Reading Order
Harry Holeseries.seoTitleShort
Start with The Bat and continue through all 13 books in the listed reading order.
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Start with The Bat
Book 1 by Jo Nesbø • Published 1997
Norwegian detective Harry Hole is sent to Sydney after a young Norwegian woman is murdered there. Working with local police, he uncovers a series of killings and confronts a clever predator as well as his own drinking...
Complete List
Harry Hole reading order
Ends with Killing Moon
- 1

Book 1:The Bat
Jo Nesbø • 1997
Norwegian detective Harry Hole is sent to Sydney after a young Norwegian woman is murdered there. Working with local police, he uncovers a series of killings and confronts a clever predator as well as his own drinking...
- 2

Book 2:Cockroaches
Jo Nesbø • 1998
When Norway's ambassador to Thailand is found stabbed in a Bangkok motel, Harry is dispatched to quietly help the Thai police. The case draws him into embassy secrets, seedy bars and a trail of violence that reaches b...
- 3

Book 3:The Redbreast
Jo Nesbø • 2000
Assigned to monitor neo Nazi activity, Harry stumbles on an imported sniper rifle and a plot with roots in Norway's Second World War history. As he follows the clues, an aging ex soldier and a planned assassination co...
- 4

Book 4:Nemesis
Jo Nesbø
Use the reading order above to move through the series in the intended sequence.
- 5

Book 5:The Devil's Star
Jo Nesbø • 2003
Oslo is terrorised by a killer who leaves a tiny diamond shaped like a five pointed star at each crime scene. Harry is forced to partner with a rival detective he does not trust, while the city braces for the next att...
- 6

Book 6:The Redeemer
Jo Nesbø • 2005
A Salvation Army officer is shot at a packed Christmas market, apparently by a professional hit man. Harry's hunt for the shooter leads through the Army's inner politics, Croatian war scars and a tangled story of guil...
- 7

Book 7:The Snowman
Jo Nesbø
Use the reading order above to move through the series in the intended sequence.
- 8

Book 8:The Leopard
Jo Nesbø • 2009
Two women are found dead with mysterious puncture wounds, and Harry is dragged back from exile to help the investigation. Following a sadistic killer from Oslo to a remote mountain lodge, he uncovers a conspiracy that...
- 9

Book 9:Phantom
Jo Nesbø
Use the reading order above to move through the series in the intended sequence.
- 10

Book 10:Police
Jo Nesbø
Use the reading order above to move through the series in the intended sequence.
- 11

Book 11:The Thirst
Jo Nesbø • 2017
A killer is targeting people he meets through dating apps, biting their necks with custom metal teeth and drinking their blood. Harry, now off the force, is pulled back into the hunt when the murders point toward a pr...
- 12

Book 12:Knife
Jo Nesbø • 2019
Back in Oslo and drinking again, Harry wakes from a blackout covered in blood and with no memory of the night before. When someone close to him is found murdered, he must investigate his own missing hours while tracki...
- 13

Book 13:Killing Moon
Jo Nesbø • 2023
Living in Los Angeles and off the force, Harry is drawn back to Oslo when a serial killer starts targeting women linked to a billionaire's party. To save someone who once helped him, he assembles a ragged team and hun...
Quick Answers
Harry Hole FAQ
What is the best order to read the Harry Hole series?
The recommended reading order is the numbered order shown on this page, starting with The Bat.
How many books are in the Harry Hole series?
There are 13 books currently listed in the Harry Hole series on GurusReads.
Where should I start with the Harry Hole series?
New readers should start with The Bat, the first book in the reading order.
Is the Harry Hole series complete?
Based on the publication years we have, the series appears likely complete and spans releases from 1997 to 2023.