Join inspector DeKok in his investigations in the DeKok series by Dutch bestselling author Baantjer. DeKok is faced with a gruesome kind of collector, who covets both objects and people... Inspector DeKok and his partner Vledder are ordered to protect the eccentric Manfred Nettelhorst’s art treasures, exhibited during a special showing in Amsterdam. But before the exhibition has come to a close, the two detectives are called away to a nearby apartment building to investigate the murder of a man handcuffed to a radiator, shot execution style. That same night, an exquisite silver ewer is stolen from the exhibition. Following the trail, DeKok stumbles across an invisible line between beauty and perfection, relating to the collection of both objects and people...

''Baantjer's laconic, rapid-fire storytelling has spun out a surprisingly complex web of mysteries.'' - Kirkus Reviews ''Baantjer seduces mystery lovers. Inspector DeKok is part Columbo, part Clouseau, part genius, and part imp.'' - West Coast Review of Books..... This latest page-turner in the best-selling Baantjer series delves into a grotesque double murder in a well-known Amsterdam hotel. Faced with murder victims found looking like macabre wooden harlequins, Inspector DeKok must unravel clues from two unexpected characters: a six-year-old girl who has trouble sleeping and a respected accountant who seeks DeKok's advice on committing the perfect crime. In a surprising twist, DeKok meets with the murderer and tries everything possible to prevent the man from giving himself up to the police. With Dead Harlequin, Baantjer has crafted yet another intelligent, absorbing tale.

A woman has disappeared without a trace from Hospital South in Amsterdam. Upon investigation, three more women seem to have disappeared in the same mysterious way. For the first time in his career, a hospital means more to DeKok than a place where wounded witnesses and criminals are interrogated.

"Shrewd, compassionate, and dedicated, DeKok makes a formidable opponent for criminals and a worthwhile competitor for the attention of Simenon's Maigret fans."--Library Journal The trail of a recent crime leads Inspector DeKok to Bloedberg (Blood Mountain), Belgium, a neighborhood in Antwerp. It seems a man was fished from the Scheldt River, and DeKok has been summoned to help with the investigation. At a funeral back in Amsterdam, things are just as murky as the corpse's river when DeKok discovers a man among the mourners who has been officially dead for at least two years. Events further darken DeKok's view of the case when the widow of the recently buried victim files a complaint of forgery; her deceased husband's bank account has been emptied. DeKok soon finds himself drawn back to Bloedberg, amidst one of the most bizarre and cunning crime syndicates the old, gray sleuth has faced yet. A.C. Baantjer is the most widely read author in the Netherlands. A former detective inspector of the Amsterdam police, his fictional characters reflect the depth and personality of individuals encountered during his thirty-eight-year career in law enforcement. He was recently knighted by the Dutch monarchy.

Reviewers agree that this police procedural series is one of the strongest currently being published.

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