1. The second part in Jo Nesbo’s saga about the pains and hardships of brotherly love follows a similar recipe to the first installment, The Kingdom, in terms of narrative structure, pacing, and plot complexity. Nesbo ponders on the themes of brotherhood and blood relations in general, through a storyline that entails backstabbing and betrayal, unforgivable actions prompted by envy, superstar sheriffs and corrupt journalists, decadent football matches of the lower divisions, all taking place at the small rural town of Os. Roy and Carl Opgard, the two brothers whom we met in the previous novel, come once again in conflict for several different reasons and their clash is bound to involve collateral damage that will open deep wounds to the remaining members of the Opgard family. Their feelings toward each other will be challenged to the extreme this time and Nesbo compensates the patient reader with an unforeseen finale that defies the established norms of the genre. 2. The Norwegian author has made it clear that there is no lack of love between the brothers that ignites their rivalry. It’s just that their relationship dynamic has been tainted from an early age. Roy, the sole first-person narrator, is the eldest sibling and, more importantly, the one who carries the heavy burden of guilt since childhood. Carl was abused by his father and Roy let him, even though his brutality sickened him to the core. Roy always wanted to protect Carl at any cost, even if it meant fighting other boys who were jealous of his little brother or cleaning up after Carl when the latter found himself in a tight spot. On the other hand, Carl helped Roy to deal with his dyslexia which tormented him as a kid and still sometimes makes his life miserable. 3. It would be a crime to get into much detail regarding the plot of Blood Ties, the only thing worth knowing is that Nesbo proves that he deserves every bit of the high praise of both the readership and his peers as he possesses unique skills in crafting labyrinthine plotlines that slowly merge into one as we move forward. In a way, the theme selection and tone are pretty similar to those of The Kingdom, and beware that it will be troublesome to begin by reading the second book in the series even if the author meticulously provides the necessary background information throughout the novel. 4. Blood Ties is a dazzling crime novel aligned with the finest Jo Nesbo tradition and his fans will be rewarded with an unexpected shocker in the final pages. It will also be appreciated by the numerous fans of the Norwegian author’s most prominent fictional creation, detective Harry Hole. As we witness Roy’s thought process, we can hear the faint echo of Harry’s cynicism, perhaps even nihilism. This is a must-read for all of you who are keen on Nordic crime fiction and rest assured, you won’t be let down.