Kakerlaken (Ein Harry-Hole-Krimi 2)

Geschrieben von Achim Buch und Jo Nesbø

Erzählt von Achim Buch

Kommissar Harry Holes zweiter Fall: In Bangkok wurde der norwegische Botschafter ermordet. Harry Hole soll die thailändische Polizei bei der Mordermittlung unterstützen und taucht tief in die Unterwelt einer Stadt ab, in der Moral und Gesetz keine Rolle spielen. Dabei findet er über den Ermordeten, der ein enger Weggefährte des norwegischen Ministerpräsidenten war, mehr heraus, als seinen Vorgesetzten lieb ist...

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: Hörbuch Hamburg
• Erscheinungsdatum: 8. Sept. 2010
• ISBN: 9783844903447

Rezensionen für Kakerlaken (Ein Harry-Hole-Krimi 2)

[juva_3 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

This time Harry finds himself deployed to Bangkok, Thailand to investigate the murder of a Norwegian ambassador. The man was found stabbed to death in a seedy motel by the prostitute he ordered. Naturally, the powers that be want the crime solved and the scandal smoothed over. But Harry Hole has other ideas.

[dougcornelius_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

A mash up of a Norwegian police detective in Bangkok. It works well most of the time as the story takes you through the twists and turns of who did what.

[burritapal · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I like the characters of Harry Hole's (great name, Nesbo) Bangkok adventure, but I don't agree that Nesbo is the next Stieg Larsson. This mystery/thriller takes place in the winter of Bangkok, and it's so hot and steamy that he (Harry) wonders what it's like in the hot season. The usual gigantic, scary, extremely strong-and-like-steel mafioso guy seems omniscient in how he pops up everywhere is in here. The Uber rich guy who's got every angle figured and covered is in here too. And then we've got ol sad, boozing Harry Hole, who may be a boozer but he's also a pretty good cop.

[akbouterse · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

This was a pretty good follow up and I did like it more than book one. There were still some things that really showed the age of this book but I'm excited to be getting more information about Harry's family and background.

The plot of this book is set in Bangkok and deals with Norwegians in Bangkok who are under suspicion for pedophilia. This was an interesting enough plot and I liked how the mystery ended up playing out. I was glad this didn't end up being a thing where Harry gets a different girlfriend in every book. That would have been super annoying so I'm glad it seems like it's going to be a more normal progression of his social life throughout these books. I don't have too much to say about the actual mystery. It was pretty standard fair, which is fine. I like how Nesbo does his reveals and I was satisfied with the ending. I'm excited to see how these plots go in later books that I know readers like more.

These books are so easy to from the library so I'm sure I'll read the next one soon. These are really nice books to read during busy times at school for some quick entertainment.

[bookconcierge · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Digital audiobook performed by John Lee Book two in the popular Norwegian mystery series, has Inspector Harry Hole traveling to Bangkok to “help” investigate the murder of Norway’s Ambassador to Thailand, who was found stabbed in a brothel. Harry seems an unlikely choice for such a political sensitive assignment. He’s an alcoholic and a barely functioning one at that. But he takes the long flight as an opportunity to dry out (at least temporarily) and get his brain engaged once again. I started reading this series with The Snowman and then decided I needed to go back to book one and start at the beginning. Nesbø crafts a complicated plot with many twists and turns and enough suspects, and side plots, to distract the most dedicated detective – and reader. Harry is really growing on me. He’s flawed, of course, but I like the way he thinks and figures out the mystery. I also like how Nesbø explores Harry’s personal demons and struggle with drink. It’s not an easy thing to overcome and while he doesn’t dwell on it, the author doesn’t sugarcoat it either. I really liked Liz Crumley, who is an inspector in the Bangkok Homicide division, and would love to see more of her in the series. I’ve been to Bangkok several times, and while my travels avoided the seedier areas of town that Harry must navigate as he looks into the case, I can say that Nesbø’s writing definitely evoked the sights, sounds, smells and flavors of that city for me. That steamy heat! The incessant cacophony of traffic! The relief of entering an air-conditioned building and enjoying an ice-cold beverage!I did find myself cringing quite a bit at the more violent scenes. So, if you bothered by such graphic depictions this is probably not the series for you.John Lee does a great job of narrating. He sets a good pace, and his diction is easily understood even when listened to at double speed.

