'The Bat' in the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbø follows the Norwegian detective Harry Hole as he investigates a murder in Sydney, Australia. The plot unfolds slowly, revealing Harry's struggles with alcoholism, his damaged past, and his interactions with the Australian police and local culture. The narrative combines elements of Australian mythology, dark crime thriller, and a touch of eeriness, culminating in a captivating final pursuit that keeps the reader engaged until the end.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
There are medium content warnings for violence, murder, themes of alcoholism, and racism.
Has Romance?
There is a medium level of romance present, particularly involving Harry Hole's relationships with women.
From The Publisher:
The electrifying first installment of the Harry Hole series.
Inspector Harry Hole of the Oslo Crime Squad is dispatched to Sydney to observe a murder case. Harry is free to offer assistance, but he has firm instructions to stay out of trouble. The victim is a twenty-three year old Norwegian woman who is a minor celebrity back home. Never one to sit on the sidelines, Harry befriends one of the lead detectives, and one of the witnesses, as he is drawn deeper into the case. Together, they discover that this is only the latest in a string of unsolved murders, and the pattern points toward a psychopath working his way across the country. As they circle closer and closer to the killer, Harry begins to fear that no one is safe, least of all those investigating the case.
Ratings (30)
Incredible (3) | |
Loved It (9) | |
Liked It (7) | |
It Was OK (7) | |
Did Not Like (3) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (75):
Read It (35) | |
Want To Read (28) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (11) |
2 comment(s)
In this first book about Harry Hole, he travels to Sydney, Australia to investigate the murder of a Norwegian woman and it turns out they got a serial killer on their hands. It was a decent start. Not as great as the standalone I've read by Jo Nesbo but I'm interested in the series and how it will develop over the books. Wasn't over entusiastisk over Harry Hole in this book but think the character can be interesting in other books.
Harry Hole comes on to the scene with a bang in this book - but his patterns here are just as annoying as they are later. The way this guy drinks he should not be 12 books into a murder mystery series. I'm also not crazy about the way women are treated in this series - a little too James Bond-style for me. However, I still find these books compulsively readable and this one is the best so far.
What can you read after
The Bat?
About the Author:
Jo Nesbø's books have sold more than eighteen million copies worldwide, and have been translated into forty-seven languages. His Harry Hole novels include The Redbreast, Nemesis, The Devil's Star, The Snowman, The Leopard, Phantom and The Redeemer, and he is the author of Headhunters and several children's books. He has received the Glass Key Award for best Nordic crime novel. He is also a musician, songwriter, and economist and lives in Oslo.
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