The Bat by Jo Nesbo

The Bat (Harry Hole, #1)

by Jo Nesbo

Discover the addictive first book in the bestselling Harry Hole series.

'A stunning opening to the series' Sunday Times

Harry is out of his depth.

Detective Harry Hole is meant to keep out of trouble. A young Norwegian girl taking a gap year in Sydney has been murdered, and Harry has been sent to Australia to assist in any way he can.

He's not supposed to get too involved.

When the team unearths a string of unsolved murders and disappearances, nothing will stop Harry from finding out the truth. The hunt for a serial killer is on, but the murderer will talk only to Harry.

He might be the next victim.


Jo Nesbo, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024

Reviewed by Lianne on

3 of 5 stars

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The Bat is an interesting introduction to Inspector Harry Hole, who is sent to Sydney, Australia to observe a murder case. The contrast was immediately striking: here is a man from a northern European country observing a case in sunny, laid-back Australia. It was fascinating to read about Scandinavian tourists in Australia, the status of the Aborigine on the continent and gay culture in Sydney as well as some bits of history and life in the interior of the country. The case itself is a slow burn and a chunk of the novel is spent acquainting the reader to Harry Hole and the many personal problems that he's dealing with.

Fans of crime mysteries and thrillers will want to check out this novel. My complete review of the novel was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2013/05/31/review-the-bat/

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 23 May, 2013: Finished reading
  • 23 May, 2013: Reviewed