Reading order · 13 books · 1997 to 2022 · Set in Oslo
Harry Hole Books in Order
Harry Hole is an Oslo detective, brilliant, self-destructive and haunted by the colleagues he has lost. The first two books take him to Sydney and Bangkok; from The Redbreast onwards, Oslo and a long struggle against corrupt police shape the series. Dark, gripping Nordic noir.
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Series facts
- Books
- 13
- Published
- 1997 to 2022
- First book
- The Bat
- Latest
- Killing Moon (2022)
- Setting
- Set in Oslo
The reading order
Every Harry Hole book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
13 books · Set in Oslo
- 1The Bat1997With Harry HoleHarry Hole is sent to Sydney to help investigate the murder of a young Norwegian woman, and follows the trail into the city’s underworld.Buy on Amazon
- 2Cockroaches1998With Harry HoleHarry is sent to Bangkok after the Norwegian ambassador is found stabbed to death in a motel.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Redbreast2000With Harry HoleHarry investigates the purchase of a rare rifle in Oslo, and the trail leads back to Norwegians who fought for Germany on the Eastern Front in the Second World War.Buy on Amazon
- 4Nemesis2002With Harry HoleA bank robber shoots a cashier on camera, and Harry wakes up after a night with an old flame to find she is dead.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Devil’s Star2003With Harry HoleA serial killer is leaving tiny red diamonds shaped like stars on his victims in Oslo.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Redeemer2005With Harry HoleA Salvation Army officer is shot dead at a Christmas concert in Oslo.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Snowman2007With Harry HoleOn the night of the first snow, a woman disappears, and a snowman appears in her garden.Buy on Amazon
- 8The Leopard2009With Harry HoleHarry, hiding in Hong Kong, is brought back to Oslo to hunt a killer whose victims die in horrifying ways.Buy on Amazon
- 9Phantom2011With Harry HoleHarry returns to Oslo when Oleg, the boy he helped raise, is arrested for murder.Buy on Amazon
- 10Police2013With Harry HolePolice officers are being murdered at the scenes of old unsolved cases.Buy on Amazon
- 11The Thirst2017With Harry HoleA woman is found dead after a date arranged through a dating app, with strange bite marks on her neck.Buy on Amazon
- 12Knife2019With Harry HoleHarry Hole wakes after a heavy night with no memory and blood on his hands, and hears the worst news of his life.Buy on Amazon
- 13Killing Moon2022With Harry HoleHarry is drinking himself to death in Los Angeles, when he is drawn back to Oslo to investigate the disappearances of young women.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with The Bat. The Redbreast, Nemesis and The Devil’s Star form a trilogy within the series.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Harry Hole | Ståle Aune | Rakel Fauke | Oleg Fauke | Gunnar Hagen | Beate Lønn | Bjørn Holm | Katrine Bratt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Bat | LLead | |||||||
| 2 Cockroaches | LLead | |||||||
| 3 The Redbreast | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ||||
| 4 Nemesis | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | |||
| 5 The Devil’s Star | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | |||
| 6 The Redeemer | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 7 The Snowman | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 8 The Leopard | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 9 Phantom | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 10 Police | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 11 The Thirst | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 12 Knife | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 13 Killing Moon | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor |
Characters in the Harry Hole books
13 characters from Jo Nesbø’s chart, with the number of Harry Hole books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Harry HoleOslo detective | 13 | The Bat 1997 |
| Ståle AunePsychologist and Harry’s friend | 11 | The Redbreast 2000 |
| Rakel FaukeHarry’s great love | 10 | The Redbreast 2000 |
| Oleg FaukeRakel’s son | 8 | The Redbreast 2000 |
| Gunnar HagenHarry’s boss | 8 | The Redeemer 2005 |
| Beate LønnForensics chief with a perfect memory for faces | 7 | Nemesis 2002 |
| Bjørn HolmForensics officer | 7 | The Redeemer 2005 |
| Katrine BrattDetective | 6 | The Snowman 2007 |
| Bjarne MøllerHarry’s boss in the early books | 5 | The Bat 1997 |
| Mikael BellmanAmbitious police chief, later minister | 5 | The Leopard 2009 |
| Truls BerntsenCorrupt officer and Bellman’s friend | 5 | Phantom 2011 |
| Ellen GjeltenHarry’s partner | 3 | The Redbreast 2000 |
| Tom WaalerCorrupt detective | 3 | The Redbreast 2000 |