Phantom question

Yes you can, I believe it was the first one I read as well before going on and reading others.

Yes, you can read any of the Harry Hole novels at any point in the series, they are all stand-alones. Having said that, I do recommend starting with 'THE BAT' and working your way through from the beginning. Some of the characters carry over and their stories will enhance the reading experience, and, after all, don't we read to get the most out of a book?

You could read this one if you haven't read any others in the series, but personally I think the backstory built in the previous books makes this easier to understand and the plot twist at the end even more shocking.

I can say this author is one of the best mystry writers. Like his plots, at times I get overwhelmed by the gore though. But I like his series...good read!

Right from the start of Police you would miss the innuendo of who is the patient in the guarded ward or Harry's history with the bottle, Rakel and Oleg. Sating from the beginning is always a good place. You can buy them cheaply on sites such as ABE books or even Amazon.

As others have mentioned, you can certainly enjoy the book on its own. However, your overall experience can or will be enhanced by being familiar with the history of the main characters as revealed through earlier works.

I accidentally read a couple out of order and discovered a spoiler or two for books I hadn't read.