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Lotte Meerman #1
A Cold Death in Amsterdam
Set in Amsterdam, the novel introduces Lotte Meerman, a Cold Case detective still recovering from the emotional devastation of her previous investigation. A tip-off leads Lotte to an unresolved ten-year-old murder case in which her father was the lead detective. When she discovers irregularities surrounding the original investigation that make him a suspect, she decides to cover for him. She doesn't tell her boss about the family connection and jeopardises her career by hiding evidence. Now she has to find the real murderer before her acts are discovered, otherwise her father will go to jail and she will lose her job, the one thing in life she still takes pride in
352 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 101 reviews
August 6, 2020
Lotte Meerman mystery #1: It's a cold, snowy Amsterdam Winter, and cold case detective is a media sensation with her capturing of a child killer from over 15 years ago. The problem is no one knows that she may have completely compromised herself during the investigation, and she's struggling with guilt, insomnia, stress and more. Heading toward middle-age, divorced and estranged from her father, the job, the police job is all she's got. She is now on her next cold case, but she looks likely to be in a compromising position again, when unbeknown to everyone else, the ex-cop person of interest is her father!
A cleverly constructed case and cast, makes this a pretty compelling mystery, that had me reading this exclusively, which is rare for me. Anja de Jager captures a very original lead character in Lotte, who is not so much an unreliable narrator, but more an unreliable person, who essentially traumatised from her previous cold case, continues jumping from moment to moment without really thinking things through. I think I need me some more Lotte Meerman! 7 out of 12.
A cleverly constructed case and cast, makes this a pretty compelling mystery, that had me reading this exclusively, which is rare for me. Anja de Jager captures a very original lead character in Lotte, who is not so much an unreliable narrator, but more an unreliable person, who essentially traumatised from her previous cold case, continues jumping from moment to moment without really thinking things through. I think I need me some more Lotte Meerman! 7 out of 12.
February 12, 2020
It's a bit weird to read a book in English that is written by a Dutch writer. I have not been able to establish whether it was written in Dutch originally and then translated in English. It looks as if it was written in English from the start. But that aside I enjoyed the story. The end was a bit predictable and the murderer should have been a little less obvious, but I liked it enough to try the next one in the series.
October 19, 2015
It is a cold, bleak beginning to the New Year in Amsterdam, when we are introduced to Detective Lotte Meerman. Despite having great success with solving the murder of a young girl who had been missing for many years – and being lauded by the press – Lotte fears that her relationship to the father of the missing girl may be uncovered. Depressed by both professional and personal problems, Lotte goes driving at night and stumbles across the robbery of a petrol station. The suspect turns out to be Ben van Ravensberger, whose uncle, Ferdinand van Ravensberger is both a wealthy media celebrity and , according to his nephew, a murderer…
This accusation leads to the re-opening of a an case in which van Ravensberger was involved. Joined by Stefanie Dekkers from the Financial Fraud department, Lotte is asked to look into the murder of Otto Petersen twelve years ago. Petersen was shot the day after being released from prison. He was the head of Petersen Capital and Ravensberger was one of his investors. However, Lotte discovers that, amongst the murder and missing money, is the involvement of her own father, who she has virtually lost contact with after the bitter divorce of her parents.
This is an involved case, which includes financial crimes, missing case notes and murder. Lotte is a very interesting lead character who is damaged by her own divorce and personal issues, plus both her previous case and the one she is meant to be investigating. As she begins to look into the murder of Otto Petersen she becomes concerned that her father might be involved and is unable to keep her personal and work life separate. Driven, damaged and poignantly vulnerable, I really hope that Lotte appears in further books. I did find the financial side of the crime a little dry in places, but I like the idea of re-opening unsolved cases and thought that the story and characters were very realistic. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
This accusation leads to the re-opening of a an case in which van Ravensberger was involved. Joined by Stefanie Dekkers from the Financial Fraud department, Lotte is asked to look into the murder of Otto Petersen twelve years ago. Petersen was shot the day after being released from prison. He was the head of Petersen Capital and Ravensberger was one of his investors. However, Lotte discovers that, amongst the murder and missing money, is the involvement of her own father, who she has virtually lost contact with after the bitter divorce of her parents.
This is an involved case, which includes financial crimes, missing case notes and murder. Lotte is a very interesting lead character who is damaged by her own divorce and personal issues, plus both her previous case and the one she is meant to be investigating. As she begins to look into the murder of Otto Petersen she becomes concerned that her father might be involved and is unable to keep her personal and work life separate. Driven, damaged and poignantly vulnerable, I really hope that Lotte appears in further books. I did find the financial side of the crime a little dry in places, but I like the idea of re-opening unsolved cases and thought that the story and characters were very realistic. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
December 1, 2015
A eurocentric thriller which centres on financial fraud and murder. On being interviewed, a young man arrested for holding up a service station, implicates his uncle whom he says has killed a man in the past. As a result, Amsterdam police reopen a cold case where a man was shot dead ten years ago in a provincial town. Lotte, is a fragile guilt ridden detective, struggling to find reasons to live. She is haunted by her previous cold case which involved the murder of a young child.
