Het werkbezoek

Amsterdam Cops Mysteries #7

by Janwillem van de Wetering

In Het werkbezoek wordt de commissaris geconfronteerd met een nieuwe omgeving; de met een flink pak sneeuw bedekte noordoostkust van Amerika. Suzanne, de zuster van de commissaris, woont in een klein plaatsje in Maine. Haar man is verongelukt en ze heeft hulp nodig. Haar broer komt als redder. Maar er blijkt meer te beredderen dan een erfenis en een verhuizing overzee. De fatale val van de gepensioneerde bankdirecteur is geen ongeluk en de commissaris kan moeilijk anders dan de zojuist aangestelde sheriff helpen met de opsporing.
Naarmate de sluiers worden gelicht brengt van de Wetering ons met een aantal merkwaardige lieden in aanraking. Jeremy, een cynische heremiet die vanuit zijn eiland tegen een door hem afgewezen wereld verdedigt. Een groepje jonge vernielzuchtige intellectuelen. Een rijke dame van stand die zich in haar landhuis vermaakt met een Vietnam-veteraan. En dan de dorpelingen, onschuldig als duiven, listig als slangen......

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Detective, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

215 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 1978

About the author

Jan Willem Lincoln "Janwillem" van de Wetering was the author of a number of works in English and Dutch.

Reviews

[Christine PNW]

Why the hell did I pick the book about Amsterdam police officers that is set in MAINE, of all things?

I take full responsibility for the stupid book selection decision. But I'm still giving it 2 stars.

[Maryanne]

In this series of Amsterdam detective mysteries, which centers on the commissaris and de Gier. It takes place in Cape Orca, Maine, USA, where the recently widowed sister of the commissaris lives and plans to return to Amsterdam once the commissaris settles the estate. We find out that the unnamed commissaris's is called Jan by his sister. He suffers from ailments and de Gier follows him to Maine to bring him back safely. The sister revealed that her husband was the sixth resident of the south shore to have died under unusual circumstances.

The commissaris and de Gier begin the investigation, becoming acquainted with a local gang, an island hermit, numerous eccentric residents and taking them to Boston where the pieces start to fall into place. The writing is slow paced imbued with the authors Zen's wit and acute comments on Americans.

[Chris Kennelly]

Such a quirky delight.

[Vintagebooklvr]

2 1/2 stars. The writing is good but overall I didn't like most of the Maine characters and I love Maine and the people there. Too many came off as psychopaths.

[Francis]

Quirky maybe? Bizarre maybe? Maybe tongue in cheek? Satirical? Or, maybe that's just the author's style? I'm really not sure, in fact, I'm still trying to figure out if I liked it. I think I did, I'm just not sure, but sure enough to give this series another read.

Sorry if that doesn't help, but give me a couple of points for honesty, OK?

[Larry]

Didn't care as much for this one as it was set in the US--didn't feel right. Still--a good series.

[R]

**MINOR SPOILERS**
This book is the part of the Amsterdam Cops/Grijpstra - DeGier series.
The commisaris of a murder unit in Amsterdam finds out that his sister’s husband has died in Maine. Suzanne, his sister, asks him to come and help her move back to Amsterdam. He agrees, but his co-workers worry about him going alone. They go to the police chief who helps them set up a police training situation where DeGier goes to the same area. It is interesting to read about the contrast between the police in the US (Maine specifically) and Amsterdam.
At first, the book has a deceptively simple prose style; very straightforward and clean. But as you read, you realize that the commisaris and DeGrier are both clever and see hidden meanings and they also see the ugly motives of people in the town. As the book continues, the ugliness becomes more apparent as more motives and crimes stack up. It was an interesting writing style.
Once they are both there, they realize that there is a serial killer active in the area and that Suzanne’s husband is likely a victim. They begin to investigate.
Suzanne is a whiner and the commisaris wants to be with her in small doses and, as a reader, you do as well. She cries constantly and is a bit impractical with how she wants to handle her husband’s affairs.
Spoiler… There is a scene where DeGrier has s*x with Madelin, who was a suspect. I did not agree with that action. He found her very attractive and she reminded him of a damsel in distress from a favorite childhood book. But she was not a damsel in distress in any way but was a bit of a self centered predator and he was aware of that. I did not think it was good police procedure.
The book fell to 1 star just after that as DeGrier tells the sheriff he had s*x with Madelin. The sheriff asks: “She was a good lay, was she?” DeGrier responds “yes” (which might not have been completely truthful as the author describes Madelin as passive during the encounter and that DeGrier felt he was in an ad). But then the sheriff says, “I haven’t had the pleasure… Maybe I’ll have it later, but I’ll have to get in her way. You sure got yourself in her way.” (The investigation may have triggered Madelin’s seducation.) Yes, this might reflect how some people would behave but I found it distasteful and unprofessional. I like the detectives in a book series to act with a bit of honor or I won’t continue to read the series. A few pages later, the commisaris wondered what it was like when DeGier had s*x with Madelin but then thinks about the fact that he was not jealous. I had been thinking that the commisaris was a good fellow, but this made me question that understanding. Finally, there is a reference to a case in Amsterdam where the prosecutor did not pursue a rape charge because of the way the victim had been dressed. Put all together, I do not recommend the book.
At the end, DeGrier knows that the commisais has figured out who the villain is. He asks for the answer and the commisaris says that he should figure it out himself. This can be a type of teaching style, but I thought it was an interesting way to handle the situation.
I read this book about 45 years after it was published.
I do not plan to continue reading this series.

