The Bat by Jo Nesbo 369 pgs.

The Bat     by Jo Nesbo     369 pgs

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Great reads demand a ritual. So when one of my favorite authors comes out with a new book I have a fresh brewed cup of coffee in fine china, I climb into the Chair (plush, huge, 3 positions), put out my do not disturb sign and don’t get up again until I’m finished. Such is the case with Jo Nesbo who is one of my all time favorite authors.

In The Bat Harry Hole from the Oslo Crime Squad travels to Australia to offer assistance when a Norwegian citizen is found brutally murdered. Even though Harry was instructed to stay out of the way he sets out to do what few do better—tortured soul that he is—and that is to solve the crime. Working with an Aboriginal detective Harry soon realizes they are on the trail of a serial killer. 

For some reason the books were published out of order so for the longest time I thought I was starting at the beginning of the series when in actuality I started with the fourth book. This was not a bad thing because I am not at all sure that I would have developed such a love for this author and his character had I started with The Bat because it did not have the same intensity and grit that I have grown to expect of his later novels.

 

Still, I highly recommend this book because Harry Hole is truly a one of a kind character and The Bat gives you insight into some of what makes him who he is. The more the series continues the better it gets.

Jo Nesbo’s latest Harry Hole procedural The Police is due out shortly. I am at the top of the list. I can already feel that it will be a fine china kind of a day.