There are missing files from the investigation that Lotte is trying to locate. She comes to believe that her father, a retired policeman, took a bribe to lose the files. Compromising herself in her efforts to protect her father, she sets off to find who committed the murder. Lotte finds herself suspended as she gots closer to the murderer. The past and present collide as an another murder takes place. Most of Lotte’s assumptions are overturned before she can find herself close to the killer.
Lotte does finally nail the culprit, but not without considerable cost to herself. The book feels like a Scandi-noir. Amsterdam is in the grip of a freezing cold winter, which serves as a perfect backdrop to the story. I loved the location, having visited the place many times, so found it both a comfort and a thrill to be in Amsterdam again. By the end, Lotte finds that she no longer harbours suicidal tendencies, she wants to live and she has reasons to live. I found myself engrossed with the novel and can recommend it to others. The author has created a well crafted and atmospheric story that draws you in. I received an ebook copy from the publisher via netgalley for an honest review.
There are missing files from the investigation that Lotte is trying to locate. She comes to believe that her father, a retired policeman, took a bribe to lose the files. Compromising herself in her efforts to protect her father, she sets off to find who committed the murder. Lotte finds herself suspended as she gots closer to the murderer. The past and present collide as an another murder takes place. Most of Lotte’s assumptions are overturned before she can find herself close to the killer.
Lotte does finally nail the culprit, but not without considerable cost to herself. The book feels like a Scandi-noir. Amsterdam is in the grip of a freezing cold winter, which serves as a perfect backdrop to the story. I loved the location, having visited the place many times, so found it both a comfort and a thrill to be in Amsterdam again. By the end, Lotte finds that she no longer harbours suicidal tendencies, she wants to live and she has reasons to live. I found myself engrossed with the novel and can recommend it to others. The author has created a well crafted and atmospheric story that draws you in. I received an ebook copy from the publisher via netgalley for an honest review.
October 21, 2018
Sleeplessness drives Lotte Moermans around in the frosty world of the Netherlands and by chance she ends up at a tank station that is about to get robbed. She is a police woman and ends up being shot at and arresting the culprit. This opens a new can of worms when the young man is willing to make a deal to sell out his uncle who supposedly killed a person.
Lotte Moerman still reeling for what happened in her last cold case she solved in which she ended up being more damaged as she would expect in a case were the child victim had been dead for more than 15 years.
She gets involved in another case the murder of a just released from prison victim. He was send to prison due to embezzlement of a rather large amount of money. Upon release somebody killed him and now the cold case team comes up with a witness, which had been around for some time but unknown to the Amsterdam Police. This proves to be new road towards the killing. It also involves a personal quest for Lotte in which she finally gets some closure on her parents divorce and estrangement of her father who is a retired policeman.
It is only after the second killing and her suspension from duty that Lotte discovers the truth about what happened all those years ago with the murder and how her father ended his police career.
A wonderful first entry and debut by this native Dutch speaker writing in English but keeps the story in the Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Which would interest me simply because I am from the Netherlands too.
While the main character is not quite as sympathetic as on would expect in a leading character. She is seriously unbalanced during this first book and that is the way you get to learn about her, her personal arc is what makes this book more interesting and very readable.
Well worth your time spending with and visit a cold Amsterdam through the eyes of a Dutch writer. Janwillem van de Wetering would be glad to read another writer who shows his beloved Amsterdam through the eyes of Policewoman.
Lotte Moerman still reeling for what happened in her last cold case she solved in which she ended up being more damaged as she would expect in a case were the child victim had been dead for more than 15 years.
She gets involved in another case the murder of a just released from prison victim. He was send to prison due to embezzlement of a rather large amount of money. Upon release somebody killed him and now the cold case team comes up with a witness, which had been around for some time but unknown to the Amsterdam Police. This proves to be new road towards the killing. It also involves a personal quest for Lotte in which she finally gets some closure on her parents divorce and estrangement of her father who is a retired policeman.
It is only after the second killing and her suspension from duty that Lotte discovers the truth about what happened all those years ago with the murder and how her father ended his police career.
A wonderful first entry and debut by this native Dutch speaker writing in English but keeps the story in the Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Which would interest me simply because I am from the Netherlands too.
While the main character is not quite as sympathetic as on would expect in a leading character. She is seriously unbalanced during this first book and that is the way you get to learn about her, her personal arc is what makes this book more interesting and very readable.
