Blood Ties by Jo Nesbo

 

In The Kingdom, Nesbo fans met Carl and Roy Opgard who live in the small town of Os, Norway.  Carl is the local entrepreneur, lately returned from the United States, bringing home a wife and lots of plans for a luxury hotel.  Roy works in the local garage.  The two share a weighted childhood with abuse a common feature until Roy takes matters into his own hands.  Since then, the two have managed to remove any obstacles in their way, making them look like accidents or suicides.

Things have moved on.  Carl and Roy are living together in the family home, their love/hate relationship still intact.  But Roy now owns the garage he used to work in along with some other properties.  Carl, now without the wife, is building the biggest house Os has ever seen and planning an extension to the hotel/spa.  He is back with his high school sweetheart although she is married.  

Roy has a new woman in his life as well.  Natalie is a local Os girl but she was sent away when she hit puberty, the result of Roy's interference in her life.   Everyone knew her father was abusing her every night but only Roy stepped in.  He gave the man a beating to within an inch of his life and insisted that he send Natalie away to grow up in peace with relatives.  Now Natalie is back in town and Roy can't believe that she is attracted to him but she is.

But everything isn't perfect.  There are business problems with people trying to take what the Osgard brothers have built or cheat them.  The local sheriff has been a long time enemy as he suspects that the brothers are behind the death of his father and he won't give up until he has them behind bars.  The government is planning a new road, one that will bypass Os and make the hotel obsolete.  Will the brothers continue to thrive?

Jo Nesbo is known for his mysteries set in his native Norway.  In this novel, Roy is no doubt a horrible person but most of his crimes come from his desire to protect those he cares for.  Even though Carl has cheated him all his life, he still loves him and tries to protect him.  The reader can't help but pull for Roy as he outmaneuvers his enemies.  The plot is intricate and it is a joy to watch it unfold.  For me, Jo Nesbo is an automatic read as his work is complex and satisfying.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.