One night, after the first snowfall of the year, a boy named Jonas wakes up and discovers that his mother has disappeared. Only one trace of her remains: a pink scarf, his Christmas gift to her, now worn by the snowman that inexplicably appeared in their yard earlier that day. Inspector Harry Hole suspects a link between the missing woman and a suspicious letter he’s received. The case deepens when a pattern emerges: over the past decade, eleven women have vanished—all on the day of the first snow. But this is a killer who makes his own rules . . . and he’ll break his pattern just to keep the game interesting, as he draws Harry ever closer into his twisted web. With brilliantly realized characters and hair-raising suspense, international bestselling author Jo Nesbø presents his most chilling case yet—one that will test Harry Hole to the very limits of his sanity.
The Snowman: A Harry Hole Novel
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Book Description
Best Value
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best Books of the Month, May 2011: The Snowman, Norwegian author Jo Nesbø's thriller, should please even the most die-hard Stieg Larsson fans. On the first day of snow, a child wakes up to find his mother has disappeared during the night. Outside, a snowman has appeared out of nowhere, the calling card of one of the most terrifying serial killers in recent fiction. A letter from the perpetrator draws Detective Hole further and further into the case, and together with his new partner, Katrine Bratt, he hunts the Snowman through twists and turns that become increasingly personal and may drive Hole to the brink of insanity. Brilliantly crafted, this credible and dark page-turner fully fleshes out the characters, especially Hole, a hardened detective with sharp instincts and real heart. What is the link between the victims? Is the Snowman a suspicious doctor, a notorious playboy, or one of Hole's peers on the force? The police keep thinking they've caught the criminal, but Hole's astute observations may steer him around the red herrings and right into the hands of the cold-as-ice killer. --Miriam Landis
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
“Jo Nesbø is my new favorite thriller writer and Harry Hole my new hero.” —Michael Connelly
“Fiendishly complex and terrifically entertaining.” —The New York Times Book Review
“If you don’t know Nesbø, it’s time to get with it.” —USA Today
“Nesbø explores the darkest criminal minds with grim delight and puts his killers where you least expect to find them. . . . His novels are maddeningly addictive.” —Vanity Fair
“A superb thriller—smart, stylish, beautifully paced and meticulously plotted.” —Newsday
“The Snowman is strung together with great care, playful in certain stretches, grisly in others, all of it highly readable.”—Newsweek
“The writer most likely to take the ice-cold crown in the critically acclaimed—and now bestselling—category of Nordic noir.” —Los Angeles Times
“Nesbø's books have a serious, socially significant heft, as well as a confident (even cocky) narrative stride that is unmatched. These aren’t mere investigatory trifles to be enjoyed and forgotten; their unnerving horrors linger.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Nesbø’s pace is unerring, and the way he builds up suspense will incite Pavlovian page-turning.” —Time Out New York
“This is reading as you experienced it in childhood, without any gap between eye and mind, but with the added pleasures that adult plots and adult characters can bring. . . . Unputdownable. The Snowman is probably the most terrifying and certainly the most addictive book in the whole series.” —Slate
“This is crime writing of the highest order, in which the characters are as strong as the story, where an atmosphere of evil permeates, and the tension begins in the first chapter and never lets up.” —The Times (London)
“Spine-chilling. . . . This most ambitious of Nesbø’s crime novels banishes any fears that the omniscient serial killer scenario has been exhausted.” —The Independent (London)
“Macabre and disturbing. . . . Deft plotting, strong characterization, adrenaline-fuelled action sequences and a whole raft of social issues raised along the way make this book a spectacularly good example of how a tried and tested (and often tired) formula can be made exhilarating and fresh.” —The Guardian (London)
“Hole is all a fictional detective should be.” —Times Literary Supplement
“If you’re still grieving the loss of Stieg Larsson, it’s time to move on. Nesbø’s waiting for you.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“Fiendishly complex and terrifically entertaining.” —The New York Times Book Review
“If you don’t know Nesbø, it’s time to get with it.” —USA Today
