Jo Nesbo’s book The Kingdom was a violent story centred around anti-hero Roy Opgard and the criminal machinations of Roy and his brother in the small Norwegian town of Os. That book was marketed as a stand alone crime thriller. And to some extent the story was wrapped up, tragically as expected, by the end of the book. And knowing it was a standalone meant that readers would just have to accept that a number of dangling plot threads would remain. But now Roy and his crazy, ambitious brother Carl are back, eight years later in Blood Ties and some of those dangling threads are coming back to haunt them.
When Blood Ties opens, Carl is now known as the King of Os and Roy is doing what he does best, bribing a couple of engineers to change a geological report so that the new main road will have to continue to pass through the village. Os is where Roy and his brother have built their hotel Os Spa and where Roy has plans to build an amusement park anchored by the world’s biggest rollercoaster. But the hotel is in trouble, for reasons beyond the fear that the town will be bypassed and Carl is keen to rope Roy into helping him save it. At the same time, Kurt, the local sheriff has new evidence that points to the brothers being responsible for his father’s murder as well as some other deaths close to their family property.
Roy Opgard is a classic criminal anti-hero. It is hard to agree with what he is doing, or find it moral supportable. But Roy is nothing if not honest with the reader and Nesbo makes him somewhat relatable so that readers are likely to be rooting for him, particularly when he gets into a relationship with the much younger but equally damaged Natalie. Roy may be violent but he is also loyal and loving. The relationship between Roy and Carl was always an unhealthy one but in Blood Ties, the gloves come off. And again, it is easy to take Roy’s perspective when pitted against the nihilism and ego of his brother. Readers may not like Roy or agree with his choices but Nebo makes sure they understand him and the forces that shaped him.
There are no crimes to be solved in Blood Ties, readers are taken through how every crime is committed and then covered up. The cleverness here is the way in which Roy both deals with the crimes and then corrupts people and creates contingencies which come into play when matters don’t quite panning out as he expected. And Nesbo never lets up the pressure on Roy with numerous past and present wrong deeds emerging at different inconvenient times
For those who like their crime stories on the dark side, Blood Ties is a great follow up to The Kingdom. Blood Ties is second descent into a rural community desperate to stay relevant and vital, riven with secrets and driven by petty corruption. In that respect Roy Opgard is the perfect guide to this world, always on the make, always trying to think a few steps ahead of those who are out to get him. It turns out that he was a character and a place that was well worth revisiting.

I hadn’t realized this book was a sequel, i don’t see that not having read the first book will affect your reading of this book. Not the most gripping thriller I’ve read, lots going on ultimately sibling rivalry maybe more than they’d like to admit; and a sheriff on the hunt for justice of old crimes.

Overall an okay read but not my favourite from this author.

Brilliant sequel to the The Kingdom although I would recommend reading both novels
This gripping novel continues the story off two successful brothers in a small town and a local sheriff who is determined to prove the brothers involvement in a series of murders
Jo Nesbo never fails to deliver. This suspense novel keeps twisting and turning and I read it in quick time
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it

Jo Nesbo is one of my favourite authors perhaps most notably known for the Harry Hole series but he is author of many other books equally as captivating. This being one which I am sure other fans will enjoy as much as I did. Sales of over 50 million books says it all and special praise must go to the translator for maintaining the essential Scandinavian feel to the book but retaining the feel that it was written by an English author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to ARC this book.

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.