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Death in the Red Light District
AMSTERDAM 1980
A city in rife with drug abuse, riots and terror threats in the run-up to the coronation of Queen Beatrix. As Amsterdam's police force is overwhelmed by the civil war between law enforcement and squatters, local neighbourhood policeman Piet Huizen is seconded from his hometown Alkmaar to this cauldron. It should be daunting but he feels strangely liberated from the responsibilities of home and everyday work. Together with his three colleagues from across the country, he's only there temporarily and can even laugh at his own provincial outlook. Until a student goes missing.
AMSTERDAM NOW
Detective Lotte Meerman doesn't want to hear about her father Piet Huizen's past because his month in Amsterdam in 1980 led directly to her parent's divorce. The less she knows, the better it is. Then two men die. Their deaths are not treated as suspicious but Lotte realises there is something that links the deceased they were both children of her father's former team-mates. And the more she investigates the circumstances of their deaths, the more Lotte comes to realise that she could be next on the list...
Praise for Anja de
'Succeeds as a portrait of both a city and, in its heroine, a delightfully dysfunctional personality' Sunday Express
'Impressive' The Times
A city in rife with drug abuse, riots and terror threats in the run-up to the coronation of Queen Beatrix. As Amsterdam's police force is overwhelmed by the civil war between law enforcement and squatters, local neighbourhood policeman Piet Huizen is seconded from his hometown Alkmaar to this cauldron. It should be daunting but he feels strangely liberated from the responsibilities of home and everyday work. Together with his three colleagues from across the country, he's only there temporarily and can even laugh at his own provincial outlook. Until a student goes missing.
AMSTERDAM NOW
Detective Lotte Meerman doesn't want to hear about her father Piet Huizen's past because his month in Amsterdam in 1980 led directly to her parent's divorce. The less she knows, the better it is. Then two men die. Their deaths are not treated as suspicious but Lotte realises there is something that links the deceased they were both children of her father's former team-mates. And the more she investigates the circumstances of their deaths, the more Lotte comes to realise that she could be next on the list...
Praise for Anja de
'Succeeds as a portrait of both a city and, in its heroine, a delightfully dysfunctional personality' Sunday Express
'Impressive' The Times
- GenresMystery
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 24, 2024
I love that the cases are partly based on real police cases that her dad worked on. Interesting points are made like "secret gardens" and how the Amsterdam Canals were used as dumping grounds for so many bodies..."He was taking a leak and was drunk and tipped into the canal", kind of thing. I remember the riots when Queen Juliana abdicated.
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May 10, 2026
Superb. Really devoured this book and loved it. Satisfying mix including filling in some backstory for Lotte and her father. For this reason, best read in order or may spoil some of the earlier books.
December 20, 2023
Just found another author to add to my list. Great story and characters. Thanks! Now I have to go back and find book 1.
August 10, 2025
not for me and i didn’t care about the characters or the plot
July 1, 2026
A fun "souvenir" read picked up in Amsterdam during our visit. :) Fun mystery/thriller I was able to finish almost in one sitting (train ride) while chipping away at Pillars of the Earth still...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews