bags_and_bookz's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada, Seal Books and Jo Nesbo for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.
The Bat, written by Jo Nesbø, is a gripping and suspenseful crime thriller featuring Oslo detective Harry Hole. While this book has garnered much acclaim and a dedicated fan base, it seems that it did not meet my expectations and left me with mixed feelings.
The story follows Harry Hole as he is sent to Sydney, Australia, to assist in the investigation of the brutal rape and murder of Inger Holter, a young Norwegian woman. As Harry delves deeper into the case, he realizes that Inger's murder may be connected to a series of unsolved crimes across the country. With no obvious suspect and a pattern that seems impossible to crack, Harry finds himself racing against time to stop a highly intelligent killer.
It is unfortunate that I did not enjoy The Bat as much as you anticipated. One aspect that seems to have impacted my experience is my dislike for the main character, Harry Hole.
However, it is worth noting that Jo Nesbø is widely regarded as a master of the crime genre, and The Bat has received praise for its intricate plot, atmospheric setting, and suspenseful storytelling. The book has captivated many readers with its twists and turns, keeping them on the edge of their seats until the very end.
While this particular novel may not have resonated with me, it is important to remember that reading preferences are subjective.
The Bat, written by Jo Nesbø, is a gripping and suspenseful crime thriller featuring Oslo detective Harry Hole. While this book has garnered much acclaim and a dedicated fan base, it seems that it did not meet my expectations and left me with mixed feelings.
The story follows Harry Hole as he is sent to Sydney, Australia, to assist in the investigation of the brutal rape and murder of Inger Holter, a young Norwegian woman. As Harry delves deeper into the case, he realizes that Inger's murder may be connected to a series of unsolved crimes across the country. With no obvious suspect and a pattern that seems impossible to crack, Harry finds himself racing against time to stop a highly intelligent killer.
It is unfortunate that I did not enjoy The Bat as much as you anticipated. One aspect that seems to have impacted my experience is my dislike for the main character, Harry Hole.
However, it is worth noting that Jo Nesbø is widely regarded as a master of the crime genre, and The Bat has received praise for its intricate plot, atmospheric setting, and suspenseful storytelling. The book has captivated many readers with its twists and turns, keeping them on the edge of their seats until the very end.
While this particular novel may not have resonated with me, it is important to remember that reading preferences are subjective.
cheeka's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
jdcorley's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
It's a bit slow going at first as the characters go round and round and the clues seem aimless and the crime seems anodyne. But then everyone you've met begins to display something else about them, including our hero Harry. Soon he's paranoid, or all along, perhaps he's been seeing the things we didn't. A fine entry in the troubled-detective genre.
jadsam_'s review against another edition
2.0
average and underwhelming. nothing special. but fast paced and easy to read. some good thrills but rushes to the end and never properly concludes. and the blurb is so misleading
sarah_gbwi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
cicelybelle's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Murder, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
septimusmith's review against another edition
2.0
The whole story seemed quite shallow from the beginning so it continued. I’m sure that other Harry Hole novels are better.
Friends, feel free to recommend the better ones since I will soon begin reading “The Knife”.
Friends, feel free to recommend the better ones since I will soon begin reading “The Knife”.
katzenhai's review against another edition
3.0
Ich habe mich durch die erste Hälfte gequält. Es ist halt überhaupt nicht das, was man durch den Klappentext erwartet. Der Kommissar macht eher in Sydney Urlaub. Und man lernt viel über Mythen und Legenden der Aborigine. Aber ich wollte halt eigentlich eine spannende Jagd auf den Serienkiller. Mit 2 spektakulären Morden und einer überraschend Wendung konnte mich dann die zweite Hälfte überzeugen. Ich glaube durch den Klappentext habr ich zu viel erwartet, der spoilert fast das ganze Buch und ich habe die ganze Zeit gewartet, dass das passiert.
Naja, nach den ersten beiden Teilen soll die Reihe ja richtig gut werden. Und Leopard hatte mich vor vielen Jahren überzeugt. Also Zähne zusammenbeißen und durch.
Naja, nach den ersten beiden Teilen soll die Reihe ja richtig gut werden. Und Leopard hatte mich vor vielen Jahren überzeugt. Also Zähne zusammenbeißen und durch.
colourmeread's review against another edition
3.0
As someone who rarely reads crime fiction, I only picked up Jo Nesbø for the Colour Me Read Challenge after he was recommended to me by fellow bookstagrammers from Instagram. I was quite intimidated when I read the synopsis for some of Nesbø's books, so I thought I'd take baby steps and begin with the first book in the Harry Hole series. I was not disappointed! Nesbø's writing makes me think of being intimidated by a stranger only to find they're one of the most easygoing people you'll ever meet. Nesbø's work is very readable which makes The Bat a great pick for people who want to try crime fiction for the first time.
It does take some time for the story to pick up but when you look back at it in hindsight, I can appreciate how Nesbø laid things out so he could tie them nicely later. This book had me guessing constantly! I doubted a lot of the characters and still didn't see the reveal coming.
I liked how Nesbø handled his characters as well. From Harry to Joseph, Nesbø manages to add depth and personality to multiple characters that pop up in the story. I don't find many authors able to do this, so that was a plus for me.
I had such a satisfying experience with Nesbø that it makes me look forward to reading The Snowman! It won't be my next read, but I do plan to go through books in the Harry Hole series. If you're new to crime fiction and want to try it out, I recommend starting with The Bat. It's an easy read that will keep you curious and entertained, just enough to entice you in reading more books in this genre!
It does take some time for the story to pick up but when you look back at it in hindsight, I can appreciate how Nesbø laid things out so he could tie them nicely later. This book had me guessing constantly! I doubted a lot of the characters and still didn't see the reveal coming.
I liked how Nesbø handled his characters as well. From Harry to Joseph, Nesbø manages to add depth and personality to multiple characters that pop up in the story. I don't find many authors able to do this, so that was a plus for me.
I had such a satisfying experience with Nesbø that it makes me look forward to reading The Snowman! It won't be my next read, but I do plan to go through books in the Harry Hole series. If you're new to crime fiction and want to try it out, I recommend starting with The Bat. It's an easy read that will keep you curious and entertained, just enough to entice you in reading more books in this genre!