This is my first Jo Nesbo book and now I just have to read the rest of the Harry Hole series. This book was recommended to me, and when I read that many people described Nesbo as the new Stieg Larson
I downloaded the book immediately. In my humble opinion Jo Nesbo's narrative and descriptive skills are of a superior standard to that of Larson and I say this as a huge Larson fan.
The Snowman is a riveting, fast paced book, with all the tension and gore you expect from a contemporary thriller based on the subject of a seriel killer. Nesbo weaves the story around his main character Harry Hole, a disfunctional, alcaholic Oslo detective who is obsessed with the idea that Norway has got it's first seriel killer. Harry Hole is a superbly drawn character, fantastically brought to life through the great narration of Sean Barrett.
Nesbo throws in more red herrings than you could find in a Norwegian fish market, and keeps you guessing right up to the "race against time", suspense filled conclusion to this wonderful novel.
If you can stand the graphic scenes and the high level of suspense, then I beg you to read this book.

Being an avid watcher of the Killing I thought I would extend my knowledge of Nordic crime. Excellent tale, well structured and the narrators voice makes it even more chilling.

Grumpy maverick policeman, woman + nerdy + chauvinistic sidekicks, all standard stuff, but gripping story, not for the fainthearted. Read it after the Dragon Tattoos also, so couldn't quite match up, but still recommended.

Come the first snow of a winter 'snowmen', or rather, snow-women appear. Harry Hole has to track down
their creator, - the Snowman. A well written story that commanded my full attention to the absolute and gripping end. As ever, Sean Barrett provides a great delivery of the characters especially the laconic troubled detective genius of Harry Hole. A fine indulgent pleasure, ideal for the quiet moments over the festive period, though there are some very dark moments, beloved by the Scandinavian writers. Do listen to the Harry Hole series in order. I was a little disappointed that the book in between the Redeemer and the Snowman, namely the Devil Star, hadn't been released. Though it has NOW!!!!!!!!! I wish Audible took more effort over flagging up the sequence order in series, and give some idea of the publication dates for books that would bridge gaps in series. Audible please take note.

Absolutely gripping.... had me eager for every moment. Superbly narrated and excellent story telling from a master of the detective genre

Very good listen kept me on the edge of my seat whilst driving - long distances were over way too quickly. Just bought the latest Jo Nesbo both great

Harry Hole is the classic brilliant detective with a troubled private life and is a fine creation. He is not at odds with his superiors all the time which is refreshing and, although tough and uncompromising in his work he is quite gentle in his private life.

This story has plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing along the way. It's fast-paced and keeps the pressure going throughout and is a compelling listen. It has to be said that it is quite graphic in parts with some strong language and violence. Sean Barrett is a masterly reader of this type of book.

I did find some difficulty in always knowing where we were in the story as the breaks you get on the page were not so obviously marked by pauses and the fact that the names are mostly unfamiliar to an English listener makes it hard to know sometimes which character is being discussed but it becomes clear after only a few seconds and didn't affect my enjoyment.

There are quite a few very chilling passages where the words and the reader ratchet up the tension brilliantly.

I don't personally think comparisons with Stieg Larson's books are helpful except in the sense that they are both Scandinavian. Larson has the investigation being done by an investigative journalist and a lone hacker. The Snowman is firmly in the police procedural camp.

I think I started listening without paying 100% attention, so got lost in some of the foreign sounding names. Added to which the narration isn't brilliant, in which I mean there are very little differences in tonal range for the different characters. He seems to have one 'male' voice and one 'female' voice. The writing however is superb and has some clever elements. Worth the download.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it highly. I thought Harry Hole was a great character (he did remind me of Harry Bosh - it doesn't matter) and though I found differenciating some of the similiar sounding (and unfamiliar Nordic) names a bit of a challenge - it was well worth persevering. Throughout, the story held the suspense, developed and deepened the characters and kept me guessing about who the snowman really was... and why. I found the reader's voice compelling - and now I can't wait to listen to the next Jo Nesbo book. Highly recommend it.

After reading the reviews of this book I thought I was in to something spectacular, not at all. I am struggling to finish the damn thing. Never again