The Bat

by Jo Nesbo
This is the first mystery book in the Harry Hole series.

Hole is a Norwegian police officer who has been sent to Australia to help/observe the investigation the rape/death of a Norwegian girl.

Hole has  a troubled past, he had a girlfriend as a youth who dumped him for another guy.  As a police officer he was driving a police car while drunk and crashed.  His partner died in the crash and the police department official report says his partner was the one who was drunk and was the driver.  Hole is haunted by the death he caused and also the distorting of the truth.  He was in hospital for a long time and has now given up drinking.

When he arrives in Australia he is welcomed by an aboriginal police officer, Andrew.  Harry and Andrew help with the investigation including conducting additional interviews with people who knew the victim, etc.  In the story Harry is introduced or meets a variety of characters, Otto, a homosexual clown, a boxer friend of Andrew's, also an aboriginal; a drunk who hangs out in a downtown park, a flasher and Brigette, a barmaid from Sweden who Harry falls for and numerous low lifes.  They come up with a number of theories about the murder but aren't getting anywhere.  Then the find Otto has been murdered and Andrew is found hanged in Otto's place.  It appears he committed suicide but anyone who knows Andrew doubts that is the truth.  Harry and another police officer are able to prove that it was murder.  We find out that Andrew was a heroine addict but managed to hold down a job.  Harry believes that Andrew was trying to give him some hints as to the murderer prior to his death.

Harry is really devastated by Andrew's death and really falls off the wagon.

They suspect the murderer might be a drug dealer and try to trick him into admitting it by having Brigitte meet with him to see if he will confess.  However Brigitte never makes the meeting with the drug dealer, she has disappeared.  Harry now realizes that the drug dealer was not the murderer, it was Andrew's boxer friend.  He tells Harry he has Brigitte and will release her if Harry plants evidence to frame the drug dealer.  The police try to find the Boxer but they find Brigitte dead first,
Harry is totally gutted as it was his suggestion that she be the one to meet with the drug dealer.

Harry eventually tracks the murderer down in the Sydney acquarium where the murderer is killed by a great white shark.

The book was an interesting read, there is a bit of violence.  Harry is a complicated character who is not afraid to break the rules as a police officer.  I can understand the appeal of the series.