Jo Nesbo

monkey9

I bought his book, The Snowman. But i'm wondering if i should read his earlier books that involve the main character, Harry Hole, or do they work independently off each other.

E.T.

I started off with The Snowman and have read a few more of his since. Very good - very dark and grisly. You'd probably be better reading from the earlier books - some of the personal relationship story was spoiled for me by reading later books first, and I ruined one of the better books by reading the next book first - huge synopsis at the start of the later book!

Oral Slang

Defo advise reading in order. I bought my aunt the first 3 for Christmas & she loved them. She went straight out & bought the rest (waiting for them to come back to me so I can read them ).

Very cheap on Bookdepository - http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/search?searchTerm=jo+nesbo&search=%3CSPAN%3E%3CEM%3EFind%26nbsp%3Bbook%3C%2FEM%3E%3C%2FSPAN%3E

nompere

I reckon he benefitted from the interest in Nordic detective stories that followed Stieg Larsson. I bought the first three (I don't like giving up on an author by buying just one, possibly duff, book) and read them about a year ago. I recall thinking that they weren't bad, but I've never been tempted to buy any more. There just wasn't anything that really stood out. Yet another flawed detective - ho hum.

As with Larsson it might be that a more sympathetic translator may have helped. It's very hard for us to know whether an author has been short-changed (or possibly improved) in translation.

mountain

there is a common story line running through 3 of his books at least,
so if you dont read those ones in order, you will ruin the story line.

However the 2 most recent ones, are "stand alone" books, have ust finished "the Leopard" and while it is gruesome in parts, it is a cracking read.

Chinafoot

Any series that features the same character should always be read in order as there will inevitably be character development. The plots may be entirely different but its important to know the main character's history.

Also, the Stieg Larsson comparisons always make me laugh (one of the reviews on the cover of The Leopard is something like "The new Larsson"). Nesbo is miles ahead of Larsson, as are most of the increasingly popular Scandinavian authors. But I do agree that Larsson popularity (which continues to baffle me) definitely benefitted these more talented authors.