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The ultimate Eurovision-inspired reading list

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10 must-read Scandinavian novels

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Features

Where to start reading Jo Nesbo

Blood Ties

FAMILY COMES FIRST. NO MATTER THE COST. 
 
Nesbo deserves to be crowned the king of all crime thriller writers' Sunday Express 
 
'A 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight' LEE CHILD 
 
Brothers Carl and Roy Opgard have succeeded in life. Or at least they’ve had as much success as is possible in a small town like Os, where they've killed their way to the top. Carl manages the swanky spa hotel, while Roy has made ambitious plans for an amusement park. 
 
Life’s good at the top. But the local sheriff is looking to bring them down. 
 
Sheriff Kurt Olsen believes he has new evidence that will prove the brothers’ involvement in several past murders – but Carl and Roy are used to covering their tracks, and they're not afraid to get their hands dirty. 
 
The body count in Os is about to get even higher. 
 
Blood Ties is an explosive suspense novel about family, loyalty, and the lengths someone is willing to go to for both, from crime writing's king of the cliffhanger. 
' A cracking good thriller' Guardian 
 
'Bracingly and bleakly funny' Telegraph 
 
 
[Jo Nesbo, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024]

A 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight

Nesbo deserves to be crowned the king of all crime thriller writers

Nesbo’s plotting is always reliably devious and his characters brutal

BLOOD TIES is a sequel to THE KINGDOM (2020) and continues the bracingly and bleakly funny misadventures of brothers Roy and Carl: entrepreneurs whose schemes to drag the small town of Os into the 21st century often necessitate killing those who get in their way

Nesbø brilliantly plunges readers into the psyche of a charming killer, leavening the bloodshed with pop culture references and dashes of the lacerating humor that suffuses his Harry Hole series. The result is a chilling and darkly funny noir that will haunt readers long after the last page

Nesbø offers beautifully written literary suspense in the second novel featuring the Norwegian brothers (after The Kingdom, 2020) drawing readers in deep by playing Roy’s ruthless logic against an onslaught of threats, emotional ties, and competing agendas. Readers will feel this one long after the final words

Nesbø’s latest boasts a quirky comic edge ... A darkly entertaining thriller

Jo Nesbo (Author) Jo Nesbo is one of the world's bestselling crime writers. When commissioned to write a memoir about life on the road with his band, Di Derre, he instead came up with the plot for his first Harry Hole crime novel, The Bat. His books The Leopard, Phantom, Police, The Son, The Thirst, Macbeth and Knife have all since topped the Sunday Times charts. He's an international number one bestseller and his books are published in 51 languages, selling over 60 million copies around the world. Robert Ferguson (Translator) Robert Ferguson has lived in Norway since 1983. His translations include Norwegian Wood by Lars Mytting, the four novels in Torkil Damhaug’s Oslo Crime Files series, and Tales of Love and Loss by Knut Hamsun. He is the author of several biographies, a Viking history and, most recently, Norway’s War. A people’s struggle against Nazi tyranny.

FAMILY COMES FIRST. NO MATTER THE COST. 
 
'A 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight' LEE CHILD 
 
'Bracingly and bleakly funny' Telegraph 
 
Brothers Carl and Roy Opgard have succeeded in life. Or at least they’ve had as much success as is possible in a small town like Os, where they've killed their way to the top. Carl manages the swanky spa hotel, while Roy has made ambitious plans for an amusement park. 
 
Life’s good at the top. But the local sheriff is looking to bring them down. 
 
Sheriff Kurt Olsen believes he has new evidence that will prove the brothers’ involvement in several past murders – but Carl and Roy are used to covering their tracks, and they're not afraid to get their hands dirty. 
 
The body count in Os is about to get even higher. 
 
Blood Ties is an explosive suspense novel about family, loyalty, and the lengths someone is willing to go to for both, from crime writing's king of the cliffhanger.

The Night House

'Nesbø is one of today's most interesting thriller writers, a 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight' Lee Child 
 
 
WHEN THE VOICES CALL, DON'T ANSWER... 
 
In the wake of his parents' tragic deaths fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote town of Ballantyne. 
 
Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, no one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie. 
 
No one, that is, except the enigmatic Karen, who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate. He traces the number to an abandoned house in the woods. There he catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. And then the voices start. 
When another classmate disappears, Richard grapples with the dark magic that's possessing Ballantyne to try and find them before it’s too late... 
 
