the request of that same boss. Things get complex, in true Nesbø style, though because of the length of the story it doesn't evolve into Harry Hole detail. There's a great interpretation by Olav of Les Misérables, which probably would have surprised Hugo, and makes the reader wonder at the Olav's perceptions in general. But, it's a good read, though a quick one. I did notice this is referred to as "Blood on Snow #1" which makes me wonder of Nesbø is going to give us a series of stories from the viewpoint of the criminal now. Show Less
LibraryThing member mikedraper
Perhaps it's because I've been diagnosed with a serious health issue but I've found that I just don't want to spend time with a story or characters that I don't particularly care for.
Although I've enjoyed Jo Nesbo's writing in the past and shared good comments about his novel "The Son," with my
Olav is an extremely talented fixer for one of Oslo's most powerful crime bosses. He does his job until his boss, Daniel Hoffman, assignes Olav to kill his "Hoffman's) wife.
Olav shows empathy for the people he is asked to "fix." He tells the reader that there are certain assignments he just doesn't accept. He can't work with drugs or the people using them. He doesn't work with prostitutes and, unusually, he doesn't work with communists. I guess he gives his subjects a little political questionnaire before pulling his gun out???
When Olav sees Hoffman's wife, his feelings are moved and he rescues her from what would have been her fate. Then he must take steps to avoid his powerful boss and find a place to hide
I thought Olav was well described but not likable. The description of his childhood and his abusive father was one of the interesting sections of the story. I would have enjoyed more of the descriptions about Oslo so I could picture it more completely.
Another part of the story that bears discussion is that on one occasion, Olav listens to his heart instead of his brain and he kills the wrong person. This was a man who was abusing his wife. Olav probably went back to his early adulthood with his own father when Olav turned the gun on the abusive person instead of the woman being abused.
Where I do enjoy Jo Nesbo's writing and will look forward to the next Harry Hole novel, I expected more from this novel.
Although I've enjoyed Jo Nesbo's writing in the past and shared good comments about his novel "The Son," with my
Show More
book club, "Blood on Snow" left me cold. (Get it?)Olav is an extremely talented fixer for one of Oslo's most powerful crime bosses. He does his job until his boss, Daniel Hoffman, assignes Olav to kill his "Hoffman's) wife.
Olav shows empathy for the people he is asked to "fix." He tells the reader that there are certain assignments he just doesn't accept. He can't work with drugs or the people using them. He doesn't work with prostitutes and, unusually, he doesn't work with communists. I guess he gives his subjects a little political questionnaire before pulling his gun out???
When Olav sees Hoffman's wife, his feelings are moved and he rescues her from what would have been her fate. Then he must take steps to avoid his powerful boss and find a place to hide
I thought Olav was well described but not likable. The description of his childhood and his abusive father was one of the interesting sections of the story. I would have enjoyed more of the descriptions about Oslo so I could picture it more completely.
Another part of the story that bears discussion is that on one occasion, Olav listens to his heart instead of his brain and he kills the wrong person. This was a man who was abusing his wife. Olav probably went back to his early adulthood with his own father when Olav turned the gun on the abusive person instead of the woman being abused.
Where I do enjoy Jo Nesbo's writing and will look forward to the next Harry Hole novel, I expected more from this novel.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Romonko
This book is really short, but I couldn't help but think it is like taking a class on how to write a thriller as I read the novelette. The book was translated from Norwegian to English. It's all about Olav who is a fixer for the crime bosses in Oslo. The book has the tightest plot I've seen in a
Show More
thriller, and current, much more wordy thriller writers could learn a lesson from this little novelette. Nesbo says it all in so few words, but the words he uses describe perfectly the live of Olav. He is a very talented fixer (contract killer). But he also shows a huge capacity for love. He is the product of a very disfunctional home life. His course is set when he is still very young as he takes steps to deal with his abusive father. Show Less
LibraryThing member ebrahmstadt
This was my first time reading this author. The main character is a contract killer who apparently has empathy. While that notion is possible, this specific character presents as unrealistic rather than complex. Quick read and worthwhile for readers who like to delve into the minds of criminals.
LibraryThing member polarbear123
Still good stuff from new I but this is more like a snack than the main meal we normally get.
LibraryThing member smik
Olav tries to put what he does for a living on a professional footing: he refers to those who pay him as his clients, and those he kills as units. This is part of his own strategy to remain aloof and to depersonalise what he does.
When he is contracted to kill the client's wife, things begin to go
BLOOD ON SNOW is really a novella, a quick read, a short snippet of Olav's life, not a Harry Hole novel. Even so, we learn quite a bit about Olav, his background, and what he does.
I think the thing I liked best was the twist in the tail in the final pages.
