I have read and really enjoyed The Kingdom and feel that Blood Ties reads better if you’ve read The Kingdom first, as it definitely helps to understand the story and the characters better. Having said this, the events from The Kingdom are frequently rehashed in Blood Ties, which I found repetitive and frustrating at times. That aside, I did enjoy the storyline, particularly the dynamics between Roy and Carl, and the other characters from Os village. The second half of the book was especially thrilling—packed with twists, surprises, and the kind of excitement you’d expect from Nesbo. Overall, it's a solid follow up, but frequent revisiting of past events slightly detracted from the experience.

“Blood Ties” by author Jo Nesbø’ is a thriller dealing with loyalty, deception, and violence, as two brothers fight to maintain control over their small town while their dark past threatens to unravel everything they’ve built.

Carl and Roy Opgard are the two brothers who share a bond enforced by shared secrets and blood. Carl is the manager of a luxurious spa hotel, and Roy has ambitious plans to build a grand amusement park. Together they have made their way to the top in their hometown of Os. Life has never been straightforward for the brothers and their success has come at a cost, and the bodies they’ve buried along the way are starting to resurface. When the local sheriff uncovers new evidence linking the brothers to several unsolved murders, Carl and Roy are forced to fight once more for their survival.

I found this novel entertaining although I thought it fell short of some of his previous novels. A 3.5 star rating rounded up to 4 for me. A good read all the same, full of action, suspense and atmosphere. Well paced and a good story of family loyalty, betrayal and how far people will go to protect their loved ones and their power.

The high point for me was the relationship between the two brothers, Carl is charismatic and cunning while Roy is protective and distressed by their dark past. Once the secrets start to be revealed we see the the psychological and emotional toll of their actions,

A good entertaining read.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

DNF :( this is only my second ever book on NetGalley that I haven’t finished and I am gutted. I was so excited to read this as I am a Jo Nesbo fan (Harry Hope series!) but this just didn’t do it for me. It’s written in the first person which is usually fine for me but there just wasn’t a lot of substance to the character and it all just felt really vague. I’d considered stopping a couple of times but then it would drop a little bombshell and I’d think well I best carry on but then the book would just die in the water again. I think this needs a little bit more explanation as to what is going on and the character should have a bit more oomph. I know that he is supposed to be sad but it actually makes me feel miserable reading the book to the point of boredom. Unfortunately this was not for me!

Thanks to Random House UK for ARC.
Jo Nesbo is an established and very skilled writer I’d turned away from due to the graphic nature of some of his Harry Hole books, so I was curious to read something different.
Roy lives a quiet life in Os, a small Norwegian town with his more successful brother Carl. We learn early on about some of the shared secrets in their past, but Nesbo’s skill that Roy charms the reader into wishing him well despite what we think we know. As the sheriff comes closer to unravelling the truth about the brothers’ misdeeds, the stakes escalate and the reader’s in for a wild rollercoaster tale of revenge and the depths of filial bonds.
This builds slowly and the first half maybe frustrating but it builds inevitable momentum in the final act.
I enjoyed this as a standalone (it is second in a series).

Blood Lies is a story about the lives and loves of brothers Roy and Carl Opgard and their businesses in tha small town of Os in Norway. A town in which 'man proposes and God laughs'.
It has all the gruesome twists and turns that we have come to expect from Jo Nesbo's crime novels and is an un-putdownable read from start to finish.

Tense thriller based on two brothers. The first half was very slow and I was tempted to give up, but it sped up as it went on. However, I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to.
I hadn't read the book that this was the sequel to The Kingdom and I'm sure that would have helped.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy

Completely my fault did not know this was a book in a series and would have read book 1 had i realised
I still quite enjoyed it,the characters and the plot and would read more but will need to read Book 1 first

Didn’t realise this was a second episode for these characters and I didn’t enjoy it as much as his Harry Hole novels. Basically a tale of two brothers with a history of several murders but they keep escaping justice. It doesn’t really hang together for me but perhaps I was expecting too much after the author’s previous works. Disappointed.

Blood Ties Jo Nesbo

4 stars

What sins would you commit for family?

I have just discovered that this book is a sequel to The Kingdom, one of the few Jo Nesbo books that I have not read. However it was absolutely fine to read it as a stand-alone as the first few chapters set the scene.

The story revolves around two brothers, Roy and Carl Opgard living in a small town in Norway. Carl is the narrator throughout and his story is a grim one. Him and his brother have been responsible for 7 murders over the last ten years, some committed by Carl but the majority by Roy whilst covering up for his little brother. As the story progresses you can see why these crimes have been committed and even though there is never an excuse for murder I found myself sympathising with Roy to a certain extent.

The sheriff, Kurt Olsen, is absolutely positive of the guilt of the two brothers, particularly Roy, and especially as one of the victims was his own father.

The main story is one of Roy trying to escape being arrested and every time new evidence comes to light somehow he manages to turn the tables notably because nearly everyone else involved, including the sheriff, have also bad things to hide.

The title Blood Ties refers in particular to the relations between the two brothers and makes you wonder how far these ties will last under severe pressure.