[picathartes · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This book started out strong, it sucked me in in the first few pages. I really liked maybe the first 3/4rds of the story, but I didn’t particularly like how it ended. One, far too many of the good people were hurt or killed, and far too many of the baddies got away or did not suffer in any major way. But the main thing was the final telling, how all the convoluted twists and turns of the story are laid out in the last few pages. It’s basically an endless narrative until the author wants to end it and then it is... well, here you go. And the bad guy, like in a Bond movie, tells Harry Hole the entire plot so he can thwart the evil-doers and save the day and everyone knows all; it basically ended like that.Still, another solid Jo Nesbø book.

[tmph_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

By his second Harry Hole novel, Nesbo has hit his stride. Very good.

[jbd1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Harry Hole goes to Thailand to investigate the murder of the Norwegian ambassador to Bangkok. Another good fast-paced read, anyway.

[decaturmamaof2 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Interesting but not by far as thrilling / twisted as Nesbo's later work.

[ma_washigeri · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Timed this one right. Snow and cold here to contrast with the heat in Bangkok. Another tangled web of a plot. Have another part of a star for an engaging lot of characters. Glad I kept some notes of who was who as there were quite a lot of them!

[dh1writer · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Action packed, sometimes convoluted story. A good escapism read. Why do people around Harry Hole tend to die?

[melydia_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Harry Hole heads to Thailand to investigate (and hush up) the murder of the Norwegian ambassador there. He quickly discovers that there's more to it than anyone wants to admit, and the further he pries, the more walls that come up. Like its predecessor, this is a pretty gritty case, full of Bad People doing Bad Things. It's not straightforward - there were plenty of parts where I had trouble keeping track who was who - but it's not bad. I hear the books where Harry's actually in Oslo are quite good, so I am looking forward to the next one.

[devilish2 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Fast-paced page-turner.

[ozzie65-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

As you can see, I wasted no time returning to Harry Hole, the messed up Norwegian detective with demons aplenty. After his professionally successful but personally disastrous case in Sydney, Australia, Harry is shipped off to Bangkok in Thailand to solve yet another expat murder case.This case involves all the seediest aspects of Thailand – sex trafficking, prostitution, blackmail, embassy officials using their diplomatic statuses to get involved in all manner of evil deeds.This time, Harry is in not much better shape than those he is hunting. He wanders through the go go bars, the massage parlors and the beach communities of Thailand following leads from several different angles.There is more than just an ex-pat murder in this case though. There are political and business implications that climb into the highest levels of the Norwegian government and Harry is being used as a convenient pawn. But Harry never plays the game according to others rules so there are always a lot of twists in what happens.This book is also going to take Harry to a very dark place that appears to continue to the next book as he gets wound up in spending time in the opium dens of Bangkok. This is what I love about Harry – he is a disaster.I know one of the later books is being made into a movie but I think to really appreciate Harry Hole, you need to start at the beginning and participate in his evolution or devolution as the case may be.I have not been disappointed by this series yet. Oh and the cockroaches? Well, for every one you see, there are hundreds or thousands behind the walls that you don’t…..

[wassilissa · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Harry Hole ermittelt in Thailand, gemeinsam mit der interessanten Amerikanerin Liz. Normal spannender Krimi mit einem endlosen Showdown. Nachdem es aber noch weitere Bücher aus der Reihe gibt, war klar, dass Harry überleben wird.

[deltaqueen50 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo is the second book in his Harry Hole series. In this outing Harry is sent to Thailand to assist in the investigation of the death of the Norwegian ambassador, who was found in a brothel with a knife sticking out of his back. Of course, the real reason Harry was sent to Thailand was to ensure that this case was kept out of the public eye. Unfortunately Harry has been spending his time in the bottom of a bottle lately but he sobers up and goes to Thailand and quickly becomes involved in a complicated case where it seems the officials are more interested in a tidy end than actually learning the truth.I enjoyed this book and found both the complicated case and the assorted characters very interesting. Harry, like so many fictional detectives is a damaged soul, but his dark personality, his suffering from both alcoholic withdrawal and the severe heat in Bangkok all help to bring the book to life. Harry works his cases in a dogged style, stubbornly following through on every piece of evidence. He has a physical need to put all the pieces in place and have the final picture of the crime complete and correct even if this does upset those who just want a quick solution.Cockroaches helps in giving the reader background into Harry’s life, his family and his romantic past and the story, with it’s many twists, features the sordidness of child pornography, drugs and corruption and is one that holds the reader’s attention.

[philipjhunt · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I guess I'll eventually get to read all the Harry Hole (Hur-ler) detective novels. This is my 4th so far. A crackingly complex plot with plenty of hints along the way to keep us guessing. And a Holmes-style reveal towards the end. Too much violence and gore for my personal tastes - otherwise probably an extra star.