Well worth your time spending with and visit a cold Amsterdam through the eyes of a Dutch writer. Janwillem van de Wetering would be glad to read another writer who shows his beloved Amsterdam through the eyes of Policewoman.
January 20, 2022
I am grateful to netgalley for an advanced proof copy of this exciting book.
I was drawn to this writer based on her new detective series set in Amsterdam, Holland. It was her lead character, Lotte Meerman who narrates the story from her p.o.v. That won me over to this new set of police procedurals.
We have seen many a wasted male PI or flawed copper but few have been as bad as Lotte. It is inconceivable that a woman detective can have so much baggage but Lotte is totally believable. She isn't on the way down she's at rock bottom barely able to function.
I loved all the characters and settings. I especially enjoyed the language around snow and ice flowers.
As a female voice it was also refreshing to hear her own doubts and lack of ego. I was delighted when she deviated from the story to go off script as it were and reveal far more of herself in these stray thoughts.
Beautifully constructed plot with thrilling moments and atmospheric set pieces.
It lacked pace at times and the longer chapters sometimes stalled the story’s momentum.
Great insights into relationships and what motivates a person. Above all good cop/bad cop rolled into one. I sense this author will only get better and I look forward to sharing that journey.
I was drawn to this writer based on her new detective series set in Amsterdam, Holland. It was her lead character, Lotte Meerman who narrates the story from her p.o.v. That won me over to this new set of police procedurals.
We have seen many a wasted male PI or flawed copper but few have been as bad as Lotte. It is inconceivable that a woman detective can have so much baggage but Lotte is totally believable. She isn't on the way down she's at rock bottom barely able to function.
I loved all the characters and settings. I especially enjoyed the language around snow and ice flowers.
As a female voice it was also refreshing to hear her own doubts and lack of ego. I was delighted when she deviated from the story to go off script as it were and reveal far more of herself in these stray thoughts.
Beautifully constructed plot with thrilling moments and atmospheric set pieces.
It lacked pace at times and the longer chapters sometimes stalled the story’s momentum.
Great insights into relationships and what motivates a person. Above all good cop/bad cop rolled into one. I sense this author will only get better and I look forward to sharing that journey.
February 7, 2017
DNF at 11%. Sorry, not for me. I was hoping to get some insights into Dutch society and culture, as well as enjoy some pacy suspense. But this novel feels like it could have taken place anywhere at all, and isn't very pacy nor suspenseful. It is a pretty run-of-the-mill police procedural with a good heroine, but a much less good plot.
July 12, 2021
Oh my god! The book is so good and the main character is so real: with her doubts, with the struggle of losing a child, with the toll you pay to be a police officer, with family, with divorce, with also being a woman.
She is a great writer, that take a deep dive into the subconscious of the protagonist and it worked.
I loved this book.
She is a great writer, that take a deep dive into the subconscious of the protagonist and it worked.
I loved this book.
November 4, 2016
Thriller set in AMSTERDAM and ALKMAAR
This is the first book in a series featuring Amsterdam detective Lotte Meerman. Lotte is a severely damaged, but utterly believable, young woman. She works for the Cold Case squad of Amsterdam police. She has recently solved the 15 year old mystery of the murder of an 8 year old girl. But the investigation, and her unprofessional personal involvement in the course it, have left her in pieces. She let her private needs and feelings impinge on her police duties. She finds it hard to sleep…
Driving around one night (when she can’t sleep), she witnesses a botched hold up at a filling station. She shoots and wounds the perpetrator in self defence. As a police officer this is not an issue, except that it preys on her mind – the perpetrator was young and vulnerable.
In the course of interviewing the young man, she is given information which may be relevant to the Cold Case enquiry into a 10-year old murder of a recently released from prison financier. Any leads had long since gone dead. Amsterdam police had requested the passing over of various files from Alkmaar police so they could investigate further, but these had mysteriously disappeared. Lotte is involved on the case and her father, Piet Huizen (also a policeman) had been the investigating Alkmaar detective at the time. She, for various reasons, suspects her father of being part of a cover up – and she believes she has found a reason for his behaviour. She should, of course, reveal her potential clash of interests to her superiors, but she does not. As the net begins to tighten around her ‘omission’, she has no choice but to try and find the murderer before she is compromised.
There are two key suspects, the two partners of the murdered financier. Both have much to gain from his disappearance (one was in fact having an affair with his wife – whom he subsequently married). But the investigation 10 years previously has not been able to tie either of them to the murder – largely because of the missing files.
The book moves through Amsterdam and Alkmaar to a chilling conclusion. Chilling as in frightening and chilling as in cold. The book is set in the depths of winter, with snow on the ground and temperatures down to -10C. In TripFiction terms it is quite brilliant in its descriptions of both cities. Lotte lives by a canal in central Amsterdam – you feel you are there as the snow falls and the temperature drops, and the ice begins to form.