“Nesbø explores the darkest criminal minds with grim delight and puts his killers where you least expect to find them. . . . His novels are maddeningly addictive.” —Vanity Fair
“A superb thriller—smart, stylish, beautifully paced and meticulously plotted.” —Newsday
“The Snowman is strung together with great care, playful in certain stretches, grisly in others, all of it highly readable.”—Newsweek
“The writer most likely to take the ice-cold crown in the critically acclaimed—and now bestselling—category of Nordic noir.” —Los Angeles Times
“Nesbø's books have a serious, socially significant heft, as well as a confident (even cocky) narrative stride that is unmatched. These aren’t mere investigatory trifles to be enjoyed and forgotten; their unnerving horrors linger.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Nesbø’s pace is unerring, and the way he builds up suspense will incite Pavlovian page-turning.” —Time Out New York
“This is reading as you experienced it in childhood, without any gap between eye and mind, but with the added pleasures that adult plots and adult characters can bring. . . . Unputdownable. The Snowman is probably the most terrifying and certainly the most addictive book in the whole series.” —Slate
“This is crime writing of the highest order, in which the characters are as strong as the story, where an atmosphere of evil permeates, and the tension begins in the first chapter and never lets up.” —The Times (London)
“Spine-chilling. . . . This most ambitious of Nesbø’s crime novels banishes any fears that the omniscient serial killer scenario has been exhausted.” —The Independent (London)
“Macabre and disturbing. . . . Deft plotting, strong characterization, adrenaline-fuelled action sequences and a whole raft of social issues raised along the way make this book a spectacularly good example of how a tried and tested (and often tired) formula can be made exhilarating and fresh.” —The Guardian (London)
“Hole is all a fictional detective should be.” —Times Literary Supplement
“If you’re still grieving the loss of Stieg Larsson, it’s time to move on. Nesbø’s waiting for you.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Product Details
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More About the Author
Jo NesbØ is a musician, songwriter, economist, and author. He is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including the Glass Key, the Riverton Prize, and the Booksellers Prize, and one of his Harry Hole novels was voted best Norwegian crime novel of all time by Norwegian readers. He lives in Oslo.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
325 of 345 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
We're all crazy. We're restless spirits that cannot find their way home.
March 6, 2010
Format:Hardcover
Extra Information: The first two books for this Harry Hole series The Bat Man and The Cockroaches have not been produced for translation at this time. The Redbreast: A Novel would be the third book in this series; if you were to start this series my recommendation would be from The Redbreast. The series then follows through in order with Nemesis: A Novel (Harry Hole), The Devil's Star: A Novel, The Redeemer followed by The Snowman which then brings us readers in wait for The Leopard.
Review - The Snowman (Harry Hole, Book Seven)
Little snowflakes start to fall taunting us with what's to come. Flurries grow stronger settling softly on the ground, powdery and fluffy at first but darkness soon takes hold, the cycle turns. Subfreezing temperatures, crystals formulate and yet dipped in magical moonlight everything sparkles and glisten. This brings a gentle calm of all things white and beautiful..............until someone builds a Snowman!
November Oslo, Jo Nesbř brings us into his story during family hour. The first snow has fallen and a discussion is taking place about a solitary figure looming in the garden. A snowman with big black stone eyes staring into the house and yet no one seems to know who built it. That same evening a young boy wakes to find his mother missing, he looks for her but all he finds is her pink scarf which the snowman is now wearing.
Harry Hole is brought in to investigate, what is thought to be a missing person to others, Harry has doubts, convinced there is a connection after receiving an anonymous letter some months earlier signed "The Snowman". His team look into old case files they find an alarming number of wives and mothers disappearances. A second mother then goes missing this time the snowman leaves his signature and handiwork, Harry's horror is confirmed but to catch a killer his to become a pawn in a deadly game for the serial killer will only play against the best.
