This is the 20th anniversary edition of the first book in the internationally best-selling Harry Hole series. It includes the opening of the brand new Harry Hole thriller, The Thirst, and an exclusive new introduction by Jo Nesbo. Harry is out of his depth. Detective Harry Hole is meant to keep out of trouble. A young Norwegian girl taking a gap year in Sydney has been murdered, and Harry has been sent to Australia to assist in any way he can. He’s not supposed to get too involved...When the team unearths a string of unsolved murders and disappearances, nothing will stop Harry from finding out the truth. The hunt for a serial killer is on, but the murderer will talk only to Harry...But he might just be the next victim. „A fascinating book, filling in the gaps in Hole’s biography and telling the story of the murder case in Australia that cemented his reputation as a brilliant investigator... A stunning opening to the series” Sunday Times „Meaty, big and bloody, this is the rock and roll of detective fiction” Financial Times „Nesbo is a terrific writer who knows how to build a story, taking you slowly to the top of a rollercoaster before sending you hurtling towards a solution that you never see coming” Sunday Express „Harry Hole is fully formed as the difficult, vulnerable personality we have come to know. The evocation of Australia itself has the customary Nesbo expertise...most satisfyingly - we can now see the organic shape that Nesbo always intended his work to take” -- Barry Forshaw Independent „Whether a hardened Hole addict or a first-time imbiber, The Bat is sure to snare your interest with its tale of this booze-fuelled policeman” Sunday Sun „A searing read from a chilling thriller writer” Independent „Hole is a spiky character and this is the first novel to feature him. If you want to get to know this brilliant, flawed character, this is the best place to start” -- William Leith Scotsman