A Cold Death in Amsterdam is a really good and well worked thriller, but it is also a lot more. Anja de Jager is an expert in describing the family relationships that tie Lotte both to her divorced mother and to her father (whom she had not seen for years until the investigation re-opens). Lotte is not a happy bunny – either in her personal family life or in her work. She struggles to find the will to stay alive… and nearly fails. As I said at the beginning, she is damaged but believable, and also someone with whom we can empathise.
A Cold Death in Amsterdam is a book that sticks in the mind, and to which you return. It is beautifully written. It is not, though, translated. Anja, although a native Dutch speaker, lives and works in London. I am in awe.
This is the first book in a series featuring Amsterdam detective Lotte Meerman. Lotte is a severely damaged, but utterly believable, young woman. She works for the Cold Case squad of Amsterdam police. She has recently solved the 15 year old mystery of the murder of an 8 year old girl. But the investigation, and her unprofessional personal involvement in the course it, have left her in pieces. She let her private needs and feelings impinge on her police duties. She finds it hard to sleep…
Driving around one night (when she can’t sleep), she witnesses a botched hold up at a filling station. She shoots and wounds the perpetrator in self defence. As a police officer this is not an issue, except that it preys on her mind – the perpetrator was young and vulnerable.
In the course of interviewing the young man, she is given information which may be relevant to the Cold Case enquiry into a 10-year old murder of a recently released from prison financier. Any leads had long since gone dead. Amsterdam police had requested the passing over of various files from Alkmaar police so they could investigate further, but these had mysteriously disappeared. Lotte is involved on the case and her father, Piet Huizen (also a policeman) had been the investigating Alkmaar detective at the time. She, for various reasons, suspects her father of being part of a cover up – and she believes she has found a reason for his behaviour. She should, of course, reveal her potential clash of interests to her superiors, but she does not. As the net begins to tighten around her ‘omission’, she has no choice but to try and find the murderer before she is compromised.
There are two key suspects, the two partners of the murdered financier. Both have much to gain from his disappearance (one was in fact having an affair with his wife – whom he subsequently married). But the investigation 10 years previously has not been able to tie either of them to the murder – largely because of the missing files.
The book moves through Amsterdam and Alkmaar to a chilling conclusion. Chilling as in frightening and chilling as in cold. The book is set in the depths of winter, with snow on the ground and temperatures down to -10C. In TripFiction terms it is quite brilliant in its descriptions of both cities. Lotte lives by a canal in central Amsterdam – you feel you are there as the snow falls and the temperature drops, and the ice begins to form.
A Cold Death in Amsterdam is a really good and well worked thriller, but it is also a lot more. Anja de Jager is an expert in describing the family relationships that tie Lotte both to her divorced mother and to her father (whom she had not seen for years until the investigation re-opens). Lotte is not a happy bunny – either in her personal family life or in her work. She struggles to find the will to stay alive… and nearly fails. As I said at the beginning, she is damaged but believable, and also someone with whom we can empathise.
A Cold Death in Amsterdam is a book that sticks in the mind, and to which you return. It is beautifully written. It is not, though, translated. Anja, although a native Dutch speaker, lives and works in London. I am in awe.
June 7, 2018
Buen libro. Tensión contenida.
Primer libro que leo de esta autora ( y único traducido de momento), lo que más me ha llamado la atención es como ha estado jugando con la tensión durante gran parte de libro, creando distracciones o puntos de fuga de la trama principal para distendir - como las primeras conversaciones con la madre- o tensar - como los niños jugando en el hielo del canal. La trama fluye de un modo pausado, sin grandes sobresaltos.
Una policía atormentada, llena de remordimientos por un caso anterior, tiene que enfrentarse a un caso cerrado hace mucho tiempo que afecta directamente a su entorno. Todo un juego de contradicciones en su cabeza propiciadas por medio verdades / medio mentiras afectará a la forma en que lleva esta investigación.
En algún momento, tal vez demasiado pronto, he adivinado que uno de los personajes estaba involucrado y que otro no lo estaba. El final no ha sido exactamente de la forma en que esperaba, pero me habría gustado algún giro sorprendente al final rompiera mis intuiciones en este juego de sospechas.
Hay algunos personajes del entorno de Lotte que han pasado casi sin pena ni gloria, pero al ser una serie sospecho (espero) que en los siguientes libros se siga desarrollando sus perfiles.
Con una estructura de capítulos cortos, es un libro de lectura rápida.
Es probable, que en un futuro, si traducen más libros, le dé la oportunidad al siguiente.
