Blood on Snow

Author/Guide: Jo Nesbo

Why a Booktrail?

Early 2000s: A departure from the norm for Nesbo with Olav, a man tasked with killing a woman he then develops feelings for.

ISBN: 978-1846558603
Translator: Neil Smith
Genre: Crime, Thriller

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What you need to know before your trail

Olav Johansen is a rather solitary person working as a ‘fixer’ – someone who gets rid of people his boss wants ‘taken care of’

His boss is the major player in Oslo’s prostitution and heroin ‘industries’ and wants Olav to kill his wife. As Olav prepares to research his victim, he gets to know her and finds himself falling for her. Now he wants to protect her rather than anything else – and he knows exactly the danger she is in.

Olav is not your usual fixer. He’s rather sensitive with a dry sense of humour and believes his only talent is killing.

Locations

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Travel Guide

Oslo

There is snow on the ground in Oslo. There is blood on that snow.

“The snow was dancing like cotton wool in the light of the street lamps.”

Not your usual behaviour of snow in a Jo Nesbo novel. It falls aimlessly to the ground, letting the wind blow it any which way, with the darkness of the Oslo fjord acting as the perfect black backdrop – white against black, a contrast which will acquire a shade of red – blood – later in the book.

“Blood on snow reminds him of a King’s robe. His mother loved Norwegian fairytales and kings and is probably why he’s named after one.”

The setting here is one of Oslo’s underbelly, the world that Olav inhabits as his boss Hoffman is the crime kingpin of the city. Involved in both prostitution and the drug’s world, he oversees the worst of Oslo society.

Olav is part of that soulless and morale free world, enjoying the fact he can kill easily and that’s he’s good at it.

With a world spiraling out of control, Olav and Corina go on the run, but Oslo is not a large city. No place would be big enough to hide when Hoffman is after you. You could try doing a deal with the competition but then who plays by the rules in this game?

Oslo might be snowy, peaceful and calm on the surface, but dig a little deeper and the snow is not white and untouched. Secrets buried will surface and stain at some point..