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

Who is Harry Hole?

Would you listen to The Bat again? Why?

I would not volenteer to listen a second time, but would not object to listening with someone else.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Harry, of course, he is the arch typical scandinavian morose, alcholic introspective loner detective.

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

I don't think so

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me want a drink but not Jim Beam. Perhaps Makers?

Any additional comments?

Where is spell checker??

My First Audible Book

Would you listen to The Bat again? Why?

The Bat was recommended to me by a friend. It was also suggested that I try an audible book, having never tried one before.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Bat?

I found the book quite slow in the first couple of hours. But the last 6-8 chapters were the most exciting as things started to get nasty for Harry and you really wondered who the villain was.
In the end I quite engaged with the central character Harry Hole.

What about Sean Barrett’s performance did you like?

It took quite a while for me to adapt to the narrator

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I found it really enjoyable in the bus, in the car but not so much sitting at home, where I think I prefer top read

Any additional comments?

Glad to read/listen to a book that is not set in USA!

Meet Harry Hole

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

The Bat is a must-listen for any Jo Nesbo fan. Harry Hole's beginnings are laid bare in stark detail and so much insight into the character he becomes in later books in the series is gained from this one. By far it is also one of the best in the series, not just because it is the first, but because the story turns back on itself so many times I was astonished by Nesbo's ability to slow the pacing of a novel to almost a crawl before giving you whiplash with the way he turns the story on its head!

What other book might you compare The Bat to and why?

I would compare The Bat to The Snowman, and I have actually gone back to listen The Snowman again to understand the tie in between the two. A character from The Bat makes a re-appearance of sorts in The Snowman, and again there is more insight to be gained into why Harry is the way he is.

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

Sean Barrett does an excellent job with all of the Harry Hole novels. I enjoy his measured pacing very much, and the way he doesn't force his voice higher to create female character tones but rather softens his pitch. Another excellent performance.

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

Definitely I would have listened to this in one sitting had I been able to!

Any additional comments?

I am looking forward to rounding out my Harry Hole series, and I am very glad that Audible was able to bring to life the first book in the series.

Excellent narration of an Aussie murder mystery

Interested in the Australian culture in general and portrayal of Aboriginal characters in particular. Personally did not enjoy Harry's struggle with alcohol.
Narrator was very skilled in differentiating the various accents - excellent.

One of the best police myster writers in the world

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

The Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo is at the top of my list for police procedural mystery/thrillers, along with Connelly and Sandford. The characters are so alive you miss them when the book is over. There are no fairy tale endings in these books. Life is scary and dark, with brief glimmers of life that, for Harry Hole, make it worth living despite the pain. His killers are terrifying and smart, a match for Harry's intellect. But beware: if you are always counting on a neat, happy ending you will be let down. If you want the gritty painful but real side of life, there is no one better than Nesbo. All of the books have now been put on audio. It is not absolutely required to read in order, but I would recommend it, as the books follow his career and life struggles. The Bat, the first of the the Harry Hole series, is one you will sit in your car in the dark after arriving home and will keep on listening. You can't turn it off.

This was okay.

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

Probably not another one from Jo Nesbo.

Could you see The Bat being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Don't think this should be made into a movie.

Any additional comments?

This was okay but I have to say I did have a hard time following it toward the end. Seemed to jump all over the place and in the end I really didn't like any of the characters.

It`s Jo Nesboe, enjoy!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Bat to be better than the print version?

Sorry to say i have not read the book. However, being quite busy, the audible version is my favorite anyway - in the car, on the train, the airport, even when biking:)

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Bat?

I really enjoy this book, it is so many things happening, so exciting, and i learned quite a few things about the aborigines and their history, nicely implemented in the story.

Harry approaching the redhead swedish girl in the bar and the encounter with Otto the transexual gives us an idea about gender and tolerance.

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

I have been listening to Sean Barrett`s voice through many books, and find his work outstanding. He is really good at copying accents, amazing.

Not so much.

This was my first of Mr. Nesbo, and sadly my last. I didn't care for the characters at all, and I'm sorry, but the name Hole, pronounced holy, just sounded strange when the narrator said it. Harry Hole, I know I'm being petty, but, how rude sounding. So for me it just kinda ruined it. I know it's childish, but, just saying.........

BORING

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I did not consider it a book to offer anyone.

Would you ever listen to anything by Jo Nesbo again?

The book had no interesting themes and about 1 hour into it I still did not know what it was about. If Jo Nesbo writes this way on other books other people must enjoy something in it. Not me.

How could the performance have been better?

No Idea!

What character would you cut from The Bat?

The book was impossible for me to get into. I have no idea who to cut.

Any additional comments?

Terrible book and a wast of time.

I can't understand the popularity of this author.

I find the story to be hard to follow, but most of all I find it boring. I tried this author because of the great reviews, but it is not for me. I like Patterson, Meltzer, Mcall Smith, Grisham, and all different kinds of mystery & suspense authors, but this one just doesn't do it for me. The performance is fine, but the story just doesn't grab me in the first 8 chapters. That is all the time I can give it.