Just Chillin'

Personally, I found this one of the least enjoyable Jo Nesbo thrillers I've read - convoluted and at times even dull. It spends pages going round in circles, unlike Nesbo's other thrillers. So I'm mystified why this is the most revered of all his books. Without giving anything away, the plot is pretty cliched and has been done in books and on TV many times. But it has a snowman! And we all know what a snowman looks like! And it's fetishistic! And that's what the public respond to! Surely creepy snowmen have been done many times before (even by 2009, when the book was originally published), esp. on TV cartoons like The Simpsons. Why this is Nesbo's most famous book, I'll never know, as the other’s – The Devil’s Star and The Redeemer, for instance – are better, in my opinion. His previous books are complex without being so convoluted and the second act is so tedious you want to give up. But the third act is worth the wait, as all the parts start to fell into place after a few well-placed red herrings. And the denouement is one of the best I've ever read in the thriller genre. So, if you're a Harry Hole fan, read it, you won’t be disappointed. But if you're a non-fan looking for a fast-paced thrill-ride, this may not be for you.