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The Snowman  By  cover art

The Snowman

By: Jo Nesbø, Don Bartlett
Narrated by: Robin Sachs
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Publisher's summary

Internationally acclaimed crime writer Jo Nesbø’s antihero police investigator, Harry Hole, is back: in a bone-chilling thriller that will take Hole to the brink of insanity.

Oslo in November. The first snow of the season has fallen. A boy named Jonas wakes in the night to find his mother gone. Out his window, in the cold moonlight, he sees the snowman that inexplicably appeared in the yard earlier in the day. Around its neck is his mother’s pink scarf.

Hole suspects a link between a menacing letter he’s received and the disappearance of Jonas’s mother - and of perhaps a dozen other women, all of whom went missing on the day of a first snowfall. As his investigation deepens, something else emerges: he is becoming a pawn in an increasingly terrifying game whose rules are devised - and constantly revised - by the killer.

Fiercely suspenseful, its characters brilliantly realized, its atmosphere permeated with evil, The Snowman is the electrifying work of one of the best crime writers of our time.

©2011 Jo Nesbo (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Jo Nesbø is my new favorite thriller writer and Harry Hole my new hero.” (Michael Connelly)

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What listeners say about The Snowman

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    4 out of 5 stars

1 step short of perfect

The narrator's performance was fantastic, casing of the overall story kept you in tree, and the setting made the suspense feel surreal. The only weakness of the story is the end, falling into traditional tropes, and a predictable outcome. This story pulls it's knockout punch

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A damn good find!!

Suspensefully thrilling! Great ending, couldn't put it down... the twist and turns grasped my interest and I was completely engulfed...

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  • Overall
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Listen to it!

Great book. Can't wait for the movie to come out. Listen and enjoy this series.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Well worth the listen

I hadn't read or listened to anything by Jo Nesbo prior to this book and was hesitant as his book summaries all appear very dark. Despite those impressions, I decided to go for it and wasn't disappointed. The story is definitely heavy and the protagonist can be difficult to root for in the beginning. Additionally, I felt the villain was easily identifiable within the first quarter of the book. Despite these things, this book definitely held my attention and I intend to read/listen to other books in the series. For anyone who likes a good thriller, this is a great listen.

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Wow! Excellent story!

This is my first Jo Nesbo book and I was just blown away at how great it was! I will be listening to The Leopard next and am convinced the story and narration will be just as great as The Snowman. Listen to this audiobook. You'll be glad you did!

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    4 out of 5 stars

The Snowman .. Great procedural book.

Where does The Snowman rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book was very good. A wonderful murder mystery. I would rank it in my top 20.

What other book might you compare The Snowman to and why?

The Clockmaker , because it's a great , complicated investigation. An intellgent murder mystery.

What does Robin Sachs bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Robin Sachs makes the story much more exciting. I did read the book, and found to have too any characters. Robin Sach's set the mood of the book, and it made for a cohesive listen/read.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't. The book was sad, but didnt make me cry, because you knew very little about the victims.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book, especially if you intend to listen to other Harry Hole / Jo Nesbo books. Many of the following books refer to The Snowman case.

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Great all around

Great story and great story telling from the narrator. It was my first Audible experience and I'll definitely come back for more

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Love it!

Great story and great narration! I was gasping at parts that I didn't see coming and I'm usually pretty good at figuring these out before too long in!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Snowman

The book was good. The characters are well written. The moves a little slow, but as the book goes on the pace picks up. The characters are well developed and interesting.The end was surprising.

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Fabulous! !

I painted my whole kitchen listening to this book and remember only the gripping story. Great audio and just one of the best Nesbo books ever!

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