I am a huge Jo Nesbo fan and have reviewed most of his novels on the blog. Being a fan of Jo Nesbo also means being a fan of his maverick, alcoholic detective, Harry Hole, who has nearly been killed more times than I’ve had hot dinners. I was sad when the Harry Hole series finally ended with Police, but at least Nesbo carried on writing!
Along with The Son, Blood on Snow is one of Nesbo’s post-Hole stand-alone crime novel. It tells the story of Olav, a ‘fixer’ (hit man) who meets the woman of his dreams. Except she’s his boss’s wife and he’s just been hired to kill her. Will he have to kill her? Will he escape with his own life? The life of a fixer has a lot of twists and turns as various people try to double-cross each other.
Blood on Snow features Nesbo’s trademark brilliant writing and some rather nasty deaths, but it’s very short! I don’t usually order books from Amazon, I buy them in actual shops (I know, how very 20th century of me), but the kids have had a spate of ordering things from Amazon and have needed something else added to their order to qualify for free postage. So I have selflessly ordered some books. When Blood on Snow arrived, I thought there had been a mistake.
Where was the rest of it? It was so thin! Jo Nesbo books are usually around 500 pages and I like books that are that length. I like a complex plot I can really get into, a book which stays at the back of my mind for days and a book which keeps me reading for at least two weeks. I didn’t get that with Blood on Snow.
This is a really good thriller and would be a great way in for people who aren’t used to the genre and might find a 500 page book daunting. But I couldn’t get over the fact it was so short – just 172 pages of well-spaced type. There wasn’t enough to the story for my liking and it felt like I wasn’t getting value for money. Yes, I could go to the library, but I like to read new books – the sort that have very long waiting lists. I can just about manage to wait until the come out in paperback, but couldn’t manage to wait for the library to get them in. So I can’t be starting a new book every four of five days, it just isn’t economical.
In short, Blood on Snow is just too short!
February 26, 2016
That’s a shame, one of the worst things about a book is when it feels like it’s been rushed and there’s not enough of it. Sounded quite promising too!
February 26, 2016
I think it was long enough for the story, but just not long enough in general! I like a book I can really get my teeth into, not one that’s over before it’s even begun!
April 11, 2016
I have never read any Jo Nesbo although I have a book of his waiting to be read on my Kindle. I find 172 pages quite short for an adult novel, it doesn’t seem like a lot of pages to build up the suspense!
#readwithme
April 12, 2016
I would definitely recommend you give that one a go! Because it was a more simple story than his others I guess it didn’t need the pages, but I would have preferred it not to be a simple story, if that makes sense!
April 11, 2016
That does sound short for one of his. I agree whilst there’s a place for shorter books – this one is so slim it could easily fit in a handbag, I prefer something a little longer.
April 12, 2016
I’ve got so used to reading 500 page books, that I did feel a bit short-changed by it, but it’s good to have a book that’s lighter to carry, I guess!
April 11, 2016
Oh I think I’d be disappointed by the length too, sounds more like a novella rather than a novel, the plot sounds good though! Thanks for sharing with #ReadWithMe
April 12, 2016
It is a good plot, but not quite complex enough for my liking!
April 11, 2016
I’m actually reading a very short book at the moment and enjoying it so I don’t think the length would put me off, it sounds fast passed which I’d like. #Readwithme,
April 12, 2016
That’s interesting. I’ve just got really used to reading massive books, so this was a surprise to me. I also feel like a short book isn’t very good value for money!
April 11, 2016
I have never read anything from this author but these are the books I like to read. Will take at look at some of the books, but maybe the longer ones #Readwithme
April 12, 2016
Jo Nesbo books really are brilliant! They’re definitely worth a try.
April 11, 2016
Isn’t it bizarre how important that sense of weight/size is and you just don’t get it unless you physically hold a book – I have previously dived into books on my kindle that have taken months to read because I simply didn’t realise they were so long! #readwithme
April 12, 2016
I’ve never read a book on a Kindle or anything similar, so I always know how long my books are! I do like a good 500 pages to really get my teeth into!
April 11, 2016
I haven’t read any of his books but my other half has a lot of them. Think I’d find that rather short too #readwithme
April 12, 2016
I would definitely recommend you borrow one of your other half’s books!
April 15, 2016
To be honest I love short books, I buy all my books on the kindle and if I can get through them fast then all the better! I’m adding this one to my list, it sounds like a great read. 🙂
#readwithme
April 16, 2016
It is a good read – just short! It’s interesting to hear that you like short books. Once I started reading long books, there was no going back for me!
April 17, 2016
Shame it wasn’t long enough for you but that actually appeals to me, sometimes I like a short story but still good x #readwithme