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Van In #2
De Midasmoorden
Paniek en chaos in het toeristische Brugge wanneer de stad door een reeks schijnbaar losstaande misdaden wordt opgeschrikt. Tussen de persoonlijke bezittingen van een vermoord Duits zakenman wordt een vreemde foto gevonden van de madonna van Michelangelo. Een kneedbom vernielt even later het standbeeld van de dichter Guido Gezelle.
Een aartsmoeilijke opdracht voor adjunct-commissaris Pieter Van In, die in het kluwen van misdaden naar de motieven en de daders zoekt. Wat heeft de madonna van Michelangelo te maken met de nakende fusie van twee touroperators? Wat is de link tussen een onopgeloste bomaanslag in 1967 en de Nibelungenschat? De waarheid achter de feiten blijkt gruwelijker dan verwacht...
Een aartsmoeilijke opdracht voor adjunct-commissaris Pieter Van In, die in het kluwen van misdaden naar de motieven en de daders zoekt. Wat heeft de madonna van Michelangelo te maken met de nakende fusie van twee touroperators? Wat is de link tussen een onopgeloste bomaanslag in 1967 en de Nibelungenschat? De waarheid achter de feiten blijkt gruwelijker dan verwacht...
281 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2001
115 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Pieter Aspe
72 books150 followersPieter Aspe was het pseudoniem van Pierre Aspeslag. Hij studeerde Latijn-Wetenschappen aan het Sint-Leocollege in Brugge. Na zijn humanoria volgde hij gedurende korte tijd de universitaire opleiding sociologie. Hierna werkte hij als magazijnier, verkoper, bediende, seizoenagent bij de zeevaartpolitie, fotograaf, studiemeester, handelaar in brocante, handelaar in wijn en conciërge van de Heilig-Bloedkapel in Brugge. Sinds 1996 was hij voltijds schrijver van misdaadromans.
Pieter Aspe in de Nederlandstalige Wikipedia
Pieter Aspe was the pseudonym of Pierre Aspeslag. He studied Latin-Sciences at the Sint-Leo College in Bruges.
Pieter Aspe was a full time writer since 1996. Aspe wrote crime fiction novels with inspector Pieter Van In and D.A. Hannelore Martens as principal characters, who become lovers in the first book Het vierkant van de wraak. Most of the stories are situated in Bruges, Belgium. Next to this series, Aspe also wrote two YA novels, Bloedband and the sequel Luchtpost and two novellas, Grof Wild and De Japanse Tuin.
In 2001 Aspe received the Hercule Poirot Price for his novel Zoenoffer.
The first ten novels of Aspe were made into a TV series called Aspe by VTM (Flemish TV channel). This was followed up by a second and third season, but they weren’t television adaptations of the books. However the storyline of the TV series was further developed under the supervision of Pieter Aspe himself. After the first season of the series Aspe, the number of book sales increased significantly. He has currently sold over 1.5 million books in Belgium and The Netherlands.
His 24th novel Misleid was released in April 2009.
Translated from source: www.aspe.be
Pieter Aspe in the English Wikipedia
Pieter Aspe (nom de plume de Pierre Aspeslag) est un écrivain flamand.
Pieter Aspe dans la Wikipédia française
Pieter Aspe in de Nederlandstalige Wikipedia
Pieter Aspe was the pseudonym of Pierre Aspeslag. He studied Latin-Sciences at the Sint-Leo College in Bruges.
Pieter Aspe was a full time writer since 1996. Aspe wrote crime fiction novels with inspector Pieter Van In and D.A. Hannelore Martens as principal characters, who become lovers in the first book Het vierkant van de wraak. Most of the stories are situated in Bruges, Belgium. Next to this series, Aspe also wrote two YA novels, Bloedband and the sequel Luchtpost and two novellas, Grof Wild and De Japanse Tuin.
In 2001 Aspe received the Hercule Poirot Price for his novel Zoenoffer.
The first ten novels of Aspe were made into a TV series called Aspe by VTM (Flemish TV channel). This was followed up by a second and third season, but they weren’t television adaptations of the books. However the storyline of the TV series was further developed under the supervision of Pieter Aspe himself. After the first season of the series Aspe, the number of book sales increased significantly. He has currently sold over 1.5 million books in Belgium and The Netherlands.
His 24th novel Misleid was released in April 2009.
