The Bat

A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 1

By: Jo Nesbø

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

The thrilling first book in the best-selling Harry Hole series, never before published in English.

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 just be the next victim.

Appearing in English for the first time, The Bat is the legendary first novel from the worldwide phenomenon Jo Nesbo.

©2012 Jo Nesbo (P)2012 Random House Audiobooks

The story moved a little slow. Learned about Aust

Would you try another book from Jo Nesbo and/or Sean Barrett?

Would not go out of my way for one of his books.

If you’ve listened to books by Jo Nesbo before, how does this one compare?

na

Was The Bat worth the listening time?

It was worth the listening time.

Any additional comments?

Learned a lot about Australia, the native people, and the prisoners from England who came to this land.

Audiobooks

What did you love best about The Bat?

Very well written, I just like the "Northern-Writers"!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Getting used to remember all the different characters, I could not wait to "Hear" the outcome!

What does Sean Barrett bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well spoken and adapting the voice and the "accents" to the different protagonists!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Nah, not really, but that's me!

Any additional comments?

I'm looking forward to the next 8 stories of Harry Hole!

Skip this one start on 2nd

I read this out of order since it was not available until recently on Audible. I love the Jo Nesbo series and by now have listened to them all. This, however, was my least favorite. The primary reason is that it is set in Australia. The later ones in Oslo. Harry Hole has all his usual problems but, but the series does much better in the cold and usually dark setting of Norway. It's like a Harry Potter series book set in L.A. It does not work so well. If I had read this first I might have not gone on to the rest of the series.

I would almost recommend that you save the credit on this one and start and the second in the series. You can always go back. There are 9 other in the series so you have over 100 hours of Harry Hole stories to listen to.

Also if you like these, you would most likely enjoy Jussi adler-olsen series Department Q. Very similar books.

Fulfills curiosity but better Nesbo in later books

Where does The Bat rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Was dying to read where Harry Hole began, firstly because I'm Australian and secondly for the natural curiosity for the beginning of a series. Always have preferred Sean Barrett - he has done all the narration on the non-US books - so much better than Robin Sachs. So, a good yarn and clearly Nesbo was enthralled with Aboriginal dreaming legends and Aussie slang and behaviour. The character of Harry is formed here and you get insights into his past but not as well crafted as in later books - once Nesbo is firmly on Norwegian soil everything is much crisper, more complex and better developed. If you're a Nesbo and Harry Hole devotee, then this book is a must - can't wait til Cockroaches hits the English translation list.

Finally a Reference For Harry's History!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes. Have been looking for the book for some time. Thank you! Harry's time in Australia is mentioned in later books. Have read all available in US and wanted the book and the background!
That being said, one can also tell it is an early effort. Though I truly enjoyed it I felt it, "ran on a bit", in some stages. A bit less polished than later work. Not as intricately woven as later efforts but then, that is usual for most series. Must read if you are a Harry Hole fan!

Have you listened to any of Sean Barrett’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I think he is a really an outstanding performer. Lots of accents, multiple characters, nothing seemed to escape his ability. A great reader! Added greatly to the book. I will look him up for future purchases.

Hurrah for Harry Hole

If you could sum up The Bat in three words, what would they be?

Twisted, spell-binding plot.

What did you like best about this story?

Its twists and turns were inriguing Nesbo expertly draws out the unorthodox brilliance of Harry Hole in tracking down a serial killer..

Have you listened to any of Sean Barrett’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. I liked the way he maintained the dark nature of the story. .

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not quite, but close.

Any additional comments?

The Bat sets the tone for Harry Hole's odyssey as the No.1 detective in fiction today..

A Pure Gem

I would highly recommend this fast-paced detective thriller. This is my first experience with Jo Nesbo and the Harry Hole series and what a terrific story. Let me also state emphatically at the outset that Sean Barrett does an incredible job as actor (the word "narrator" is too limiting).
This book has all the essential elements of an exciting novel - strong characters and plot, extremely well-written and, as mentioned above, well-told. Nesbo uses the effective technique of short anecdotes and flash backs to enrich the story and build the characters. There are also, at least in my opinion, many similarities between James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux and Nesbo's Harry Hole.
One other comment: this book is incredibly funny despite its theme.
Finally, I don't see Harry Hole Series #2 on the Audible list. #3 is there and thankfully Sean Barrett is the narrator.
This is clearly a must listen.

Great narration, story a bit slow

I was gripped by Nesbo's "The Snowman" from start to finish, but I had difficulty getting through this book (finished after many starts/stops.) I appreciated getting acquainted with Harry's background, but I felt like this was the required prerequisite before getting to the interesting book. I intend to read other Nesbo books, though, as perhaps the Australian setting wasn't a good fit for a Harry Hole mystery.

Sean Barrett did a great job with narration.

the first Harrry

This is one of those series where you first listen to the author, like the story, and realize you are starting somewhere in the middle. I've listened to all of them since that first one and enjoyed them all immensely but then audible releases the original first book. I decided I had to try it to see what I could learn of Harry Hole's beginnings. Often times authors get better with time. "The Bat" started kind of slowly but from the time Harry went on a bender and still thinking through the case while there, the book too off and the Nesbo I've learned to be a great fan of was right there. I do wonder why he picked Australia as the setting for his first Hole novel as all the other ones I've listened to were set in Norway. Harry has his demons for sure but you feel empathy as he unravels the mystery. Can't wait for the next one!

First in series--good, not great

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I love the Harry Hole series and was pleased to see the first in the series finally available. This story isn't as macabre as the other Harry Hole books, but it provides glimpses into Harry's life before he becomes completely jaded. Worth the listen for Nesbo fans.

If you’ve listened to books by Jo Nesbo before, how does this one compare?

I prefer the latter books but was glad I read this one.

Which character – as performed by Sean Barrett – was your favorite?

All the Australian accents were spot on.

Do you think The Bat needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Definitely written as a part of a series.