Harry Hole is the main character in a series of, so far, nine crime novels written by Jo Nesbø. Hole is a classic loose cannon in the police force, with few close friends and some unorthodox methods.
Harry lost his mother, a descendant of the Sami people, to cancer while he was in his twenties, and he has never had a close relationship to his father Olav Hole, who is a teacher. Harry has a younger sister with Downs syndrome.
Hole is a heavy smoker and an alcoholic. The latter brings him into repeated conflict with his superiors and some of his colleagues, but Bjarne Møller (not to be confused with Barney Miller), head of Hole's department and one of his closest friends, manages to prevent him from being kicked out. This is not primarily due to pity, but the fact that Harry Hole is also a brilliant detective. He is foremost recognized in Norway due to his involvement in the catching of a serial killer in Australia. Harry Hole is one of few on the force who has undergone special training by the FBI.
He also has two close friends at the Forensics division of norwegian police, one of them being Beate Lønn whom Harry often (off the record) use to extract crucial information from in critical situations.
Two of Hole's partners are killed in the line of duty during the series of novels. Proving that a highly regarded colleague is actually corrupt and responsible for the first of these murders becomes at some point Hole's main mission in life.
Harry Hole's home address is Sofies Gate in Bislett, Oslo. Close by is his favourite "watering hole", Restaurant Schrøder (or Schrøder's for short).