Translated from source: www.aspe.be
Pieter Aspe in the English Wikipedia
Pieter Aspe (nom de plume de Pierre Aspeslag) est un écrivain flamand.
Pieter Aspe dans la Wikipédia française
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
November 27, 2020
I read this book in the original Dutch version but will give an English review as well to promote my fellow countryman. This is the second book in this series about inspector Pieter Van In and has been translated into English as ‘The Midas Murders’. Aspe is one of Flanders most famous and prolific authors.
A German businessman is found murdered in the streets of Bruges. In his pockets is a 30-year-old picture of Michelangelo’s Madonna. The reader knows that he just left a secret meeting with a local tourism boss that was overheard by a Dutchman. They also discussed falsified works of art. In the same week, the statue of Flanders most famous poet is destroyed by a bomb. The mayor receives threats and the secret service points towards an unknown obscure Walloon organisation. Inspector Van In doesn’t buy this and thinks it may be related to a 30-year-old bomb attack. Van In and Versavel have a lot on their plate. On top of that, Van In has financial problems and the bank threatens to repossess his renovated antique house.
This book takes place in 1996 when Dehaene is premier of Belgium, grunge is everywhere, and we still pay in ‘franken’.
I can’t say that I feel much sympathy for the main character, he not very woman-friendly, homophobic, cheats on his girlfriend with a hooker and drinks more than is healthy. In the TV-series, they made about these books he’s much gentler. He is straightforward with a strict moral compass and hates the corruption around him. We also find out where Van In’s stop word ‘Benson in Himmel’ stems from. I have a distinct dislike for fake swearwords. If someone swears, let him do so but now that I read the background story, it can be forgiven in this case.
There are some serious themes in this story: corruption in the business and political circles and their mutual dependency and fraudulent artworks. I’m not sure if international readers will get the sarcasm the author uses to expose various malfunctions in our system. Flemish humour leans closer towards the English satire where we can take the piss out of our own shortcomings but hell breaks loose when an outsider attempts the same. It’s now generally admitted that the political landscape was very corrupt and broken in these years. I doubt that much has changed though.
******
En nu dus ook in het Nederlands:
Een Duitse zakenman wordt aangetroffen met ingeslagen schedel in de Brugse uitgangsbuurt. Wat later overlijdt hij aan z’n verwondingen. De man heeft een 30 jaar oude foto van Michelangelo’s Madonna op zak. De lezer weet dan al dat hij een geheime ontmoeting over een mysterieuze zakendeal had met ‘meneer Georges’ die werd afgeluisterd door een Nederlander. Er werd ook gepraat over vervalste kunstschatten.
Daarnaast wordt het standbeeld van Guido Gezelle opgeblazen en krijgt de burgemeester dreigbrieven. De Staatsveiligheid wijst naar een obscure Waalse organisatie, maar dat gelooft Van In niet. Hij denkt dat het te maken kan hebben met een bomaanslag van 30 jaar geleden.
Werk te over voor commissaris Van In en z’n adjudant Versavel. Of dat nog niet genoeg is, heeft Van In problemen met z’n hypotheek en dreigt z’n woning kwijt te raken aan de bank.
Het is 1996; we betalen nog in franken, Dehaene is premier, het zijn de hoogdagen van de grunge en we bellen nog naar de 100.
Dit is het tweede boek in de reeks en kan uiteraard ook los gelezen worden want elke zaak staat op zichzelf.
Eigenlijk kan ik Van In niet erg sympathiek vinden, hij zuipt mee dan hij werkt en gedraagt zich niet altijd correct tegen Hannelore (hij bedriegt haar met een prostituee) en is denigrerend tegen Versavel. In de tv-serie hebben ze hem veel vriendelijker voorgesteld dan hij is in de boeken. Hij is wel principieel en heeft een hekel aan de alomtegenwoordige corruptie en vriendjespolitiek.
Er komen een aantal zware thema’s aan bod in dit verhaal; kunstvervalsing, corruptie in de zakenwereld en politiek en de onderlinge afhankelijkheid. De Vlaamse lezer zal een aantal zaken grappig en/of sarcastisch vinden maar internationale lezers zullen er misschien een erg negatieve indruk aan over houden. Op dat punt leunt de Vlaamse humor meer aan tegen de Engelse, met name dat we onze eigen zwakke punten op de korrel durven nemen maar op onze achterbenen staan als iemand anders dat doet.