Valoración: 8/10
Lectura: jun/18
Primer libro que leo de esta autora ( y único traducido de momento), lo que más me ha llamado la atención es como ha estado jugando con la tensión durante gran parte de libro, creando distracciones o puntos de fuga de la trama principal para distendir - como las primeras conversaciones con la madre- o tensar - como los niños jugando en el hielo del canal. La trama fluye de un modo pausado, sin grandes sobresaltos.
Una policía atormentada, llena de remordimientos por un caso anterior, tiene que enfrentarse a un caso cerrado hace mucho tiempo que afecta directamente a su entorno. Todo un juego de contradicciones en su cabeza propiciadas por medio verdades / medio mentiras afectará a la forma en que lleva esta investigación.
En algún momento, tal vez demasiado pronto, he adivinado que uno de los personajes estaba involucrado y que otro no lo estaba. El final no ha sido exactamente de la forma en que esperaba, pero me habría gustado algún giro sorprendente al final rompiera mis intuiciones en este juego de sospechas.
Hay algunos personajes del entorno de Lotte que han pasado casi sin pena ni gloria, pero al ser una serie sospecho (espero) que en los siguientes libros se siga desarrollando sus perfiles.
Con una estructura de capítulos cortos, es un libro de lectura rápida.
Es probable, que en un futuro, si traducen más libros, le dé la oportunidad al siguiente.
Valoración: 8/10
Lectura: jun/18
June 7, 2018
Aunque interesante, sobre todo por estar ambientado en Ámsterdam, se me ha hecho muy lento. La protagonista, una policía que vive atormentada por errores en una investigación anterior (de la que nos enteramos muy poco a poco), se ve implicada en un nuevo caso que le provoca una nueva preocupación, debido a un conflicto de intereses que no comenta con nadie.
La trama está bien llevada; pero no me ha convencido como la autora la va hilvanando; ya que está narrado en primera persona, por parte de la protagonista y desde el primer momento sabemos que tiene graves problemas..... que nos desgrana muy lentamente a lo largo del libro; cuando realmente Lotte, no deja de pensar en ello.
No creo que lea más de esta autora.
La trama está bien llevada; pero no me ha convencido como la autora la va hilvanando; ya que está narrado en primera persona, por parte de la protagonista y desde el primer momento sabemos que tiene graves problemas..... que nos desgrana muy lentamente a lo largo del libro; cuando realmente Lotte, no deja de pensar en ello.
No creo que lea más de esta autora.
May 26, 2017
My first reaction when I started listening to this book was "Oh boy, do we really need another story about a damaged and traumatised detective with issues", but I quite enjoyed it in the end. The mystery is not bad, but I had worked it out way ahead of Lotte. Maybe it would have been better reading it in Dutch as the narrator's pronunciation of most of the Dutch words was a bit light and variable.
April 19, 2024
2,25☆
I wasn't a fan of this one.
I didn't like any of the characters. The writing was odd sometimes, and that made me confused a lot. The mystery itself was also really boring to me. The only good thing was that this was very fast to read.
At least I finally got the book that has been on my tbr the longest read.
I wasn't a fan of this one.
I didn't like any of the characters. The writing was odd sometimes, and that made me confused a lot. The mystery itself was also really boring to me. The only good thing was that this was very fast to read.
At least I finally got the book that has been on my tbr the longest read.
June 19, 2018
A Cold Death in Amsterdam is an engrossing psychological thriller that takes the reader into the mind of damaged detective Lotte Meerman. When a recent case reunites her with her estranged father, she is forced to reexamine her confusing childhood and her relations with both parents. Her own sins of the past cloud her current investigation and motivate her to take enormous risks to protect herself and her loved ones.
Does she succeed in taming the demons that prey on her soul? You will have to read the gripping conclusion to find out.
The setting – Amsterdam and Alkmaar – are well described and quite evocative of the cold, barren winter in the Netherlands.
I read book three in the series first but wish I had started with this one. Fans of crime fiction and detective series will enjoy this mystery.
Does she succeed in taming the demons that prey on her soul? You will have to read the gripping conclusion to find out.
The setting – Amsterdam and Alkmaar – are well described and quite evocative of the cold, barren winter in the Netherlands.
I read book three in the series first but wish I had started with this one. Fans of crime fiction and detective series will enjoy this mystery.
November 13, 2020
This is a police procedural novel told from the point of view of Amsterdam detective Lotte Meerman. Lotte has recently solved a notorious cold case involving the murder of a young girl, but the case deeply traumatized her, and she is suffering from sleep deprivation and other symptoms of stress.
During a late-night drive, she interrupts a robbery in progress at a gas station and shoots the perpetrator, wounding him and exacerbating her stress. But when he provides a potential lead in another cold murder and financial fraud case in Alkmaar (a city about 40 kilometers north of Amsterdam), the case is reopened and Lotte is assigned to the investigating team. She soon learns that her estranged father, a retired Alkmaar police officer, had investigated the case and may have concealed some important case files. Instead of revealing her conflict of interest and removing herself from the case, Lotte hides her relationship with her father. She thinks he probably did conceal the files, but she hopes that she might be able to protect him—all the while questioning her motivation for doing so.
