Known primarily for his crime novels featuring Inspector Harry Hole, Nesbø is also the main vocalist and songwriter for the Norwegian rock band Di Derre.

Hole takes on seemingly unconnected cases, sometimes found to involve serial killers, bank robbers, gangsters, or the establishment, but spends a significant amount of time battling alcoholism and his own personal demons.

"[13] A film adaptation of The Snowman, with Tomas Alfredson directing (replacing Martin Scorsese, who executive produced), and starring Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, and Charlotte Gainsbourg,[14] premiered in October 2017.

The series is set in Oslo and follows the story of Doctor Proctor, a crazy professor waiting for his big break, his next-door neighbour Lisa and her peculiar friend Nilly, a short redheaded boy.

[20][21] It was also announced in October 2013 that Warner Brothers had bought the rights to Blood on Snow and planned to make a screen adaptation, to be produced by and possibly starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

[20] A film adaptation of Midnight Sun, titled The Hanging Sun, directed by Francesco Carrozzini directing and starring Alessandro Borghi, Jessica Brown Findlay, Sam Spruell, Peter Mullan and Charles Dance,[24] premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in September 2022.

[26] In 2014 it was announced that Nesbø would contribute a re-telling of the story of Macbeth as part of the Hogarth Shakespeare project, described as a 'crime noir' version of the tragedy.

[29][30] In 2016, it was announced that there are also plans to adapt his stand-alone novel, Sønnen (The Son), as a film, to be directed by Denis Villeneuve, with Jake Gyllenhaal as producer and Channing Tatum in the lead role.

[31] On 5 April 2017, it was announced that Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur was working on a new adaptation of I Am Victor, a short story by Nesbø previously planned as an NBC television series but not completed.