The Bat Paperback - 2012

Media reviews

"Jo Nesbo, of Norway--not Sweden--gets a pass in one regard, at least: he published the first of his 8 Detective Harry Hole thrillers in 1997, long before Mikael Blomkvist set eyes on Lisbeth Salander. Like Larsson's, his novels are maddeningly addictive: be prepared for more whirlwind rides through those unpronounceable Scandinavian street names."
—Vanity Fair

“A first-rate whodunit…. A twisty, fast-paced concoction stocked with ample red herrings…. This origin tale is both a groundbreaking operation and a sumptuous, satisfying meal.”
—Winnipeg Free Press
 
“Australia’s isolation proves the perfect backdrop for the offbeat, chain-smoking, alcoholic loner living with a secret that could destroy his career…. Nesbø…has been touted as the next Stieg Larsson. It’s an obvious comparison, and Nesbø is just as accomplished a storyteller.”
—NOW (Toronto) NNNN
 
“Even with this first book Nesbo’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.”
—Daily Express
 
“It may take readers of The Bat a few chapters to adjust to the brighter, younger, more energetic Harry of novel one…. The sunny setting of Australia makes a change from Oslo’s dark streets and imbues the novel with Antipodean charm…. For fans of uber-cool Jo Nesbø, The Bat is a must-read, but book one is also a great place to start on one of the twenty-first century’s most thrilling Scandinavian crime series.”
—TVNZ (New Zealand)