As a new project for iamjanesheart.com, I have decided to write (at least a short blurb) about every book I read in 2013. I tend to keep my posts to books sent to me for review or for books that I have a passionate response to; generally, I leave out mediocre books, re-reads and simply bad books (if you can't say something nice, yadda yadda yadda).
Anywho, The Snowman is not the type of book that I would normally review. Its fine. Really. It's a decent crime novel, which gets extra points for being a Scandinavian novel.
This was my introduction to Inspector Harry Hole - I believe this is the seventh novel in his story arc - Harry is a recovering alchololic who recently lost his partner(s) (both his professional partner and his romantic partner). He is fixated on serial killers, to the extent that no one seems to believe him when he says that the recent disappearances and murders of women throughout Oslo are linked and committed by a serial murderer. We follow some crazy leads and various assumptions until we find the true offender.
Nesbo threw me off the scent of the killer about half-way through the novel. Some of the foreshadowing was misleading, I knew that we were being told something for a resone but the reason did not show itself until the last quarter of the book in a rapid vomit of motives.
This reminds me a lot of the Dexter novels, strike that, it totally reminds me of Law and Order more. I know the story isn't great, I have a general idea of how it will end, but its an easy, entertaining read.
So if your mind needs to take a break, I suggest The Snowman by Jo Nesbo.
