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A review by ejl2623
Blood Ties: A Novel by Jo Nesbø
5.0
I don't know how he does it, but Jo Nesbo always gets me to root for the rule breakers and, in the case of Carl and Roy Opgard for stone cold murderers and accessories to murder. The brothers live in Os. They were introduced to us in The Kingdom in 1921, back when I still pre-ordered hard cover books by my favorite authors, which includes Nesbo. Carl is the younger brother and returned from working in the US to Os. He has established a spa there, with Roy and others as investors and he needs to make sure that the new road the is planned to use a tunnel to get through the mountain, instead of going near Os is deep-sixed. Roy is the one who owns the local gas station, a bar and other properties in Os. He has a dream to acquire a former lover's campgrounds and build the world's largest wooden rollercoaster. On the whole, Roy has a value system that keeps making you root for him as he does many, many things that are very bad. They are not altruistic. He is our narrator. Carl seems more evil, but that might be attributed to the fact Roy is the narrator. They both have lots of childhood trauma to inform the reader of how they got that way.
Natalie, a young woman who lived in Os until her mid-teens has returned and begins working for the spa. Roy and Natalie have a history because he helped her out in a huge way at one time and they develop a close relationship. For me, what's fun is that he keeps telling Natalie every thing he's ever done wrong (with some exceptions) and their friendship seems to get stronger.
Kurt Olson, the town sheriff, has it in for the Opgards because he "knows" they killed his father. who was the former sheriff. As he continuously investigates them, a practice he started many years ago, he distances himself from his role in their football (soccer) club and pulls up cars that went over the cliff at a turn in the road and into a lake.
Nesbo partly makes these guys likable along with all the characters that make up a small town, because he uses humor freely. And repeatedly, it is the gossip and careful backfilling done by all involved that means there is always dirt against the person who is against you. How it is uncovered and used is amusing to read. I highly recommend Blood Ties.
Natalie, a young woman who lived in Os until her mid-teens has returned and begins working for the spa. Roy and Natalie have a history because he helped her out in a huge way at one time and they develop a close relationship. For me, what's fun is that he keeps telling Natalie every thing he's ever done wrong (with some exceptions) and their friendship seems to get stronger.
Kurt Olson, the town sheriff, has it in for the Opgards because he "knows" they killed his father. who was the former sheriff. As he continuously investigates them, a practice he started many years ago, he distances himself from his role in their football (soccer) club and pulls up cars that went over the cliff at a turn in the road and into a lake.
Nesbo partly makes these guys likable along with all the characters that make up a small town, because he uses humor freely. And repeatedly, it is the gossip and careful backfilling done by all involved that means there is always dirt against the person who is against you. How it is uncovered and used is amusing to read. I highly recommend Blood Ties.