[johnwbeha · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Like its predecessor, The Bat, this is listed as an early Harry Hole thriller and is set abroad, this time in Bangkok. Again, like its predecessor, this is weaker, particularly in terms of characterisation, than the later books. A good read nonetheless; but if this had been released first or second, I doubt if we would have picked up on Nesbo's works to the degree we have.

[drewsof · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

A terrifically well-executed mystery, dropping our chilly Nordic detective into another locale halfway 'round the world that strikes him as utterly foreign - and as a result, we get to watch him grow 'out of his element', as it were. Perhaps it's good to read these novels after the rest of the series - having established what Harry is like at home before we see him take off for parts more exotic. And yet, there's a sense of history in these stories - a slight release of tension because we know what will go on to happen to Harry. The stakes, high as they might get, are always hobbled.

More TK at RB:

[vashonjim · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

The Norwegian ambassador to Thailand is murdered in a brothel, leading Harry Hole on another complex pursuit. Not Nesbo's best, but not awful.

[xleptodactylous · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Harry Hole is once again sent to another country to work on a case that involves a Norwegian: this time it's the Norwegian Ambassador to Thailand in Bangkok. There he meets the widow and daughter of the ambassador and a whole lot more Norwegians to boot; it seems the place is crawling with them. Alongside intrigue and trying to avoid political scandal, Harry once again fights against alcohol and people who just won't tell the truth.


The Harry Hole series is full of very quick reads that are exactly what one wants from a thriller and crime novel: murder, intrigue, lies and deceit and a detective who is slightly unhinged and intriguing themselves. Whilst it's fairly formulaic, if you're looking for that then that's great. There's not much different with these books (though I've only read the first two) but with average expectations you'd do worse elsewhere.

[jan0fleming · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Harry is on a special mission

Detective Harry Hole arrives in a steaming hot Bangkok. The Norwegian ambassador has been found dead in a seedy motel room, and Harry has been sent to investigate. It's clear that the Ambassador's family are hiding some secrets of their own, but few people are willing to talk.

He needs to solve a crime and avoid a scandal

When Harry lays hands on some incriminating CCTV footage, things only get more complicated. The man who gave him the tape goes missing, and Harry realises that failing to solve a murder case is by no means the only danger that faces the unwary.

But in an unfamiliar city, who can you trust?

A great pre "Oslo Sequence" Harry Hole adventure in a steamy, sweaty Bangkok...

"He felt like he has entered a bathroom and someone had turned on a scalding hot shower. He knew the secret to tackling high humidity was to ignore it. Let the sweat pour down you and think of something else. The light was worse. It pierced the cheap dark plastic glasses through to his shiny alcoholic eyes, and cranked up the headache that until then had only been rumbling in his temples.

[ffortsa · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Harry Hole is once again off the leach, this time in Bangkok to resolve the murder of an ambassador, preferably without any fuss. Well, we know that won't happen.Nesbo renders a special texture for Bangkok that feels real, right down to the traffic an air pollution, the varieties of ex-pats and why they stay, the inevitable sex traffic (it is Bangkok, after all). And the case twists among these threads admirably.

[piemouth · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Good mystery; a complicated plot with a lot of interesting characters. I'll be reading more of his mysteries.

[66usma · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I have to admit for the first 2/3 of the book that the book seemed to aimlessly wonder, but I thought that the final1/3 with Hole's solution to the murders was excellent, particularly with the belt clue(?). I normally prefer different subjects and characters , rather than recurring character books, but I do enjoy Jo Nesbo, although this was not one of his best.

[polarbear123_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

These first two books are about nesbo finding his feet and style. It's almost here in this second book, Hole is starting to become the jaded super sleuth of the later novels. A quick read and lots of fun.

[icolford · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Cockroaches is the second of Norwegian author Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole (pronounced "Ho-leh") crime series, which now number ten. This novel was published in 1998 but is the last to be made available in English translation. Harry Hole will be a familiar type to anyone who reads crime fiction: a relatively young detective (30-something in this novel) fighting booze and depression and nursing a grievance, whose abrasive style and bullish insistence on uncovering the truth at any cost pisses off his colleagues and supervisors, who nonetheless value and acknowledge (if somewhat grudgingly) his prodigious sleuthing skills. But even in this early work Nesbø infuses Hole with depth and individuality sufficient to make him a compelling protagonist. In Cockroaches Hole is fresh off a harrowing case that concluded in Australia, and fresh off the wagon as well. When the Norwegian ambassador in Thailand turns up dead in a grimy hotel room Hole is summoned to Bangkok to get to the bottom of what happened. In the seamy and steamy Thai capital he encounters a sexually permissive culture and plenty of people seeking gratification in ways that fall just short of illegal. The murder of the ambassador appears to have a sexual element. But in this novel very little is as it initially seems, and despite threats and misgivings and numerous violent encounters Hole allows his instincts to lead him down one dangerous path after another until he has the murderer cornered and desperate. The plot is convoluted and the ending a bit overwrought, and it's possible English readers will have difficulty with the mix of Thai and Norwegian names. But Cockroaches is still an absorbing noir thriller that will have you at the edge of your seat more often than not.