When he is contracted to kill the client's wife, things begin to go
Show More
wrong, and Olav makes a decision which means his client will be gunning for him, literally. Olav tries to play Oslo underworld bosses off against each other. But not everyone is as loyal as he thinks they are.BLOOD ON SNOW is really a novella, a quick read, a short snippet of Olav's life, not a Harry Hole novel. Even so, we learn quite a bit about Olav, his background, and what he does.
I think the thing I liked best was the twist in the tail in the final pages.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Schatje
The narrator of this short novel is Olav Johansen, a contract killer, or “fixer.” His latest job is to fix his crime lord boss’s beautiful, unfaithful wife. From the beginning things go wrong.
This standalone is not one of Nesbø’s Harry Hole novels, and it is not of the quality of that
For me, the interest lay in determining if I was correct in my conclusions about Olav. It is certainly obvious from the beginning that Olav is not a reliable narrator. He portrays himself as a sensitive soul: “I’m way too soft, I fall in love far too easily” (13). Yet he admits to cold-blooded and sometimes brutal killings. He also likes to see himself as a simple person who doesn’t know much: “I’ve read a bit, but I don’t really know much” (13). This last bit he keeps repeating: “I don’t actually know a lot about . . . much” (5) and “But what did I know” (5) and “But what do I know” (6). Yet it turns out that not only has he read Norwegian literature, but he is familiar with a number of English authors and is currently reading Les Misérables. He also readily admits that he will change a story if he finds it unsatisfactory in some way; as a child, he told his mother, “I just want to make up stories” (150). All this suggests that his own narrative may be more invention than reality.
This is a quick read, ideal for a couple of hours on a rainy day or for a short flight. Though it is sufficiently entertaining, it will certainly not have the emotional impact of Nesbø’s other novels.
This standalone is not one of Nesbø’s Harry Hole novels, and it is not of the quality of that
Show More
series. It is much shorter and I found the plot very predictable. Some readers have said they were shocked by the last chapter, but there is so much foreshadowing that I did not find it a surprise. I did find the use of a different point of view at the end to be a form of cheating. For me, the interest lay in determining if I was correct in my conclusions about Olav. It is certainly obvious from the beginning that Olav is not a reliable narrator. He portrays himself as a sensitive soul: “I’m way too soft, I fall in love far too easily” (13). Yet he admits to cold-blooded and sometimes brutal killings. He also likes to see himself as a simple person who doesn’t know much: “I’ve read a bit, but I don’t really know much” (13). This last bit he keeps repeating: “I don’t actually know a lot about . . . much” (5) and “But what did I know” (5) and “But what do I know” (6). Yet it turns out that not only has he read Norwegian literature, but he is familiar with a number of English authors and is currently reading Les Misérables. He also readily admits that he will change a story if he finds it unsatisfactory in some way; as a child, he told his mother, “I just want to make up stories” (150). All this suggests that his own narrative may be more invention than reality.
This is a quick read, ideal for a couple of hours on a rainy day or for a short flight. Though it is sufficiently entertaining, it will certainly not have the emotional impact of Nesbø’s other novels.
Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
Blood On Snow: author Joe Nesbo, translator Neil Smith, reader Patti Smith
This brief story is about the anatomy of a murder and a murderer. Olav is a hired killer with a heart. He can be cruel and kind. How those two aspects of a personality dwell side by side within the same person is illuminated
Olav narrates the whole story as he explains how he essentially lives by the sword and will die by the sword. As he describes how he became who he is, the reader will go through a variety of emotions. First perhaps, Olav will not be very likeable, given his chosen profession, second though, the reader will feel some conflict as he shows a very caring, compassionate side, which is the antithesis to his indifferent, detached side.
As a child, he witnessed his father’s abusive treatment of his mother, a weak person who drank too much, perhaps to escape from the cruelty in her life. Olav was very attached to her. Growing up, he witnessed other ways that people were mistreated. He did not have a very fulfilling life, probably because of his chosen profession, but although he could take a life with impunity, he could not abide seeing women abused.
In his effort to find a lifestyle, albeit one involving crime, he has failed as a getaway driver and a pimp. He realized he was not good at robbery either. Simply put, murder was his game. He could take a life with cold abandon. “It was not personal”. It was business.
The story minutely examines his thought processes as he goes about his “business”, gets inside his head as he interacts with his employer and his victims, as he tries to carve out a life for himself with his limited abilities. He often identifies with those people whom he sees as victims as he considers himself one too.
The story takes place in Oslo, Norway. It is an intense psychological study of an introspective young man who also happens to be a killer in whom compassion and indifference occupy the same space without the accompanying conscience to guide his behavior. The underlying love story, involving two very different individuals who are both afflicted with some disability, is really very touching, in the end. The book opens with a bloody scene and closes with one as well. The characters are all flawed in some way and are not very likeable. The ending is a bit macabre, but as you spend some time with Olaf, you will discover another creative tale written by a wonderfully talented Scandinavian author.
