Reviews

some very clever twists and turns and false starts as to who the snowman is... This time read by Robin Sachs who reads well BUT he doesn't pronounce Hole correctly which after the 6 previous books with John Lee was a bit annoying.

yerggggggg's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

erickibler4's review against another edition

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4.0

Well constructed. That's the key thing to say about this Norwegian thriller. Before you find out who the killer is, there are numerous plausible alternative suppositions and reversals. Every bit of information pays off like the Chekhovian revolver, which, once introduced in Act I, must be fired by Act III.

Harry Hole is one of those master sleuths that's actually smarter than the constant reader of mystery fiction. When he reaches an insight, the perceptive reader hasn't necessarily gotten there before him, although in hindsight his conclusion is completely logical.

This is my first book by Nesbo, but it's obvious that there's an overall continuity from one book to the next; that things are paying off that were set up in previous books; and that things set up in this book will play out in subsequent books. Nevertheless, this book stands on its own to be enjoyed on its own merits.

I will definitely return to this series. Too bad the first two haven't been translated into English yet.

parasitech's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

sylvermoon's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Overall my least favourite Scandinavian crime thriller I’ve read, so I’m struggling to see how this author and series are so popular and critically acclaimed.

angesquires's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

audreytcohen's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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