The Bat

The First Inspector Harry Hole Novel

By: Jo Nesbø, Don Bartlett

Narrated by: Joh Lee

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • In the electrifying first installment of the New York Times bestselling series, Harry Hole of the Oslo Crime Squad is dispatched to Sydney to observe a murder case. As he circles closer to the killer, Harry begins to fear that no one is safe, least of all those investigating the murder.

The victim is a twenty-three year old Norwegian woman who is a minor celebrity back home. Harry is free to offer assistance, but he has firm instructions to stay out of trouble. 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.

Don't miss Jo Nesbo's latest Harry Hole thriller, Killing Moon!

©2013 Jo Nesbø (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Even with this first book Nesbø’s command of the idiom is completely in place—there is absolutely no sense that the writer was finding his feet and aficionados will be very pleased to slide this on to their bookshelves alongside the other Harry Hole novels.” (The Daily Express)

"This debut effort shows Nesbø as an already confident genre craftsman, striking sparks from the familiar genre material of Harry’s fish-out-of-water experience in a foreign land and odd-couple pairing with a mismatched partner." (Publishers Weekly)

“It is fantastic to see a younger Harry, a more loquacious Harry. . . . [Nesbø is] a terrific writer who knows how to build a story, taking you slowly to the top of a rollercoaster before sending you hurtling towards a solution that you never see coming.” (Scottish Express)

Not his best work

Oh my goodness, could this have been more confusing or wordy? Harry has not show such a despicable side before. Yikes. Glad this isn’t my first Harry Holes book or it would be my last. The others are much better.

Just not for me

I loved the scarecrow and I was looking forward to enjoying this book but the narrator just drove me mad. He has this sing song voice that does not punctuate and accentuate the phrases, besides being a very long-winded type of story his narration completely put me off. I hope the rest of his books are not read by the same man I am returning this.

Scandinavians Down Under.

A Norwegian in Sidney- we are brought along as Harry learns life lessons from Māori guides, and travels to weird and dangerous places. Memorable characters and a plot that was mostly followable — tho a predictable end for the baddie, I was glad to be there.

Wow, A Complex, Nordic/Australian Thriller

This is the story of a Norwegian detective sent to Sydney Australia to investigate the murder of a Norwegian television star. I love Jo Nesbo's writing style. The dialog is perfect, tone-on. You get a large exposure to the native culture and a gritty serial killer at work. There are the blind alleys. Harry the protagonist is the flawed detective (alcoholic) but he keeps a sharp eye on detail and inconsistencies. The plot unravels slowly at first, feeling very real and then accelerates. I loved it.

Good on 'ya Mr. Nesbo

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

Gripping Crime Drama

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

The crimes were never really solved till everything comes together. Then it all made perfect sense

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

Mr. Lee is my favorite narrator. He reads with restrained passion. He also speaks Austrailian superbly

Any additional comments?

I'd just finished "In a Sunburnt Country" by Bill Bryson. His travels thru the land down under. The Bat takes place in Austrailia so I got to stay in character for this book or in country you might say

I will probably read the next one in the series

Harry Hole is a tortured soul, a recovering alcoholic, who carries the weight of his past as he attempts to find a serial killer.

slow but very good

the plot is a bit slow but very good. the characters are deep and interesting. their development is the real selling point. as they are slowly revealed layer by layer it really pulls you in.

Not my favorite of the series

I lost interest at times and missed the narration of Robin Sachs. His voice was everything.

Great Read

A great mystery, an excellent story well written. I enjoyed both the story and the narration.

Enjoyed the book, but not the narrator

I finished The Bat before reading all the reviews. I actually enjoyed the book, but now expect much more of the rest in the series. What i didn't care for, however, is the narrator. In this book, Harry is supposed to be young and attractive, which... to me... doesn't fit John Lee's narrative. Lee's voice fits well for "film noir" type. He's classic, perfect enunciation, clearly not young, edgy, and sexy, Certainly a wonderful job with various accents. I will probably read the rest of the books rather than listen to Mr. Lee's interpretation.