I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
The Bat
by
Jo Nesbø
detective mystery in a hardcover edition that was published by Harvill Secker on October 11, 2012 and has 374 pages.
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First in the Inspector Harry Hole mystery series featuring a Norwegian detective sent to Sydney, Australia. It’s original title is Flaggermusmannen.
The Bat won the Glass Key Award and Glassnøkkelen in 1998 and the Rivertonprisen in 1997 (It is in Norwegian).
My Take
No, Hole being sent to Australia is more of a one-off. He thinks it may be a test to see if he can handle the pressure.
I must confess, I kept reading this simply because so many GR readers rave about the series. It was slow going until about halfway through before things started to pick up. In part I wondered if this slow, low-key pace is part of Nesbø’s Norwegian culture. We finally get that kick when we learn that Hole has a weakness, but it feels like more of an oops, Harry needs to be conflicted tossed in as a last-minute thought.
I do love our exposure to the average, everyday Australian culture in which people are so like the average American, with their lower- and middle-class jobs: they sell drugs, are policemen or guards, gays, hookers, bartenders, circus clowns, run hotels. The treat is in both the similarity and the differences. The first gives us a baseline for picturing them in our heads while the second provides that sense of divergence. Then there’s the modern Aboriginal mess of covert racism that exists, and it’s similarity to what happened with Native Americans in the U.S. when they were forced to assimilate.
I thought that Nesbø’s handling of Hole’s sudden mental breakthrough was unsupported with extremely few hints for the readers. Harry suddenly realized? Right… How White’s and his mother’s relationship, Harry’s romance, and Otto were handled were also huh, what? moments. As for Joe, he seemed to come out of left field. For a moment I thought I had picked up another book to read. Then there’s Harry’s insta-love, followed by insta-something else. For such a traumatic event, I’d’a thought Nesbø would have maximized the emotion of it. But like too much in this story, it’s neglected.
“Otto Rechtnagel has maintained a façade as a hundred percent, card-carrying homosexual since the age of ten.”
Sigh, I did fall in love with Andrew. A sign, I guess.
Nesbø’s handling of the alcoholism was well done, even if I never did pick up on the why. Especially Harry’s confession to Birgitta. It made a nice twist when Harry said “I’ve been given everything I asked for.”
I’ll go on and read Cockroaches, 2, once it’s translated into English and released April 2014, primarily because of those raves (#3, The Redbreast, is already translated into English). Of course, I guess it’s always possible that those raving about Harry Hole might have been the same readers raving about the Fifty Shades Trilogy…
The Story
It’s a sad, horrific murder that finds Harry Hole in Sydney, but Andrew more than makes up for it as he steers Hole through the town that knows him, playing tourist. It does appear to be what McCormack wants — paying lip service to Norwegian interest in the murder of one of their own.
Only Harry’s never been one for lip service, at least not out of bed.
The Characters
Inspector Harry Hole (Harry’s last name is pronounced Hooley) is a recovering alcoholic from Norway. Ronny Stiansen, Harry’s partner, was the impetus for Harry to quit.
Andrew Kensington is an Aboriginal detective who suffered through one of the government’s ideas of “making it up to the natives”. Neil McCormack is the Head of Crime Squad for Surry Hills in Sydney. Detective Larry Watkins is the standoffish leader of the investigative unit. The very meticulous Sergey Lebie is Watkins’ right hand man. Yong Sue is the youngest team member and will laugh at anything.
Inger Holter is a young Norwegian woman who’s been murdered. Birgitta Enquist worked with Inger at the Albury, a gay bar. Alex Tomaros, a.k.a., Mr. Bean, a.k.a., Fiddler Ray, is the bar manager and not much liked. Hunter Robertson was Inger’s landlord and neighbor with an interesting secret. It did make me laugh when we finally learn the truth about his “hobby”.
Evans White is a drug dealer with an eye for the ladies; his mother, Margaret Dawson, is one of the original hippies and now runs Crystal Castle. Mother Kindheart, a.k.a., Angelina Hutchinson, is one of White’s neighbors in Nimbin.
Robin “The Murri” Toowoomba is an Aboriginal boxer who looks up to Andrew as a father figure. Otto Rechtnagel is another friend of Andrew’s. A flaming gay man who performs as a clown in the circus, the Australian Travelling Show Park. Joseph is a drunk who hangs out at the park with his own sad story. Borroughs owns the Cricket. Joe runs a low-key, cheap hotel. Geoff and Ivan are bouncers where Teddy, Sandra‘s pimp, works.
I did love how Harry “persuaded” Dr. Engelsohn, the pathologist, to cooperate!
The Cover and Title
The cover is white and orange with the author’s name in black — but for the yellow slash in the “o” while the title is a gradient of black to yellow. A color choice that is reflected in the waters before the Sydney Opera House silhouetted in the background. Overlying the Opera House is a transparency of a bat’s wing.
The title is a brief commentary on an aboriginal folktale about The Bat, one which Harry seizes for his revenge.
