The Bat

The First Inspector Harry Hole Novel

De: Jo Nesbo, Don Bartlett - translator

Narrado por: John Lee

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.

Reseñas de la Crítica

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A USA Today Critic’s Pick • Winner of The Riverton Prize for Best Norwegian Crime Novel of the Year • Winner of The Glass Key for Best Nordic Crime Novel of the Year

“This is an absolute must for devotees of the riveting train wreck that is Harry Hole.... While the chronological confusion is disconcerting, it adds a layer of dramatic irony to the tale and enhances its tension and power.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“Harry is already every bit as volcanic as in his later cases. The big difference is Australia, which Nesbø, seeing it through the eyes of both a tourist and a cultural pathologist, makes you wonder how much different it is from Norway after all.”
—Kirkus Reviews

"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

“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

“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

“Nesbø is already taking on the clichés, ruthlessly tearing them apart and coming up with new riffs.... Most satisfyingly, we can now see the organic shape that Nesbø always intended his work to take.”
—The Independent (London)

A great (if somewhat confusing) listen.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Jo Nesbo's first Harry Hole novel is great example of modern detective fiction. While it doesn't really break the mold of alcoholic damaged detective goes through the seedy underbelly of (insert city here), it still grips the listener and makes you actually feel for the characters. I won't say that you'll fall in love with them, but Harry's interactions with them seems organic and keeps the suspension of disbelief alive throughout the book. Some of the plot points seem to have poor explanation, like one didn't get the whole story behind them before Nesbo put them to page, but that might just be me. Overall, a good start to a series and I look forward to more adventures and mysteries with this series.

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

(SPOILER WARNING) The description of Baurguetta's (sp?) murder inspired true dread, and the thoughts in Harry's mind as they drag the waters was beautifully done. A true verbal still life picture into a scene a dread, misery, and loss of something that felt like it was never truly there.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

John Lee did an exceptional job. His Australian accent seemed quite authentic to me. I will say however that two characters did sound almost exactly alike, but this issue rarely rears his head in the reading.

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

No, unfortunately. However, that just may be my personality. Always moving, always listening.

Very good story

Learner more about Australia and it's racial struggles and was my first talking Harry book good narration

outstanding

Fantastic story, well told, avoids many of the old formulas. John Lee's narration is spot-on, as always.

OK

The characters didn’t have enough depth to carry a story of this length. Perhaps it’s because this is the first in the series.
The Australian narrator was a bit tough to get used to but I consider that my problem, not his.

Not Nesbo's best

Struggled to finish, most of the book felt unattached to the story. this is definitely not Nesbo's best book or Harry Hole's most exciting outing but gives insight into Harry for the later books that he is featured in.