[therinknite-1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

[Cross-posted to Knite Writes]My TakeInterestingly, I did not finish reading the first book in this series — because it was terrible — and usually that would be the end of a series for me. But, I did my research on the Harry Hole series and discovered that, almost unanimously, fans don’t think the series gets good until book three. (Which may or may not be why the first two books weren’t translated until VERY recently.) Regardless, I decided to stick with this series and check out book two before I moved on to the books that are generally accepted as being the “real” start of Nesbø’s well-written detective series.And it wasn’t too bad.But it wasn’t great either.The biggest downside to this book is that the plot is occasionally hard to follow. There’s a lot of jumping from hour to hour, day to day, location to location with very little transition effort between scenes and chapters. And because there are so many characters (most of them minor) and so many places (with Thai names), the sudden shifts can be rather jarring and difficult to keep track of. Now, one could say Nesbø doesn’t waste time, true, but when the actual murder mystery is as complicated as Nesbø’s are, struggling to follow the movements of the protagonist can be very irritating, especially when you reach key scenes in the book.On the upside, as mentioned, the murder mystery itself is well plotted and well executed. All the red herrings are there. All the subtle foreshadowing and carefully hidden clues. Nesbø stuffs so many clues that are obvious in hindsight ONLY into his story that it’s pretty incredible the book isn’t full of plot holes. Obviously, Nesbø is an excellent plotter when it comes to the core of his stories. And really, that’s what makes this book satisfying in the end, despite its shortcomings structure-wise. The actual mystery is truly difficult to unravel ahead of time, and you always feel challenged throughout the book to try and figure out the answers before Harry does.(And generally, you won’t. The twists and turns will still surprise you. By the time you hit the last page, you won’t be able to call the plot “predictable”, no matter what thought a hundred pages back.)Character-wise, too, I think Nesbø succeeds on many fronts. He brings in a large and diverse cast whose roles are all important in some way to the core story but who aren’t solely created for it. They have lives and backstories that are mentioned as necessary but don’t overwhelm the main story. Nesbø achieves a good balance with his characters — they all advance the plot without butting in too much or too often. And Harry, as the protagonist, is an interesting guy to follow — an interesting guy with MAJOR issues that always affect the plot in interesting ways.I think Cockroaches is a definite improvement over The Bat, which I couldn’t bring myself to finish. Structurally, though, it still has a few issues and can be hard to follow at times. I look forward to see how much Nesbø improved between this book and The Redbreast, which fans of the series generally consider to be where the author hits his stride.Overall, a decent read.

[tangledthread · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This is the first Harry Hole crime story that I've read and I'll be back for more. In this one, Harry travels to Bangkok and the behest of politicians who want him to investigate the murder of a diplomat. But in doing so, he is not to "stir things up". Well, of course things get stirred up. There are twists, turns, and plenty of red herrings to keep the reader engaged. Not to mention the violent fight scene at the end that makes Harry seem almost super human as the reader cheers him on. Great suspense for summer reading. Must go back and read the first in the series to fill in the holes (pun intended).

[bookczuk · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

The English reading world was introduced to Harry Hole in the middle of things which, if you think about it, is often how we meet people in actual life. We're more likely to pop in and out of lives, filling in the the missing details and background as we go along. It is only with a small, select group, that we know them from start to finish.With The Bat, we met Harry, already fully-formed and fully-broken, only to break again. In cockroaches the "newest" Hole to be published in English, but in actuality, the second in the series, we travel with Harry to Bangkok, where he is sent to investigate the irregular death (aka murder) of the Norwegian ambassador. It's a gritty, duplicitous, deceptive world and slice of society where Harry does what Harry does best: follows his gut, sometimes stumbling and usually pissing off the wrong people. But, for those of us who love Nesbo's series, getting this backstory, was grand. Even if you haven't read others in this series (which primarily come after this one), this is a good psychological thriller with which to jump on the Hole bandwagon.It's no wonder I really dislike cockroaches, dirty little buggers, every one.