Blood on Snow

Through the darkest days of Harry Hole and his crime series written by Jo Nesbo, I’ve become a fan. In Blood on Snow, Harry Hole is not our protagonist. But Nesbo remains masterful in bringing us into the seedier side of life and crafting characters we empathize with. In this novel, Nesbo introduces us to Olav, who brings us into the web of crime, and Daniel Hoffmann, a criminal Olav has worked with for years. Olav is someone who fixes problems, and his solutions are often fatal. Olav is a sympathetic character, even as Nesbo has him plotting murders, because Olav sees—and feels—the aftermath of his actions. Hoffmann gives Olav what appears to be a straightforward job: Kill Hoffmann’s beautiful wife, Corina. But with Nesbo nothing is ever straightforward. Blood on Snow gets your heart racing from the first page. It is one of Nesbo’s shorter novels, but is heavy with meaning as Olav grapples with loyalty and love. Blood on Snow is as good as being on a case with Harry Hole.