DeKok and Murder on Blood Mountain

De Cock #25

by A.C. Baantjer

“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.

Genres: Mystery, Detective, Crime, Fiction, Belgium, Audiobook, Ebooks

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

AKA: Baantjer, Albert Cornelis Baantjer

ALBERT CORNELIS BAANTJER is the most widely read author in the Netherlands and has written more than fifty "De Kok" titles. He has also written other fiction and nonfiction and wrote a daily column in a Dutch newspaper. He was an inspector with the Amsterdam Police for thirty-eight years. Baantjer lived in Medemblik, Netherlands.

Reviews

[Joop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een extra sterretje vanwege het leuke plot.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps not as psychologically profound as the Maigret series, but interesting story and characters. Baantjer is extraordinarily popular in the Netherlands and wrote, I believe, about sixty in the series.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover

Bibliotheek boek. Geen boekverslag, alleen sterren aantekening in agenda.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

DeKok attends the funeral of a murder victim, buried in Amsterdam but murdered in Antwerp. He sees a man who is supposed to be dead. He can't leave it alone. Where has this man been all these years? Why is he here now?

In his usual inimitable style, DeKok ("with a KOK") investigates, ultimately ending up in Antwerp himself and finding an unusual "cult" called Heaven's Gate Temple.

A curious religion, if that's what it is. And DeKok discovers what it really is.

I don't love Inspector DeKok. There is something too flippant about him, and there is too much telling as opposed to showing by the author, for my taste. The book kept me interested enough, however. A quick read.

[Rahni · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I'm not sure I've ever read a less-mysterious mystery. Or, rather, one that I cared less about solving. I enjoyed the setting, however (Amsterdam and Antwerp), though even there I wished for more description, evocation of place, etc.

Ah, well. Harmless, but humdrum. Another bathtub book "down the drain," so to speak. :o)

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

hello fans I've had a cocktail and yes, I read this book; it's charming and felonious.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit boek leest ook lekker weg, alleen vind ik het wel ver gezocht (1,6 uur gelezen)

[Graham Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit confused over the identity of the killer but overall a good book!

[Merlijne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Jielus Kuijntjes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een goede Baantjer, de moeite waard

[Lindsay Arts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jammer, maar ik kon niet echt gegrepen worden door het verhaal. Wel heel leuk dat er een uitstapje naar Antwerpen werd gemaakt! Maar dit verhaal voelde een beetje te verzonnen.

[Marion Driessen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 *

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Inspector DeKok's line of work, death is routine. After all, he works in the homicide section of the police department. But encountering resurrected dead men certainly is not. At the request of the Belgium police, Inspectors DeKok and Vledder discreetly attend the funeral of a murder victim. The body was fished out of Antwerp's Scheldt River, but has been brought back to Amsterdam to be laid to rest in Sorrow Field Cemetery. During the service DeKok looks around at the mourners and finds himself looking at a man long dead. Whispers of the gray sleuth's sanity are uttered and even Vledder insists he must be mistaken, but DeKok is certain of a darker, more sinister activity at play than just the ridiculous notion of ghosts. More bodies are discovered; apparently they too were poisoned and dumped into the river. DeKok must venture from his beloved city and travel to Bloedberg ("Blood Mountain"), a notorious neighborhood in Antwerp. It seems a certain Heaven's Gate Temple and the Holy Pact for the Dying hold the answers to both the living dead and the dead and buried.

DeKok has been compared to Maigret and I must say that I see the similarities. Vledder is often exasperated with him and is hard put to understand some of DeKok's deductions. Just as those around Maigret sometimes cannot understand how he operates. But I find myself liking Dekok much better. He explains more...and more quickly than Maigret does (at least in The Yellow Dog). Baantjer's prose is marvelous in translation. The descriptions of both people and places are vivid and very apt. I was quickly drawn into the story and swept along right to the end. I was completely enthralled, right up to the denouement and I loved the classic wrap-up scene at the end. I can well understand why Baantjer is the most widely read author in the Netherlands

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little mystery, that makes me long for Amsterdam again. It's been 30 years since I was there, but I still can recall so much of the city. I felt incredibly at home there. As javaczuk says, the story was pretty predictable, but the journey to the end was pleasant. I think I will see if there is an interest in a ring for people who may want to go to the 2010 BookCrossing Convention in Amsterdam. One funny note is that I also enjoy reading the mysteries of Janwillem Van de Wetering, who was once once a motorcycle gang member in South Africa, an aspiring monk in Kyoto, Japan and a policeman in Amsterdam. I find those less of the "cozy" variety, and a bit more lively. When I picked this up, in my mind, I made the translation that it was a Van de Wetering story, so was quite startled at the totally different pace and names. Took me a minute to recall that it was a different author, different set of characters-- same beloved Amsterdam. I did learn from a Dutch friend in the BookCrossing forum that in the dutch versions, DeKok's name is De Cock, with cee-oh-cee-kay. Probably some English publisher was worried that someone would think of cock as boy bits and be offended.

[Wendy]

I truly enjoyed the English translation of this book. The characters and plot were interesting and enjoyable. I have never read this author and prefer to read books in order. My library system does not carry all of them. I did not need to read this series in order because author made me feel right at home.

[Al Mcphee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book that I've read by Baantjer, and I liked it. Compared to many of the US mystery novels, the non-US stories seem to have more complicated cases and spend much of time gathering and analyzing the clues. No gun battles here. This book reminds me of Nicholas Freeling and his Van der Valk in the Netherlands and Castaing in France.

[Leslie]

I am definately going to read more of this series. DeKok has been imbued with a charm that makes you cheer for him when his 'superior' officers lose patience and he is like a dog with a bone. High marks.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy lightweight read. Quite enjoyable despite the fact that all Baantjer's books seem to me a bit formulaic in that everyone else jumps to the conclusion that the first suspect is the guilty party and only DeKok can see the truth.

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amsterdam is an interesting setting. Good short summer read with a likable main character.

[Christopher Borum · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just OK. I wasn't surprised at the perpetrator or the scheme behind the crimes. And the last chapter was really a lot of inferences but the clues to support them weren't in the book.

[grundoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Ultimately a convoluted enough case to trigger full suspension of disbelief, a nonetheless enjoyable if middling visit with the familiars. The only time DeKok has left the country, and the better for it.