'Nesbø unfolds his tale of a troubled teen grappling with dark forces from three different perspectives, each more chilling than the last' DAILY MAIL 
Perfect for fans of Stephen King and James Herbert 
 
 
'Creepy ... I couldn't put it down' Stephen King on Headhunters 
 
 
*JO NESBO HAS SOLD OVER 60 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE*

Nesbø doesn't spend any time fiddling about, building up, or misdirecting. In The Night House, the horror begins immediately. And it only keeps calling from there. There are lessons to be learned here: who to believe and what to believe in. And how a person can change, when the impossible turns possible and the unimaginable is laid bare. This horror fan loved it

Josh Malerman, best-selling author of Bird Box and Spin a Black Yarn

A beguiling coming-of-age tale that becomes more terrifying as it builds, with plenty of tension and surprises packed into its pages

Jo Nesbo (Author) Jo Nesbo is one of the world's bestselling crime writers. When commissioned to write a memoir about life on the road with his band, Di Derre, he instead came up with the plot for his first Harry Hole crime novel, The Bat. His books The Leopard, Phantom, Police, The Son, The Thirst, Macbeth and Knife have all since topped the Sunday Times charts. He's an international number one bestseller and his books are published in 51 languages, selling over 60 million copies around the world. Neil Smith (Translator) Neil Smith has translated many acclaimed Norwegian and Swedish novels, including books by Fredrik Backman and Leif G. W. Persson's The Dying Detective, winner of the CWA International Dagger 2017. He lives in Norfolk.

A twisted spin on the classic coming-of-age horror story from the Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author Jo Nesbo 
 
WHEN THE VOICES CALL, DON'T ANSWER... 
 
In the wake of his parents' tragic deaths fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote town of Ballantyne. 
 
Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, everyone suspects the new, angry boy is responsible. No one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie. 
 
No one, that is, except Karen, a beguiling fellow outsider who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate. He traces the number that Tom prank called from the phone booth to an abandoned house in the woods. There he catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. And then the voices start . . . 
 
When another classmate disappears, Richard must find a way to prove his innocence as he grapples with the dark magic that is possessing Ballantyne. 
 
Then again, Richard may not be the most reliable narrator of his own story.

The Jealousy Man

**THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR** 
____________________________________ 
 
On a Greek island, a man is found dead. His own twin might have killed him. 
 
Detective Nikos Balli is searching for the murderer, but he has his own secrets he wants to hide. 
 
Can Nikos solve the mystery before someone else gets hurt? 
 
 
*JO NESBO HAS SOLD OVER 55 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE* 
 
**Shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards 2022** 
 
PRAISE FOR JO NESBO: 
 
'A storyteller with few equals' Daily Express 
 
'The king of Scandicrime' Financial Times 
 
'Deliciously dark' Heat 
 
'Nightmare-inducing and terrific' The Times 
 
READERS LOVE JO NESBO: 
 
***** 'Intriguing, mysterious, full of suspense' Netgalley reader 
 
***** 'To say I couldn't put it down is an understatement...' Netgalley reader 
 
***** 'A great read with plenty of twists and surprises' Netgalley reader 
 
Jo Nesbo was a Sunday Times number one bestseller with Macbeth on 20/09/2018

Jo Nesbo is one of the world's bestselling crime writers. When commissioned to write a memoir about life on the road with his band, Di Derre, he instead came up with the plot for his first Harry Hole crime novel, The Bat. His books The Leopard, Phantom, Police, The Son, The Thirst, Macbeth and Knife have all since topped the Sunday Times charts. He's an international number one bestseller and his books are published in 51 languages, selling over 60 million copies around the world.

**THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR** 
____________________________________ 
 
Murder. Assassination. Revenge. 
 
Discover the first short story collection from the King of Scandi Crime. 
 
Meet a detective on the trail of a man suspected of murdering his twin; a hired assassin facing his greatest adversary; and two passengers meeting by chance on a plane, spelling romance or something far more sinister. 
 
In his first ever collection of short stories, this master of crime delivers a gripping, edge-of-your seat read that you won't be able to put down. 
 
*JO NESBO HAS SOLD OVER 55 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE* 
 
**Shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards 2022** 
 
PRAISE FOR JO NESBO: 
 
'A storyteller with few equals' Daily Express 
 
'The king of Scandicrime' Financial Times 
 
'Deliciously dark' Heat 
 
'Nightmare-inducing and terrific' The Times 
 
READERS LOVE JO NESBO: 
 
***** 'Intriguing, mysterious, full of suspense' Netgalley reader 
 
***** 'To say I couldn't put it down is an understatement...' Netgalley reader 
 
***** 'A great read with plenty of twists and surprises' Netgalley reader 
 
Jo Nesbo was a Sunday Times number one bestseller with Macbeth on 20/09/2018

Killing Moon

**HARRY HOLE IS SOON TO BE A MAJOR NETFLIX TV SERIES** 
 
*PRE-ORDER WOLF HOUR, NESBO'S BRAND NEW EXPLOSIVE THRILLER* 
 
THIS KILLER WILL GET INSIDE YOUR HEAD... 
 
'A 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight' LEE CHILD 
 
*A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR* 
 
 
***When a body is found in the forest, the police make a horrifying discovery: her scalp has been removed and sewn back on. But they have no idea why. 
 
With a second woman reported missing, detectives fear their worst nightmare has come true. 
 
A serial killer is stalking the streets of Oslo. 
 
With time running out to find the woman, former detective Harry Hole is called in to think like a murderer thinks... and to track down this killer before they strike again. 
 
But Harry has ulterior motives for wanting to solve this case and, if he fails, there could be more than one life at risk. 
*** 
 
'Nesbo deploys all the key ingredients of a cracking good thriller... effortless' Guardian 
 
'The undisputed king of Scandinavian crime fiction' The Times 
 
‘Unbearably tense’ Sunday Times 
 
*** 
 
Killing Moon is the 13th novel in the Harry Hole series, although each title reads as a standalone. 
 
*OVER 60 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE* 
Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024 
A Sunday Times Book of the Year, 2023

Not just an unbearably tense thriller but another of Nesbo's studies in love and loneliness... there are few greater crime writers

Nesbo deserves to be crowned the king of all crime thriller writers

Nesbo deploys all the key ingredients of a cracking good thriller...the ticking clock, the tension expertly ratcheted ever upwards, the changing scenery, the constantly shifting goalposts and the effortless, triumphant outpacing of the reader's ability to guess what's going to happen

The undisputed king of Scandinavian crime fiction

Jo Nesbø is one of today's most interesting thriller writers, and Harry Hole is an all-time great character - for me, a 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight.

Nesbo is unassailably the reigning king of Nordic noir as well as a global crime-writing superstar... [in] Killing Moon...Nesbo is back on gruesome form

Jo Nesbo is back with the weirdest murder in modern fiction... compelling

This is one of the darkest entries in the series, with a serial killer whose methods are inventively macabre even by Nesbo's standards. But with Harry in the unfamiliar role of private eye, assembling an eccentric team to help him, and rubbing his old police colleagues up the wrong way, it's also one of the most fun

Killing Moon... [is] classic Nesbo but even by his standards the killer's creepy'

Breathtaking... Harry Hole returns in cracking form

Like Lee Child with Jack Reacher, Nesbo has become synonymous with his fictional detective

Jo Nesbo has always had a taste for the macabre, but it takes a breathtaking turn in Killing Moon

Unbearably tense and another of Jo Nesbo’s piercing studies in love and loneliness

Headhunters

‘Keeps the twists and shocks coming hard and fast’ Metro

The reader is glued to the pages like gum to the street... Nesbo has accomplished an easily digested, but nevertheless brilliant and elegant thriller

Don't miss this thriller from the UK's second biggest-selling fiction author about an ambitious art thief

A masterclass in obfuscation and psychological parrying... Roger is a well-crafted, morally dubious character who remains oddly likeable owing to a nifty line in bitter observations... After recent events, no  one can be in any doubt of Norway's dark side and Nesbo wisely juxtaposes Oslo's shiny veneer with its rotten elements. Equally, the parallels between artistic worth and corporate value are neatly levied... Nesbo has that rare talent for turning the tables on readers, confounding expectations and revealing on what is intended

An accomplished novel from a first-rate author

The central character in this standalone novel is (on first impression) an unpleasant, manipulative piece of work, and it is a measure of the author's skill that we find ourselves thoroughly on his side... It's no surprise that a successful film has already been made of the novel (the first of his books Nesbo has allowed to be filmed), as the cinematic quality of Headhunters makes it a particularly invigorating read...a sizeable measure of sheer entertainment is on offer. Nesboites might like the change of pace

Norwegian Jo Nesbo, lauded as the new Stieg Larsson, delivered the goods in The Leopard and The Snowman, and in Headhunters serves up a new hero...more plot twists than a country house garden maze... An accomplished novel

I am the world's greatest living crime writer. [Jo Nesbo] is a man who is snapping at my heels like a rabid pit bull poised to take over my mantle when I dramatically pre-decease him

Stellar stand-alone caper... The dizzying reversals of fortune and situations that would be over-the-top in lesser hands make for a delightful roller-coaster ride. Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard fans will be delighted

*JO NESBO HAS SOLD OVER 50 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE* 
 
'Spectacular storytelling and a beautifully judged super-twist' Daily Mail 
 
LIE. 
 
