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The Bat: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 1 (Unabridged)

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The Bat: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 1 (Unabridged) [Audio Download]

by Jo Nesbo (Author), Sean Barrett (Narrator)

3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (529 customer reviews)

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Read the customer ratings and reviews at Audible.co.uk for The Bat: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 1 (Unabridged) (audiobook).

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Product details

Audio Download
Listening Length: 10 hours and 43 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
Audible.co.uk Release Date: 11 Oct 2012
Language: English
ASIN: B009OXPCFM

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (529 customer reviews)

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Product Description

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.

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Customer Reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars

3.8 out of 5 stars

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

311 of 328 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The first Harry Hole 13 Jun 2012

By J. Gavand

Format:Kindle Edition

i am a huge fan of Jo Nesbo and I have been waiting for a long time for this book to be translated.
so long I have already read it in my native language, French.
it is very well written and we can recognize Jo's style straight away.
lots of suspects, twisted plots in Australia where Harry has been sent to solve the killing of a young Norwegian woman.I strongly recommend this book
which won the 1997 Glass Key Award.

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42 of 45 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars We are spolit by the later books .... but give it a go. 30 July 2013

By Adrian Maxwell

Format:Paperback

A strange book and a strange time of publication. It was written in 1997, 16 years ago. It is the first Harry Hole book and, indeed, appears to be JN's first published book. I have taken the liberty of including the Wikipedia chronology of the HH books at the end of this review. It will be seen that the 2nd HH book, The Cockroaches, is to be UK published later this year (November). It is not apparent why the 1st and 2nd HH books are published in this way - I think one reviewer opines that The Bat is so bad that had it been published in 1997 the whole HH schtick may not have survived.

Nevertheless The Bat is essential reading for all HH fans. But it is not a great book if compared to the later books. HH is sent to Australia to assist Sydney police investigating the murder of a Norwegian girl. It starts well with HH being teamed with an Aboriginal detective. However, the narrative soon descends into a series of Aboriginal allegories the purpose of which escaped me, I'm afraid. These allegories did not serve as exposition nor did they appear to assist HH as he went about investigating the murder.

My 2nd criticism is that HH spent too much time navel gazing and reflecting on the past. I appreciate that JN was establishing and developing the HH character but I felt there was just too much morbid and disconsolate reflecting by HH. JN properly introduces a number of characteristics which define, and continue to define, HH in later books, but I felt they took up too much of the book.

I make these points about the allegories and self reflection because there is actually a cracking criminal investigation buried away in this story. Read more ›

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39 of 44 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Hard work 26 Oct 2012

By JMAC

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As someone who has read and enjoyed the Harry Hole novels, I was really looking forward to the publication of 'The Bat'. All the usual Nesbo plot elements are there, but with a lack of subtlety. There are long passages about Australian aborginal culture and beliefs, that read as though they come straight from a travel guide. There were several points where I put the book away and decided not to finish it (the opposite experience from the later novels, that demand to be read to the end). The only reason I finished it was that I was on a long journey and had no alternatives. Not recommended.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as his others 17 Jan 2013

By Helenbubble

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

It was good to get some extra background on Harry Hole. The story was a bit too much if a history lesson on Australia, and it wasn't as gripping as his previous books.

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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars A great disappointment 10 May 2013

By M. E. Arthur

Format:Hardcover

I have read all the other Nesbo books and in the words of the old cliche " couldn't put them down".
About half way through this one I couldn't be bothered to pick it up again. Lost interest in who fun it. A poorly plotted book but I guess Nesbo was learning his trade. All his other books get 5 stars from me.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Audiobook Review 27 Oct 2012

By Sile VINE VOICE

Format:Audio Download

Synopsis: Harry Hole is in Australia as the representative of the Norwegian police in the investigation of the murder of Inger Holter, a Norwegian national. Upon arrival, he is met by Andrew Kensington, an indigenous Australian policeman who guides Harry through the investigation, despite attempts by the force to side-line him. It soon becomes clear that Inger's death is just one of many of young, blonde women up and down the eastern seaboard.

A number of my friends have been recommending the Harry Hole series to me, and the books keep appearing on (targeted) recommending reading lists. As "The Bat: A Harry Hole Thriller, Book 1 (Unabridged)" was the first book in the Harry Hole series, and it was released in audio format, almost at the same time as the print copy, I downloaded it.

Aside from which, it was a Scandi-Nordic, crime fiction story set in Australia. How could I resist?

I'll begin my review with the narration by Sean Barrett. His vocal characterisation was so solid that just before the perpetrator's name was revealed, I knew who it was by voice alone. General Australian accents are reasonably well done, even if regional differences are omitted. Have to love the various pronunciations of Harry's surname, too; it provided me with giggles. I felt the pacing of the audiobook was perfectly matched to the storyline; and it helped build the tension for me.

It seems as though a considerable amount of Harry Hole's past is revealed in this book, and I think I might have appreciated "... Read more ›

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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Oh, dear 4 Feb 2013

By D Stuart

Format:Kindle Edition

I am a fan of the Harry Hole series and I couldn't understand why the first book hadn't been published in English until now. Now I know. It is dreadful. Trite and with a meandering plot punctuated by Australian Aboriginal legends I was relieved to finish it . So keen to get to the end that I skimmed through the last 100 or so pages. Only done this previously with a Dan Brown book. The only good thing about the Bat is that if I had started with this book I would have given up on Jo Nesbo. Which would have been a great pity as all other books in this series have been very enjoyable

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Harry Hole 1

I am now well into the the Harry Hole Oslo series and the later books are far superior. Even so, this original novel is important as an introduction to the character.

Published 8 days ago by Bath Bhoy

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant

Impossible to putdown, Harry is irritating but compulsive reading! Fast moving and gripping, cant wait to read the next Nesbo now

Published 18 days ago by Lynden