I did not read this book in English, which gave me a different perspective on the Harry Hole novels. For example, the name itself in English is Harry Hole, but translated in another language with different emphasis and sounds it is more like Hari Hølā (Hoo-laa), a little point which I really enjoyed. Of course, the Norwegian names were difficult to pronounce, but that is part of the charm of translated novels.
About: The Bat by Jo Nesbø is the first novel in the Harry Hole series. The series has been translated to several languages and even being made into a movie. My rating for The Bat— 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format* More Books by Jo Nesbø Thoughts: The Bat by Jo Nesbø is not the first Harry Hole book I have read, I was on a book tour for The Devil’s Star and that’s when I discovered Harry Hole. The nice thing about this series that, while you follow the characters, they novels are more or less standalone. Reading the other novels will give you more insight and more enjoyment, but they are not a must. This is an enjoyable novel, I found it peculiar that the author chose to set the novel in Australia, simply because it is the first novel in a series about a Norwegian detective, but it works. The “fish out of water” storyline seems particularly interesting in this case. Mr. Nesbø’s characters and descriptions are nicely written (great job by translator Don Bartlett) and the Norse attitude jumps off the pages. The novel’s mystery is solved about two thirds into the book…