 Clever, wealthy, married to a beautiful woman: Roger Brown has it all. And his sideline as an art thief keeps him busy when his job as a corporate headhunter gets dull. 
 
 STEAL. 
 
Then his wife introduces him to Clas Greve. Ambitious and talented, he's the perfect candidate for a top job Roger needs to fill - and the priceless painting he owns makes him the perfect target for a heist. But soon Roger finds out that there's more to Greve than meets the eye, and it's not long before the hunter becomes the hunted... 
 
 MURDER? 
 
'A sizeable measure of sheer entertainment' Independent 
 
Watch out for The Jealousy Man, the new Jo Nesbo book, out now

The Kingdom

'A stunning novel' Daily Mirror 
‘Suspenseful…original…I couldn’t put it down’ Stephen King 
 
Two brothers. Bound by blood and a lifetime of secrets. 
 
I heard him before I saw him. Carl was back. I suspected the reason for this sudden and unannounced homecoming was the same as it was back then. The same as it always was. That he needed his big brother’s help. 
 When Roy and Carl's parents die suddenly, Roy is left as protector to his impulsive younger brother. But when Carl decides to travel the world in search of his fortune, Roy stays behind in their sleepy village, satisfied with his peaceful life as a mechanic. 
 
Years later, Carl returns full of exciting plans to build a legacy in their family name, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to fulfil his ambitions. But it's only a matter of time before what begins as a jubilant homecoming sparks off a series of events that threaten to derail everything Roy has worked for and family loyalty is stretched to violent ends. 
 
As the body count rises, how long before the brothers fall? 
A Richard &amp; Judy Book Club pick and a Times Crime Book of the Year 
 
*JO NESBO HAS SOLD OVER 60 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE* 
 
Watch out for BLOOD TIES, the follow up to THE KINGDOM, out in September

Jo Nesbo

Robert Ferguson

Absolutely magnificent! Nesbø rules the crime fiction world.

Jo Nesbø’s skill is unmatched ... weav[ing] politics and societal matters into a solid crime story.

Bob Oz is the ultimate anti-hero. Nesbø writes with linguistic flair and masterful twists. The greatest tension lies between the lines

Wolf Hour takes us on a tour of the USA ... excellent entertainment and suspense in classic Nesbø style

The plot is cunning and spectacular, yet realistic and frightening. Wildly entertaining from start to finish!

This killer has a story. 
 
When a small-time crook is shot down in the streets of Minneapolis, all signs point to a lone wolf, a sniper who has vanished into thin air. 
 
To tell it, he needs to get caught. 
 
When the shooter strikes again, it’s maverick detective Bob Oz they call in to crack the case. They don’t think this victim will be the last. 
 
And this wolf wants the world to know... 
 
As the body count rises, Oz suspects something even more sinister is at play. And the closer he gets to the truth, the more disturbed he becomes. Because this serial killer reminds him of someone dangerous: himself. 
 
He’s only just getting started. 
 
Wolf Hour is a gritty standalone thriller packed with unexpected twists, dark secrets and bubbling personal and political tension, from the king of the cliffhanger.

Jo Nesbo

Praise for Wolf Hour

Absolutely magnificent! Nesbø rules the crime fiction world.

Jo Nesbø’s skill is unmatched ... weav[ing] politics and societal matters into a solid crime story.

Bob Oz is the ultimate anti-hero. Nesbø writes with linguistic flair and masterful twists. The greatest tension lies between the lines

Absolutely magnificent! Nesbø rules the crime fiction world.

Jo Nesbø’s skill is unmatched ... weav[ing] politics and societal matters into a solid crime story.

Bob Oz is the ultimate anti-hero. Nesbø writes with linguistic flair and masterful twists. The greatest tension lies between the lines

Absolutely magnificent! Nesbø rules the crime fiction world.

Jo Nesbø’s skill is unmatched ... weav[ing] politics and societal matters into a solid crime story.

Bob Oz is the ultimate anti-hero. Nesbø writes with linguistic flair and masterful twists. The greatest tension lies between the lines

Books by Jo Nesbo

Series by Jo Nesbo

Harry Hole16 Books

Vintage Classics Shakespeare Series7 Books

Articles featuring Jo Nesbo

The ultimate Eurovision-inspired reading list

10 must-read Scandinavian novels

Where to start reading Jo Nesbo

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