Jo Nesbo - The Snowman

Review by showhost sept 2010.
I bought this book (great deal in a supermarket!) as it claimed to be 'the next Stieg Larsson'. Why the claim? Dunno! Larsson was Swedish, Nesbo is Norwegian, but they are both Scandinavian, male and thriller writers. However one thing Nesbo lacks is a great lead character which rivals Lisbet Salander. Also, I definately rate Larsson above Nesbo.
As with Larsson, you have to not let the foreign names of people and places put you off reading it. It may be helpful to jot down the christian name or surname of a character next to what they do or are just to remind you where they are in relation to the plot..
Harry Hole is the main character in the story.
Alcoholic, Inspector Hole of the Oslo Police Crime Squad, with the usual disastrous romantic relationships.
Harry has studied 'serial killers' in the USA, much to the amusement of his colleagues as they have never had a serial killer in Norway. When Harry starts to find a connection with new and old murders his colleagues think he is trying to make a serial killer out of a coincidence.
The coincidences become too much to ignore, women who have had a child fathered by another man, a fact which generally is unknown to the man calling himself the father, children who have a medical condition and who, prior to the murder of the mother, had a doctors appointment and the crowning glory a Snowman. The killer builds a snowman outside the house of his next victim before the kill - it's his calling card. This serial killer is nicknamed the Snowman and it wants Harry to catch him if he can........
There is a hint of who the killer is halfway through the book, but even at the end when you know who it is you are still glued to the story. Although, it got a little confusing at times as it switched from one time to another.
It's a clever whodunnit, a gripping thriller with more twists than a corkscrew. It grabs hold of you and slowly drags you in.
No, he is not the next Larsson but I will definitely read another of his.