It is read by someone with a very gravelly, monotone voice which at first turns off the listener, but eventually it grows on one, and it becomes the perfect vehicle for the tale.
This brief story is about the anatomy of a murder and a murderer. Olav is a hired killer with a heart. He can be cruel and kind. How those two aspects of a personality dwell side by side within the same person is illuminated
Show More
in his thoughts and actions. He is learning disabled and has difficulty reading; he has educated himself, somewhat, and enjoys books, although it is with some degree of difficulty. Olav narrates the whole story as he explains how he essentially lives by the sword and will die by the sword. As he describes how he became who he is, the reader will go through a variety of emotions. First perhaps, Olav will not be very likeable, given his chosen profession, second though, the reader will feel some conflict as he shows a very caring, compassionate side, which is the antithesis to his indifferent, detached side.
As a child, he witnessed his father’s abusive treatment of his mother, a weak person who drank too much, perhaps to escape from the cruelty in her life. Olav was very attached to her. Growing up, he witnessed other ways that people were mistreated. He did not have a very fulfilling life, probably because of his chosen profession, but although he could take a life with impunity, he could not abide seeing women abused.
In his effort to find a lifestyle, albeit one involving crime, he has failed as a getaway driver and a pimp. He realized he was not good at robbery either. Simply put, murder was his game. He could take a life with cold abandon. “It was not personal”. It was business.
The story minutely examines his thought processes as he goes about his “business”, gets inside his head as he interacts with his employer and his victims, as he tries to carve out a life for himself with his limited abilities. He often identifies with those people whom he sees as victims as he considers himself one too.
The story takes place in Oslo, Norway. It is an intense psychological study of an introspective young man who also happens to be a killer in whom compassion and indifference occupy the same space without the accompanying conscience to guide his behavior. The underlying love story, involving two very different individuals who are both afflicted with some disability, is really very touching, in the end. The book opens with a bloody scene and closes with one as well. The characters are all flawed in some way and are not very likeable. The ending is a bit macabre, but as you spend some time with Olaf, you will discover another creative tale written by a wonderfully talented Scandinavian author.
It is read by someone with a very gravelly, monotone voice which at first turns off the listener, but eventually it grows on one, and it becomes the perfect vehicle for the tale.
Show Less
LibraryThing member libraryclerk
First time to read this author and I really enjoyed it. The author has a series going that I may have to try.
LibraryThing member Twink
I've read and enjoyed every adult book Jo Nesbo has written. His Harry Hole novels are a favourite. But I've also enjoyed the stand alones - including his newest book - Blood on Snow.
1976 Oslo, Norway. Olav has worked for crime syndicate boss Daniel Hoffmann for a number of years. But, it took him
All seems to be going well, until Daniel Hoffmann gives Olav his latest assignment - Daniel wants his wife fixed. This time the job doesn't go quite as it should....
"When exactly do you reach the point where you know so much about your boss that he starts to get worried? And when you do you know he's beginning to wonder if he ought to fix the fixer?"
Now, after that cold blooded description, what you wouldn't expect is to feel sympathy for Olav - but I did. There's more to Olav than meets the eye. Nesbo has created a wonderful anti-hero - one I was actually rooting for.
All the elements of Nesbo's writing that I enjoy are packed into just over 200 pages. Short sharp dialogue, brutal situations and an intensity throughout it all - but always with an undertone and a conscience lurking beneath the violence. Astute readers will capture and appreciate the nods to Hugo's Les Misérables as Olav's tale unfolds.
Blood on Snow is easily devoured in a night's sitting and is a treat for those fans missing Harry. (me included!)
1976 Oslo, Norway. Olav has worked for crime syndicate boss Daniel Hoffmann for a number of years. But, it took him
Show More
a bit to find the right job within the organization. He turned out to be no good as a pimp, a getaway driver, a robber or a drug dealer. But....he found his niche as a fixer. Olav doesn't fix things - he to fixes people. Permanently.All seems to be going well, until Daniel Hoffmann gives Olav his latest assignment - Daniel wants his wife fixed. This time the job doesn't go quite as it should....
"When exactly do you reach the point where you know so much about your boss that he starts to get worried? And when you do you know he's beginning to wonder if he ought to fix the fixer?"
Now, after that cold blooded description, what you wouldn't expect is to feel sympathy for Olav - but I did. There's more to Olav than meets the eye. Nesbo has created a wonderful anti-hero - one I was actually rooting for.
