Paul

I almost quit Nesbo after I listened to The Devil's Star and The Redbreast. But in The Snowman, Nesbo rolled up the characters and placed the delicately intriguing plot lines one on top of the other. Nesbo then chose pebbles of shocking crime scenes and a serial killer with patience and intelligence to form a mouth and eyes. Then comes the carrot...

The suspense built steadily, even through the times where the characters thought the killer was identified. I was never able to relax, nor did I want to.

The driven and tormented Katrina Brat.

The stalking and murder of the woman who cut off the chicken heads. I cannot remember her name. The description of the forest and the stream, the taste of the cold water, made me turn up the heater. I made the last, desperate throw of the ax with her.

The characters are broken and haunted. Even the children are wounded. The hero's struggle through their wounds, the villains wear their wounds like a crown.

Hurwitz was new to me. I chose the book based on listener reviews. Because I was unfamiliar with his style, every corner I turned held a new surprise. Great picture of the quagmire of life...one moment you are high and dry on shore, the next you are up to your neck in the muck and sinking fast. Very entertaining.

I can always depend on Scott Brick to punch up a story with his "in your face" tone. He can capture the anger, fear and relief in the characters better than if I just read the book.

Well done! Really enjoyed the way the book was written from the lawyer's perspective, with a good dose of Bosch to keep the reader off balance.