Love this Authors work, for me in all his books its what this author is not afraid to write about, social issues of life and the way he brings in nature, wildlife to identify, relate too, which keeps these books intelligent and interesting. The cycle of life with all its shaded areas, loyalties or disloyalties, weaknesses, infidelities, parenthood, control, goodness fighting fear/evil from within. I'm not so sure in looking back to the first two books after working my way forwards from the third book and all in translation in this wonderful series this Author proves to stay one step ahead he goes from strength to strength.
Jo Nesbř novels are very descriptive he pays attention to detail with brain teasing puzzles even for us long term readers still he pulls snow hats over our eyes. This novel is darker than the others, close contender the devil's star but darker for me is marvelous and skin crawling with suspense. The Snowman also has references to the first book written The Bat Man which is not in English translation, a story line based in Australia, any references made to that first book are explained throughout.
The Authors observation of people is once again uncanny all are well drawn. Harry Hole is a compelling character to read, still fighting the bottle urges and his love life is complicated. A new character emerges Katrine Bratt who joins Harrys team, you warm to her quickly as she takes the no nonsense approach with life and Harry which is really what he needs.
For any first time readers starting any Jo Nesbř books, go in with suspicion, gather your list of characters remember trust no one and suspect the rest. The author has a remarkable way of twisting and turning plots, throwing in enough red herrings, smoked and salted with changing subjects and diverted argument. Yet he keeps the story line and smaller stories, exciting, entertaining with added dry humor, tying up loose threads and even though he gives enough information pulls off a fast paced unexpected ending. You have to feel convinced and this author for me delivers each and every time.
The Leopard is next in translation and has already won the Danish award Palle Rosenkrantz Prize, congratulation to the Author. Even though its not listed on amazon yet, its already on my wish list in the hope I can have this in the not to distance future.
Fantastic, loved it , The Snowman comes Highly Recommended. Also adding here a thank you to Don Bartlett for the clear translation in the series.
Andrea Bowhill
Review - The Snowman (Harry Hole, Book Seven)
Little snowflakes start to fall taunting us with what's to come. Flurries grow stronger settling softly on the ground, powdery and fluffy at first but darkness soon takes hold, the cycle turns. Subfreezing temperatures, crystals formulate and yet dipped in magical moonlight everything sparkles and glisten. This brings a gentle calm of all things white and beautiful..............until someone builds a Snowman!
November Oslo, Jo Nesbř brings us into his story during family hour. The first snow has fallen and a discussion is taking place about a solitary figure looming in the garden. A snowman with big black stone eyes staring into the house and yet no one seems to know who built it. That same evening a young boy wakes to find his mother missing, he looks for her but all he finds is her pink scarf which the snowman is now wearing.
Harry Hole is brought in to investigate, what is thought to be a missing person to others, Harry has doubts, convinced there is a connection after receiving an anonymous letter some months earlier signed "The Snowman". His team look into old case files they find an alarming number of wives and mothers disappearances. A second mother then goes missing this time the snowman leaves his signature and handiwork, Harry's horror is confirmed but to catch a killer his to become a pawn in a deadly game for the serial killer will only play against the best.
Love this Authors work, for me in all his books its what this author is not afraid to write about, social issues of life and the way he brings in nature, wildlife to identify, relate too, which keeps these books intelligent and interesting. The cycle of life with all its shaded areas, loyalties or disloyalties, weaknesses, infidelities, parenthood, control, goodness fighting fear/evil from within. I'm not so sure in looking back to the first two books after working my way forwards from the third book and all in translation in this wonderful series this Author proves to stay one step ahead he goes from strength to strength.
Jo Nesbř novels are very descriptive he pays attention to detail with brain teasing puzzles even for us long term readers still he pulls snow hats over our eyes. This novel is darker than the others, close contender the devil's star but darker for me is marvelous and skin crawling with suspense. The Snowman also has references to the first book written The Bat Man which is not in English translation, a story line based in Australia, any references made to that first book are explained throughout.