Although Lotte is a talented detective, she is constantly struggling with her mental and emotional state. She frequently berates herself for lying about how she solved the young girl’s murder, having apparently slept with the murderer. Although she believes that work is the only thing that is keeping her sane, she questions her ability to do the job. “Was I still capable of doing this job? Should I take some time off? I was clearly in no state to work: too absorbed in my previous mistakes to do a proper job. In fact, I had been so absorbed in my previous mistakes that I kept making new ones, layering faults on top of errors.”
Lotte is an interesting protagonist who reveals much more of herself than most comparable characters in mystery fiction. She is damaged by her relationship with her father, her divorce, and her misjudgments at work. But although her depression and self-doubt are believable and honest, I did sometimes find myself wishing that she was not quite so self-absorbed and so judgmental about herself and others. It was a bit wearying to spend so much time with her inside her head.
I thought the mystery itself was fairly compelling, even though like Lotte herself I didn’t find it easy to understand some of the financial fraud aspects of the case, and so I got lost occasionally. But overall I enjoyed the book, and I especially liked the descriptions of winter in and around Amsterdam.
During a late-night drive, she interrupts a robbery in progress at a gas station and shoots the perpetrator, wounding him and exacerbating her stress. But when he provides a potential lead in another cold murder and financial fraud case in Alkmaar (a city about 40 kilometers north of Amsterdam), the case is reopened and Lotte is assigned to the investigating team. She soon learns that her estranged father, a retired Alkmaar police officer, had investigated the case and may have concealed some important case files. Instead of revealing her conflict of interest and removing herself from the case, Lotte hides her relationship with her father. She thinks he probably did conceal the files, but she hopes that she might be able to protect him—all the while questioning her motivation for doing so.
Although Lotte is a talented detective, she is constantly struggling with her mental and emotional state. She frequently berates herself for lying about how she solved the young girl’s murder, having apparently slept with the murderer. Although she believes that work is the only thing that is keeping her sane, she questions her ability to do the job. “Was I still capable of doing this job? Should I take some time off? I was clearly in no state to work: too absorbed in my previous mistakes to do a proper job. In fact, I had been so absorbed in my previous mistakes that I kept making new ones, layering faults on top of errors.”
Lotte is an interesting protagonist who reveals much more of herself than most comparable characters in mystery fiction. She is damaged by her relationship with her father, her divorce, and her misjudgments at work. But although her depression and self-doubt are believable and honest, I did sometimes find myself wishing that she was not quite so self-absorbed and so judgmental about herself and others. It was a bit wearying to spend so much time with her inside her head.
I thought the mystery itself was fairly compelling, even though like Lotte herself I didn’t find it easy to understand some of the financial fraud aspects of the case, and so I got lost occasionally. But overall I enjoyed the book, and I especially liked the descriptions of winter in and around Amsterdam.
January 25, 2025
Katra izmeklēšana un tās ietvaros pieredzētais gan attiecībā pret upuriem pastrādāto, gan dialogā ar tuvākajiem radiem un citiem iesaistītajiem ir smags process kā izmeklēšanas gaitā, tā arī pēc tās, vienalga ar vai bez veiksmīga noslēguma un ļaundara aizturēšanas. Jo īpaši psiholoģiski smaga detektīvei Lotte Meerman tāda bijusi iepriekšējā, pirms 15gadiem pazudušas sešgadīgas meitenes pazušana, neveselīgas asociācijas ar pašas reiz zaudēto meitu vēl zīdaiņa vecumā, un tagad mirstīgo atlieku atrašana, bet jo vairāk psiholoģiski grūti, kad pašai jātiek galā ar notikumu gaitu, kura ļauj atrast gan mazo meiteni, gan tās slepkavu.
https://poseidons99.com/2025/01/25/an...
https://poseidons99.com/2025/01/25/an...
December 17, 2025
An interesting story but I would have liked more character development. Maybe that will come in future books?
The story seems quite ‘pared down’ and perhaps over-edited but still made me want to read more. Will try more in the series…
The story seems quite ‘pared down’ and perhaps over-edited but still made me want to read more. Will try more in the series…
December 25, 2019
Un aburrimiento de libro
January 6, 2024
DNF p.100
March 26, 2026
It hurts me to call any book boring but this sadly was quite dull. Slow and repetitive, it shouldn’t have taken 25 days to read.
September 8, 2024
I liked the main crime plot, but the overall story didn’t work for me. I think I couldn’t get behind why any of the characters behaved how they did towards each other.
March 1, 2020
An interesting book with two stories that run into each other. Quick easy read, a few red herrings but we get there in the end.
September 28, 2025
La trama me ha parecido demasiado sencilla. No he conseguido conectar para nada con la protagonista, más bien me ha puesto de los nervios. Básicamente eres policía, amas tú trabajo que es lo único que te queda, pero quieres correr el riesgo de perderlo por proteger a tu padre con el que no tienes relación.... Además ponen tantas pistas durante los capítulos de que el padre es el culpable que es demasiado obvio que no es él.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2015
The turn of the year in Amsterdam, the canals are frozen and Detective Lotte Meerman’s life is suffering its own chill winter. No longer so young and scarred by her parents’ acrimonious divorce and the recent breakdown of her own marriage she is tormented by not one but two agonising dilemmas.
She is tasked with investigating the cold case of Oscar Peterson who was murdered on the day he was released from prison. He’d been convicted of fraud and, although suspicions were aroused when his widow married his business partner, the original investigators were unable to find the killer. It soon becomes obvious that much of the evidence they collected is missing and Lotte’s colleague, Stefanie Dekkers, is convinced that ex-inspector Piet Huis was responsible for destroying it.
Lotte realises that Piet is remarkably affluent for a retired police officer, but she is desperate to protect him even though doing so is likely to destroy her career. Because she has a secret that should disqualify her from the case – Piet Huis is her estranged father.
And this isn’t the only burden she carries. Her last investigation brought her media attention as the heroine who unmasked the murderer of a young girl missing for fifteen years. But she’s haunted by the memory of the little body she discovered in its shallow grave and by her own terrible mistake and her attempts to cover-up what she did.
A bitter Dutch winter makes a wonderfully atmospheric setting for the novel. And bruised and battered Lotte is the perfect flawed heroine. This is Anja de Jager’s debut novel and the first of a series and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book.
She is tasked with investigating the cold case of Oscar Peterson who was murdered on the day he was released from prison. He’d been convicted of fraud and, although suspicions were aroused when his widow married his business partner, the original investigators were unable to find the killer. It soon becomes obvious that much of the evidence they collected is missing and Lotte’s colleague, Stefanie Dekkers, is convinced that ex-inspector Piet Huis was responsible for destroying it.
Lotte realises that Piet is remarkably affluent for a retired police officer, but she is desperate to protect him even though doing so is likely to destroy her career. Because she has a secret that should disqualify her from the case – Piet Huis is her estranged father.
And this isn’t the only burden she carries. Her last investigation brought her media attention as the heroine who unmasked the murderer of a young girl missing for fifteen years. But she’s haunted by the memory of the little body she discovered in its shallow grave and by her own terrible mistake and her attempts to cover-up what she did.
A bitter Dutch winter makes a wonderfully atmospheric setting for the novel. And bruised and battered Lotte is the perfect flawed heroine. This is Anja de Jager’s debut novel and the first of a series and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book.
October 30, 2022
Please move on - there is nothing good to read here!
This is not only one of the worst crime novels I have ever read, it is one of the worst pieces of fiction I have ever read. If I had not borrowed the audiobook from the library and listened to this instead of reading it myself, I am sure I would have DNF'ed this (as many others have as I saw from the reviews).
Here is a list of what to expect:
- an anti-Feminist female main character (Lotte is constantly treating her female colleague Stephanie unfairly, judging her feminine style of dress, not listening to her when Stephanie explains the financial background of the case, and outright calling her a b*tch and shaming her (in the audiobook, therefore, the narrator is giving Stephanie a horribly annoying voice, which makes sense because Lotte is the narrator of the story and she despises Stephanie, but this is incredibly annoying))
- an incompetent and down right stupid main character (it is absolutely laughable that Lotte is supposed to be this brilliant police officer/detective but she is too stupid to put two and two together! She is also insubordinant, keeps lying to her boss, covering for making bad choices, disrespecting her colleagues, being a bad team player, etc etc)
- a plot that is at first dry, and then, midway through, very obvious
- cliche and amateurish writing to the point where you question publishing decisions and eventually your own stupid judgement to give this a shot in the first place.
So, definitely skip this one for your own mental health and reading pleasure. I would highly recommend the Cormoran Strike series if you are looking for a great crime read.
This is not only one of the worst crime novels I have ever read, it is one of the worst pieces of fiction I have ever read. If I had not borrowed the audiobook from the library and listened to this instead of reading it myself, I am sure I would have DNF'ed this (as many others have as I saw from the reviews).
