Blood Ties by Jo Nesbo
Out in the UK 26 September

Brothers Carl and Roy Opgard are big fish in a small pond, their Norwegian home town of Os. They’ve climbed their way up no matter what. Carl manages a spa hotel, Roy owns properties and now he’s planning an amusement park. But local sheriff Kurt Olsen is hot on their trail for murder.

Blood Ties is the follow-up to The Kingdom. It’s typical Nesbo, dark, twisty, full of angst. You find yourself cheering on the anti-hero even though you know it’s wrong. Unfortunately it’s let down a little by the amount of explanation from the first book. But it’s pacy most of the time, definitely a page-turner, and a lot of fun.

Thanks to NetGalley for this drc to review in my own words

To start I think would be easier if it was clear this book was already published under the name ‘The Kingdom’.

This is a classic Nesbo book and has nothing but tension, suspense and thrills.

I enjoyed the descriptions, character study and the overall plot.

I'm a big fan of books by this author and enjoyed Blood Ties which can be read on its own. I thought the first half was very slow going, which I struggled with and often wondered where the story would go. I'm glad to say the 2nd half of the book did pick up and become a more engaging read. The story follows two brothers who have committed past crimes and a Police Officer who is determined to bring them down, and is told mostly through Roy. How strong are the ties binding each brother? Will you protect family first whatever the cost? I quite liked Roy as a character, and also Natalie. The authors writing is good, the story flows well and in my opinion became more absorbing in the 2nd half. I feel that the thrills, suspense and atmosphere I'm used to from this authors books are quite lacking here. I really like the ending though, it gives good closure to the story. I did enjoy Blood Ties and would recommend it, I just don't think it's one of Jo Nesbos' best.

3 stars

A full review will follow on Lyric Lounge Review. Thank you to Netgalley and Vintage for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
This thriller, as one expects from Jo Nesbo, is a tense and compelling story about the ties that bind us, explored through the tale of two brothers and the town and women that they love. The characters are interesting and the plot is woven with dexterous skill that will make you want to devour the book as quickly as possible because of the intriguing twists and turns in the story. This is definitely a book to put straight on the top of your tbr pile.

Jo's writing always draws you in and this is no exception. However, this book, an the one before it (The Kingdom) don't compare to the Harry Hole series.

He obviously enjoys writing flawed characters, and the lead character in this book. Roy, is certainly that. Yet unlike with Harry Hole it's very hard to feel a connection to Roy. I found the tone and story in both books quite dark and depressing.

This book picks up where The Kingdom left off, with brothers Roy and Carl and their dysfunctional relationship. If you've read The Kingdom then it's worth reading Blood Ties too to see where to story ends. If however you love Harry Hole and are expecting something similar, this is not it.

Nesbø’s stand-alones tend towards the Shakespearean in their structure, and this slow-burn rural noir is no exception. It reminded me of Thomas Savage’s western The Power of the Dog in some ways (all good), and the translator perfectly conveys Nesbø’s wry word-play for English readers. I also enjoyed the rollercoaster-related technical details!