The Authors observation of people is once again uncanny all are well drawn. Harry Hole is a compelling character to read, still fighting the bottle urges and his love life is complicated. A new character emerges Katrine Bratt who joins Harrys team, you warm to her quickly as she takes the no nonsense approach with life and Harry which is really what he needs.
For any first time readers starting any Jo Nesbř books, go in with suspicion, gather your list of characters remember trust no one and suspect the rest. The author has a remarkable way of twisting and turning plots, throwing in enough red herrings, smoked and salted with changing subjects and diverted argument. Yet he keeps the story line and smaller stories, exciting, entertaining with added dry humor, tying up loose threads and even though he gives enough information pulls off a fast paced unexpected ending. You have to feel convinced and this author for me delivers each and every time.
The Leopard is next in translation and has already won the Danish award Palle Rosenkrantz Prize, congratulation to the Author. Even though its not listed on amazon yet, its already on my wish list in the hope I can have this in the not to distance future.
Fantastic, loved it , The Snowman comes Highly Recommended. Also adding here a thank you to Don Bartlett for the clear translation in the series.
Andrea Bowhill
113 of 120 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Jo Nesbř: THE SNOWMAN
This is Nesbř's seventh Harry Hole novel, but the fifth to be published in English. While this is a serial killer novel, which I normally don't care for, I did enjoy this book. Nesbř is a fluid, lyrical writer, Don Bartlett a talented translator, and Harry Hole a compelling character.
It's the first snowfall of the season and a snowman appears outside young Jonas's house. Strangely, the snowman is facing the house, rather than the street. In the middle of the night, Jonas awakes and finds his mother is missing, but her scarf is now around the snowman's neck.
As Harry's team works this missing-persons case, Harry fears that they are actually dealing with a serial killer who has left a note for Harry, taunting him. His fear heightens as other crimes are discovered that seem to him to be related.
As in previous books in this series, there are certain themes that connect the crimes being investigated and Harry's life. The complexity of the various plots means that the book begins slowly and deliberately to get the stories in motion. Then, about halfway through, things take off and become breathtakingly tense and exciting.
Several times you may think you have the whodunnit figured out, but there are more twists and turns to come. You learn new clues along with Harry, so there is no feel of trickery in the plot's movement. This is typical of a Harry Hole mystery, though in this case, probably because of the nature of the crime, the red-herring suspects were less believable than usual.
Harry's relationships with his team, his superiors and his former lover Rakel and her son Oleg continue to be an important part of the books. And as always, Oslo itself is almost another character.
Harry's self-loathing and titanic struggles with drink continue in THE SNOWMAN. His addiction to his job helps combat his addiction to alcohol, but in moments of despair he falls into the pit again. Another character tells Harry that all of the best stories are about losers. Readers of the Harry Hole series should agree.
Ideally, the Harry Hole series should be read in order, though that is not absolutely critical with THE SNOWMAN or its predecessor, THE REDEEMER. It would be unfortunate, however, to read THE REDBREAST, NEMESIS and THE DEVIL'S STAR out of that order, because they function as a trilogy in one important thread of the story.
This is Nesbř's seventh Harry Hole novel, but the fifth to be published in English. While this is a serial killer novel, which I normally don't care for, I did enjoy this book. Nesbř is a fluid, lyrical writer, Don Bartlett a talented translator, and Harry Hole a compelling character.
It's the first snowfall of the season and a snowman appears outside young Jonas's house. Strangely, the snowman is facing the house, rather than the street. In the middle of the night, Jonas awakes and finds his mother is missing, but her scarf is now around the snowman's neck.
As Harry's team works this missing-persons case, Harry fears that they are actually dealing with a serial killer who has left a note for Harry, taunting him. His fear heightens as other crimes are discovered that seem to him to be related.