All the elements of Nesbo's writing that I enjoy are packed into just over 200 pages. Short sharp dialogue, brutal situations and an intensity throughout it all - but always with an undertone and a conscience lurking beneath the violence. Astute readers will capture and appreciate the nods to Hugo's Les Misérables as Olav's tale unfolds.
Blood on Snow is easily devoured in a night's sitting and is a treat for those fans missing Harry. (me included!)
Show Less
LibraryThing member souleswanderer
Wonderfully poetic, dark and thoroughly satisfying.
LibraryThing member karieh
I’ve read all of Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole books and loved them. I loved reading about such a flawed character – one who seems nearly fixated on destroying himself even as he tries to save others.
With “Blood on Snow” – Nesbo has introduced another flawed character, Olav. He’s a fixer…in
This very short novel reads almost like a fairy tale. Olav put me in mind of the characters of Quasimodo or even the Frankenstein monster – beings so far removed from normal human life that they seem doomed to lose even as they yearn for love. The book is dreamlike and yet extremely violent. Is heartbreaking as it is coldly calculating. Nesbo toys with the reader’s emotions as much as he manipulates their impressions of events.
“Blood on Snow” did not engross me the way the Harry Hole books did – but it was a short reminder of what I love about them and about the characters that Jo Nesbo brings to life.
With “Blood on Snow” – Nesbo has introduced another flawed character, Olav. He’s a fixer…in
Show More
that he kills people for money in order to “fix” problems for his boss. Olav is almost a killer with a heart of gold – the reader almost can’t help but feel sorry for him and root for him even as he murders people without much emotional distress.This very short novel reads almost like a fairy tale. Olav put me in mind of the characters of Quasimodo or even the Frankenstein monster – beings so far removed from normal human life that they seem doomed to lose even as they yearn for love. The book is dreamlike and yet extremely violent. Is heartbreaking as it is coldly calculating. Nesbo toys with the reader’s emotions as much as he manipulates their impressions of events.
“Blood on Snow” did not engross me the way the Harry Hole books did – but it was a short reminder of what I love about them and about the characters that Jo Nesbo brings to life.
Show Less
LibraryThing member CheryleFisher
HAVING READ QUITE A FEW TRANSLATIONS FROM THIS AREA OF THE WORLD I WAS ANTICIPATING READING NESBO. BOY, WAS I DISAPPOINTED. I DID NOT LIKE THIS AUTHOR OR THIS BOOK. WILL NOT READ ANYTHING FURTHER FROM HIM.
LibraryThing member JBD1
Angsty hitman, chaos ensues, &c. A good, fast, dark read, but I don't think the plot will stick with me very long.
LibraryThing member burritapal
This is a very short book. It's very sad, but it has a very lyrical ending. Mostly it's about how crappy life is, and how love stinks.
LibraryThing member sriddell
Love some Nordic noir, and this is a pretty good example.
Olav is a "fixer" aka assassin for hire, working for a crime boss in Oslo. He's very cold-blooded, considers his victims to be "units" and has no remorse over taking lives. He's also got a soft spot for mistreated women which sometimes leads
The whole book seems to take place at night and underground, in the rain and snow, with an extended scene in a crypt that would have been funny if it wasn't so gruesome. Very, very dry sense of humor.
Olav is a "fixer" aka assassin for hire, working for a crime boss in Oslo. He's very cold-blooded, considers his victims to be "units" and has no remorse over taking lives. He's also got a soft spot for mistreated women which sometimes leads
Show More
him to take unexpected actions.The whole book seems to take place at night and underground, in the rain and snow, with an extended scene in a crypt that would have been funny if it wasn't so gruesome. Very, very dry sense of humor.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mstrust
The hitman for a crime boss is given an assignment that doesn't sit well with him. The boss wants his own wife killed, an order that the hitman finds so strange that he decides to observe his target for a while and find out why this woman is to die.
This is well-written and excellently translated, a
This is well-written and excellently translated, a
Show More
character driven story of a hitman who is smarter than he claims and more humane than he wants to be. Show Less
LibraryThing member bexaplex
Ambrose Bierce, written like a 70s crime drama. It's well-written, but somewhat unpleasant, although you certainly know what you're getting into within the first few pages (Blood on Snow... "the dry, windswept snow was settling around the shoes of the man I had just shot in the chest and neck."
I'm not terribly fond of grisly crime novels, but I am fond of the larger theme of the book: our conception of ourselves, our ego, versus reality.
Show More
[p.1])I'm not terribly fond of grisly crime novels, but I am fond of the larger theme of the book: our conception of ourselves, our ego, versus reality.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Brumby18
Quirky but fun.. nice characters, olaf the fixer, the wife, great twists.developed well. Very short story
LibraryThing member dh-writer
I found it hard reading for little payback. Most of the time I was asking myself where is this going?
Language
Original language
English