Here is a list of what to expect:
- an anti-Feminist female main character (Lotte is constantly treating her female colleague Stephanie unfairly, judging her feminine style of dress, not listening to her when Stephanie explains the financial background of the case, and outright calling her a b*tch and shaming her (in the audiobook, therefore, the narrator is giving Stephanie a horribly annoying voice, which makes sense because Lotte is the narrator of the story and she despises Stephanie, but this is incredibly annoying))
- an incompetent and down right stupid main character (it is absolutely laughable that Lotte is supposed to be this brilliant police officer/detective but she is too stupid to put two and two together! She is also insubordinant, keeps lying to her boss, covering for making bad choices, disrespecting her colleagues, being a bad team player, etc etc)
- a plot that is at first dry, and then, midway through, very obvious
- cliche and amateurish writing to the point where you question publishing decisions and eventually your own stupid judgement to give this a shot in the first place.
So, definitely skip this one for your own mental health and reading pleasure. I would highly recommend the Cormoran Strike series if you are looking for a great crime read.
April 28, 2018
I found Lotte Meerman just the sort of complex character that I like in a book. She has enough personal issues going that would label her as maybe too dysfunctional for her role as a police detective, but for me the personal issues gives her a passion that appears to be her main driving force when she has the bit between her teeth on a case.
Working on a cold case, still traumatised by her previous murder case, she discovers that her father a retired detective inspector may be implicated as being paid-off by the suspect to lose vital evidence.
Lotte puts her own job on the line to protect her father.
I loved the atmosphere and descriptions of life, and found myself Google imaging some of the places that Anja de Jager describes. The Alkmaar police station looking like a cruise ship for example is an incredibly accurate description. The whole flavour and the spirit of the Netherlands captured me, leaving me wanting more. Heck, I may even need to go there for a visit. I look forward to reading more of Lotte Meerman and more from the pen of Anja de Jager.
Working on a cold case, still traumatised by her previous murder case, she discovers that her father a retired detective inspector may be implicated as being paid-off by the suspect to lose vital evidence.
Lotte puts her own job on the line to protect her father.
I loved the atmosphere and descriptions of life, and found myself Google imaging some of the places that Anja de Jager describes. The Alkmaar police station looking like a cruise ship for example is an incredibly accurate description. The whole flavour and the spirit of the Netherlands captured me, leaving me wanting more. Heck, I may even need to go there for a visit. I look forward to reading more of Lotte Meerman and more from the pen of Anja de Jager.
January 22, 2025
Detective Lotte Meerman is under a lot of stress and most of it is of her own making. She works cold cases in Amsterdam and is transitioning from a resent case that brought her national attention to one that involves her father, who she hasn't spoken to in years. She doesn't play by the rules and rarely considers others and put's a lot of people off side. The new case only came about because she walked in on an armed robbery at a service station and shot the offender. When she realises her father may not be as honest as she thought she doesn't tell anyone that he is her father as they have different surnames. But she still feels she must protect him.
This was an enjoyable read and flowed along nicely, though at times he got a bit muddled and lacked a nice clear logic. This is the first book I've read that has been based in the Netherlands, and by a Dutch author, but it won't be the last. There is something about walking through the snow by the canals and almost freezing to death in Amsterdam.
I will read more of this series in the hope that Lotte gets her act together.
This was an enjoyable read and flowed along nicely, though at times he got a bit muddled and lacked a nice clear logic. This is the first book I've read that has been based in the Netherlands, and by a Dutch author, but it won't be the last. There is something about walking through the snow by the canals and almost freezing to death in Amsterdam.
I will read more of this series in the hope that Lotte gets her act together.
Read
December 2, 2019I've recently visited Amsterdam for the very first time and afterward, I was given 'A Cold Death in Amsterdam' to read.
Lotte Meerman is a detective with the Amsterdam police force. Celebrated for a recent successful 'cold' case, for which she holds a crucial secret that could end her career, Lotte begins to investigate the unsolved murder of a convicted fraudster. When her estranged father, a retired policeman, is implicated in the case, Lotte's loyalties are once again tested to the extreme.
I thoroughly loved this complicated story of a policewoman on the brink, both mentally and physically. Lotte's complicated life is very well documented and the snowy city intersected by frozen canals gives an atmospheric backdrop to her investigations.
'A Cold Death in Amsterdam' is a Nordic Noir story which I couldn't recommend more highly if you, like me, have fallen in love with the fascinating Dutch Capital.
Lotte Meerman is a detective with the Amsterdam police force. Celebrated for a recent successful 'cold' case, for which she holds a crucial secret that could end her career, Lotte begins to investigate the unsolved murder of a convicted fraudster. When her estranged father, a retired policeman, is implicated in the case, Lotte's loyalties are once again tested to the extreme.
I thoroughly loved this complicated story of a policewoman on the brink, both mentally and physically. Lotte's complicated life is very well documented and the snowy city intersected by frozen canals gives an atmospheric backdrop to her investigations.
'A Cold Death in Amsterdam' is a Nordic Noir story which I couldn't recommend more highly if you, like me, have fallen in love with the fascinating Dutch Capital.
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