As in previous books in this series, there are certain themes that connect the crimes being investigated and Harry's life. The complexity of the various plots means that the book begins slowly and deliberately to get the stories in motion. Then, about halfway through, things take off and become breathtakingly tense and exciting.
Several times you may think you have the whodunnit figured out, but there are more twists and turns to come. You learn new clues along with Harry, so there is no feel of trickery in the plot's movement. This is typical of a Harry Hole mystery, though in this case, probably because of the nature of the crime, the red-herring suspects were less believable than usual.
Harry's relationships with his team, his superiors and his former lover Rakel and her son Oleg continue to be an important part of the books. And as always, Oslo itself is almost another character.
Harry's self-loathing and titanic struggles with drink continue in THE SNOWMAN. His addiction to his job helps combat his addiction to alcohol, but in moments of despair he falls into the pit again. Another character tells Harry that all of the best stories are about losers. Readers of the Harry Hole series should agree.
Ideally, the Harry Hole series should be read in order, though that is not absolutely critical with THE SNOWMAN or its predecessor, THE REDEEMER. It would be unfortunate, however, to read THE REDBREAST, NEMESIS and THE DEVIL'S STAR out of that order, because they function as a trilogy in one important thread of the story.
63 of 70 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Nothing like curling up with a good serial killer. But that is exactly what you should do. Go on, get good and comfy, turn off the phone, gather up your favorite munchies and prepare for a pounding long session with Jo Nesbo's Harry Hold and his neighborhood of friends and thugs. The fifth (English publication) in a series from master Norwegian yarn spinner, Nesbo maintains Detective Hole's premier position as the best of the hard driven cops in print. Not your typical boiler plate fare, this series stays taut and original from opening to close. Nesbo's books are extremely atmospheric with the Norwegian weather becoming a tactile character on its own. Likable or not depending on their personal take on life, the human characters are distinctive thinking forms of flesh and blood. Colors are every shade of gray in your imagination. There's just something about the way Nesbo weaves his tale and creates Hold's world that make his books unforgettable and not-put-downable.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intriguing characters
As a fan of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, I was looking for another author from the north who could create different and interesting characters and situations - the book... Read more
Published 1 day ago by ktp
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I Don't Usually Dally in Mystery, But This Scandinavian Thriller Did...
I decided to choose a book I normally wouldn't consider and found myself in the mystery section. Beyond the handful of Agatha Christie novels I read my freshman year of high... Read more
Published 2 days ago by Jillian Igarashi
5.0 out of 5 stars
very smart writing
I love the main character, Harry Hole. Is is truly a tortured soul, yet he always gets his man. At what price....
Published 5 days ago by Lynn Wright
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Story
I started with Redbreast and I'm still reading this series. Harry is a likable character and the stories are good, as is the writing. Keep them coming...
Published 9 days ago by Simnsays
3.0 out of 5 stars
Just good enough to make me want to read more Harry Hole
(3 & 1/2 stars)
This was my first venture into Jo Nesbo's series of Hole detective novels, and it won't be my last. Read more
This was my first venture into Jo Nesbo's series of Hole detective novels, and it won't be my last. Read more
Published 9 days ago by William Merrill
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting
Enjoyed this one but had trouble fitting is all the characters at the beginning.Thought the ending left you a bit up in the air.
Published 11 days ago by Cynthia Wong
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good
This book was decent and I enjoyed it. It did have several twists that kept you wondering what would happen next.
Published 11 days ago by ALB
1.0 out of 5 stars
couldn't get past the second page
I love good mysteries but call me old school. I miss Authors who can write about sex without it being so in your face that I didn't go beyond the second page. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Maria Peters
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good summer read
I am an aficionado of good mysteries & this is a good one! I am deeply into it (about half way through) & the characters and plot do not disappoint. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Rana M. Vitha
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Snowman
I had heard that this story was slow and hard to get going - but I enjoyed iit from start to finish!
Published 17 days ago by Danielle Nabozny