[Menno Beek]

#6, al kan het dat ik de volgorde met de Blonde Baviaan heb verwisseld. Interessaante aflevering, deze, Commissaris en Rinus in Maine, in Amerika dus: het is altijd riskant om je hoofdpoersonen zo dramtisch te ontwortelen, te te verplekken, dat zou de lezer zo maar de indruk kunnen geven dat je door je ideeen heen was, amar het biografisch feit dat van de Wetering zelf in Main eindigde zal er wel een forse rol in spelen.

Geinige verhalen toch. Gedateeerd, op een sympathieke manier, de hierarchieen zijn ondertussen ondenkbaar, net als het haast kranke doorlopende gerook. De oplossing hier kwam een beetje uit de hoge hoed en die gast op dat eiland, die kennen we nou wel een keer. En toch ga ik ze alle 11 lezen.

[Mikee]

"Another great read in the Grijpstra and de Gier series, this one without Grijpstra however. The Commisaris goes to Maine to help his newly-widowed sister. De Gier goes along (stealthily) to help, and meets the new Sheriff. Things proceed from there in the usual manner. A drawn-out series of killings is unraveled and his sister gets a good price for her house so she can move back to Amsterdam.

The story unfolds with the usual mix of Dutch pragmatism and dreamy Buddhist imagery. Wonderful. "

[Adriënne Huizer]

Een interessant boek in de lijn van Baantjer. Het duurt even voor er vaart in het onderzoek komt, maar dat gaat niet ten koste van het verhaal. Als de vaart er eenmaal in zit, heb je het zo uit.

(Ik heb zo’n beduimelde versie dat ik het in het ov las omdat er toch geen schade meer aan te maken viel, daarom heb ik er ondanks de snelheid in het verhaal wat langer over gedaan)

[Monica]

This book in the series takes place in Maine...which threw me off for a bit. I missed Amsterdam, I missed Grijpstra and de Gier...their humour together is really needed in these stories. I did still enjoy reading, there is something about Dutch humour that makes me smile.

[Corrine Wester]

This was my first read in the series, very nice book, a little strange, a little dated (I think in a good way), but overall a very fun, quirky, and a unique read. It has dry dutch humor, moves at a slowish pace, and switches perspectives between the Commisaris and De Gier.

[Karen]

A good read as ever, but possibly even slightly more bonkers than usual. I do love the characters.

[Leea]

1.5⭐

[Sheila Myers]

A very good mystery. The plot was fast-paced and the characters are interesting.

[Marie]

ACAB

[Dana]

VERY dated, but entertaining in its own way!

[Stefan]

OK, this, the seventh book in the Grijpstra & de Gier series, is really a Commissaris & de Gier novel as this installment finds the commissaris having to travel to the United States after finding out that his brother-in-law has died.

Although the commissaris insists he does not need any assistance, de Gier is "temporarily transferred" (without the commissaris' knowledge) to work under the sheriff of the small town where the commissaris is going to. This will allow de Gier to be there to protect the commissaris.

But, upon arriving in the US, the duo are quickly swept into a mystery as they find out there have been multiple deaths and that there is a whole slew of suspects and shady characters. Seeing this as an opportunity, the two of course, offer to help solve the mystery.

I actually found this to be my favourite book so far in the series, even though it does not center around the Grijpstra & de Gier partnership.

Now, to track down a copy of The Mind Murders...