I did enjoy this book but found it a little slow to begin with but it got better the further I read. I love Jo Nesbo as a writer although I do not think he will ever surpass his Harry Hole novels.

Karen Deborah
Net Galley

This started off a bit slow but picked up in the second half of the story. Two brothers, Roy and Carl, are quite interesting characters who have committed crimes in the past and the story is mostly told by Roy. It's about family ties, loyalty and the plot is certainly different but with few thrills along the way. I just failed to engage with the characters and found it all a bit dull. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

As usual, a crime novel that no-one else would think about writing. Great setting. Fantastic characters. Unique storyline. I loved it.
I received an advance reader's copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the sequel to “The Kingdom” which I haven’t read and I coped pretty well but I think in terms of character and plot development it would have helped if I had.

I enjoyed this story of the two brothers but it failed to draw me in as much as some of this author’s earlier books but it is still a high quality thriller.

Not my favourite Jo Nesbo but that might be because I didn’t read the previous book. I found it rather slow and in fact, I didn’t finish it. Sorry!

It took me a while to realise that I had read something very similar to this -‘The Kingdom’. ‘Blood Ties’ is the equally violent sequel. An elemental epic focusing on the relationship between two brothers. It seems almost biblical in tone and the story is well told through the eyes of the elder brother Roy. Heavy and portentous, but worth persevering with.

Blood Ties is the story of brothers Roy and Carl, and their life in the small town of Os. Roy owns the local garage and nightclub, and Carl the spa hotel.
This is a town where no one leaves, so relationships, vendattas, abuse and even murder link the main characters together.
I love Nesbo's crime books. This is something very different, epic and compelling.
Dark, claustrophobic and atmospheric, I couldn't put this down.

Following on from the events in The Kingdom, this epic novel continues the story of brothers Roy and Carl Opgard as they seek to increase their empire.

The isolated Norwegian mountain town of Os and its community is as much a part of the novel as are the brothers, expertly depicted in all its smalltown glory, it's one step away from becoming a ghost town if the planned new highway diverting traffic away from it comes into being. The Opgard brothers have other plans, but with more than one enemy waiting in the wings the past is looming.

This novel has everything I look for in a good read; great characters, good setting and a compelling storyline from start to finish. There is enough background information given to read this as a standalone novel but I'd definitely recommend reading both in order.

Its years since I read anything by Nesbo and in the past week I've binge-read two, The Kingdom and this one. I loved both of them equally, a master storyteller at his best.

Fantastic. Thrilling. I could not put it down. I read it over one weekend.
The book was my number one priority for 2 days!

This author needs no introduction as consistently delivers storylines of the highest order with diverse three dimensional characters who demand attention in every word, line and page. This storyline follows the hugely successful book The Kingdom which was a complete story in its own right. To have a follow up with same characters and extension to the storyline is possibly even more gripping than the first in the series., and was a pure joy even if read with enormously high expectations. It did not disappoint, to the contrary, delivering in bucket loads. Every emotion under the sun is drawn from the reader as we are introduced once again to a small community struggling to survive with alliances, vendettas and corruption forming the basis of everyday life. When the characters experience the highs and lows of their successes and disappointments we share their emotion . The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune occur with such regular intensity that we are in danger of becoming desensitised from the violence and tragedy. Cannot recommend too highly. This is a 5* read from first to last page and addictive to the point of binge reading. Huge appreciation and thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this ARC.

Blood Ties is the sequel to The Kindom, my favourite Jo Nesbo book.
With a similarly Shakespearean storyline Blood Ties continues the story of the sociopathic Opgard brothers Carl and Roy as the many sins of their past threaten to finally see them facing justice. In Carl's megalomaniac mind he's the self-styled King of Os,the small village full of people with good reason to want his demise. As the law closes in on him and Roy and his shady business practices come to light threatening to bring his empire down Carl becomes increasingly paranoid and driven to behaviour that even by his standards is truly appalling.
The book is written using Roy's voice,the more taciturn but no less evil brother and Nesbo skilfully manages to often elicit sympathy for a truly horrible character ,he does have his own version of a moral compass but it's more a case of the logic of the psychotic.

This is an excellent read, anyone who has ever lived in a small town where many of the inhabitants have grown up together will recognise many of the intrigues and complicated relationships in Os. Those who know the story of the Krays will see the similarities with the Opgard brother's complicated relationship,the totally unstable brother and the equally appalling one desperate for the more normal life that supporting his sibling means will never happen and he's forever on the verge of being dragged down with him.

I'd strongly recommend reading The Kingdom before this one ,it's not absolutely necessary but you'll get so much more out of this if you do.
Like The Kingdom this is dark and violent with a compelling plot,it's also Nesbo on top form,
Highly recommended.

I didn’t realise this is a follow up to a previous book until after I started, I find if they follow on it’s always better to have read the ones before, even if it could be read as a stand-alone, personally I enjoy it more. It’s a very slow burn and quite a long book. Not my favourite Jo Nesbo book but still enjoyable.