[Michael]

Quirkly tale of aging Amsterdam police inspector Grijpstra getting involved with a rural Downeast murder mystery while visiting a sister whose husband has died in an apparent accident. In this 7th in a series of 14 police procedurals, the inspector is aided by his trust sergeant de Gier, who follows along on the trip through a learning exchange program arranged with the county sheriff�s department. It turns out there are several suspicious deaths on a coastal peninsula, and the investigation turns up an interest set of Maine characters as suspects. Intrigued by a potential clue to why van der himself moved to coastal Maine and by his Buddhist foundations in his life journey. As a Maine resident, it was interesting for me to experience De Wetering�s affinity for Maine, where he eventually moved. I was also intrigued to look for signs of the author�s Buddhism in the sensibilities of his characters. Ultimately the characters seems more mysterious than realistic, but the resolution of the mystery was pleasurable nonetheless.�

[Matthew]

A particularly nice installment of the Ansterdam Cops stories, best enjoyed if you've read at least a few of the previous books, especially "The Rattle Rat," which I think directly precedes this one. Former Detective Sergeant Rinus de Gier's longstanding habits of casual misogyny and casual drug use get him in trouble in the United States, and the handsome and fit younger man turns to Grijpstra, his older and tireder former colleague to fly across continents to help him solve the question of whether de Gier himself is an accidental murderer. A nice meditation on the nature of evil, both inside of good people and bad. It has a touch of The Mind Murders' bizarre mysticism in its finale, a touch I didn't appreciate ten years ago but really like now. Sometimes the universe has its own justice, after all.

For more on comics, horror, humanity, morality and the world check out The Stupid Philosopher, aka a place where I put my words.

[Lynne-marie]

The Commissaris goes to America to help his sister, Suzanne, deal with the after-math of her husband's death and Grijpstra arranges for de Gier to go on an international police exchange to the same small Maine town, the real reason of which is to protect the frail commissaris. When they get there the Commissaris is outraged that de Gier is there until it turns out that there has indeed been a murder and de Gier can help the local officials as per the official agreement. With the Commissaris thrown in for free. The story is full of the Zen attitudes toward life and especially officialdom that mark the series and has enough twists and turns to satisfy any mystery reader. I cannot recommend this series highly enough though the individual books differ.

[Marilyn]

The second in the three books I picked up from Dani's collection of Van de Wetering's novels -- and, although clever and interesting, it wasn't quite up the quality of the first novel. Two of the main characters leave Amsterdam for Maine in order to bring the commissaris's sister home after the death of her husband which, of course, turns out to be a murder. Interesting cast of characters, but more contrived. Still, the adventures were interesting and the characters first rate. I'm on a roll and will read more.

[Michel]

Quirky tale. Requires quite a bit of suspended disbelief, but nice altogether. I enjoyed the Dutch humor and the gentle poking at rural unsophistication.
"Are you Canadian? I thought I heard you speak Canadian?" "No, miss, we spoke Dutch. We are from the Netherlands in Europe." "I don't know languages, we only hear Canadian." "Don't Canadians speak English?" "Not around here, they don't."

[Regina]

I just re-read this along with 2 other Janwillem van de Wetering books. I forgot how good they were! I also just found out that he died on the 4th so it was a little spooky with lots of too much coincidence.
If you like mysteries with a little twist these are for you.

http:Obituary and reviews

[Leland]

I've read all but two or three of the Amsterdam Cops books, and I have to say that this is most certainly one of the least interesting. Knowing that van de Wetering was living in Maine, it seems that he made the fatal decision to take some of his fictional characters with him. It really doesn't work well.

[Tim]

The commisari heads to northern Maine in winter to wrap up the estate of his brother-in-law and bring his sister home. De Gier accompanies him, against the commisari's will initially, but eventually for the best as a larger series of crimes require investigation. The rural setting and characters are interesting and the dialogue remains a delight.

[Susanna]

The combination of the Maine landscape and Dutch policeman is pretty good. The locals are a little oddly drawn, but generally reads well. I was fully engaged with the story - not too obvious where it was heading, and lots of side detours that I liked.

[Dave Riley]

Very European in a strange way -- that is if you went continental via Zen Buddhism!

A bit dated too. Overly smart.That it's Dutch is the main attraction.

[Ingeborg]

I'd read van de Wettering years ago and now publishers seem to be reprinting his books. His background in Zen philosopy really shows. Always an enjoyable read.

[Elizabeth]

This book has everything! Great characters portrayed with intriguing depth, decent mystery with plenty of twists and best of all humor hidden in the most mundane of actions. I loved it!