We komen wel te weten waar Van In’s stopwoord ‘Benson in Himmel’ vandaan komt. Ik had altijd zo’n hekel aan die uitdrukking omdat ik een afkeer heb van die rare namaakvloeken maar nu weet ik dus z’n herkomst en kan ermee leven.
A German businessman is found murdered in the streets of Bruges. In his pockets is a 30-year-old picture of Michelangelo’s Madonna. The reader knows that he just left a secret meeting with a local tourism boss that was overheard by a Dutchman. They also discussed falsified works of art. In the same week, the statue of Flanders most famous poet is destroyed by a bomb. The mayor receives threats and the secret service points towards an unknown obscure Walloon organisation. Inspector Van In doesn’t buy this and thinks it may be related to a 30-year-old bomb attack. Van In and Versavel have a lot on their plate. On top of that, Van In has financial problems and the bank threatens to repossess his renovated antique house.
This book takes place in 1996 when Dehaene is premier of Belgium, grunge is everywhere, and we still pay in ‘franken’.
I can’t say that I feel much sympathy for the main character, he not very woman-friendly, homophobic, cheats on his girlfriend with a hooker and drinks more than is healthy. In the TV-series, they made about these books he’s much gentler. He is straightforward with a strict moral compass and hates the corruption around him. We also find out where Van In’s stop word ‘Benson in Himmel’ stems from. I have a distinct dislike for fake swearwords. If someone swears, let him do so but now that I read the background story, it can be forgiven in this case.
There are some serious themes in this story: corruption in the business and political circles and their mutual dependency and fraudulent artworks. I’m not sure if international readers will get the sarcasm the author uses to expose various malfunctions in our system. Flemish humour leans closer towards the English satire where we can take the piss out of our own shortcomings but hell breaks loose when an outsider attempts the same. It’s now generally admitted that the political landscape was very corrupt and broken in these years. I doubt that much has changed though.
******
En nu dus ook in het Nederlands:
Een Duitse zakenman wordt aangetroffen met ingeslagen schedel in de Brugse uitgangsbuurt. Wat later overlijdt hij aan z’n verwondingen. De man heeft een 30 jaar oude foto van Michelangelo’s Madonna op zak. De lezer weet dan al dat hij een geheime ontmoeting over een mysterieuze zakendeal had met ‘meneer Georges’ die werd afgeluisterd door een Nederlander. Er werd ook gepraat over vervalste kunstschatten.
Daarnaast wordt het standbeeld van Guido Gezelle opgeblazen en krijgt de burgemeester dreigbrieven. De Staatsveiligheid wijst naar een obscure Waalse organisatie, maar dat gelooft Van In niet. Hij denkt dat het te maken kan hebben met een bomaanslag van 30 jaar geleden.
Werk te over voor commissaris Van In en z’n adjudant Versavel. Of dat nog niet genoeg is, heeft Van In problemen met z’n hypotheek en dreigt z’n woning kwijt te raken aan de bank.
Het is 1996; we betalen nog in franken, Dehaene is premier, het zijn de hoogdagen van de grunge en we bellen nog naar de 100.
Dit is het tweede boek in de reeks en kan uiteraard ook los gelezen worden want elke zaak staat op zichzelf.
Eigenlijk kan ik Van In niet erg sympathiek vinden, hij zuipt mee dan hij werkt en gedraagt zich niet altijd correct tegen Hannelore (hij bedriegt haar met een prostituee) en is denigrerend tegen Versavel. In de tv-serie hebben ze hem veel vriendelijker voorgesteld dan hij is in de boeken. Hij is wel principieel en heeft een hekel aan de alomtegenwoordige corruptie en vriendjespolitiek.
Er komen een aantal zware thema’s aan bod in dit verhaal; kunstvervalsing, corruptie in de zakenwereld en politiek en de onderlinge afhankelijkheid. De Vlaamse lezer zal een aantal zaken grappig en/of sarcastisch vinden maar internationale lezers zullen er misschien een erg negatieve indruk aan over houden. Op dat punt leunt de Vlaamse humor meer aan tegen de Engelse, met name dat we onze eigen zwakke punten op de korrel durven nemen maar op onze achterbenen staan als iemand anders dat doet.
We komen wel te weten waar Van In’s stopwoord ‘Benson in Himmel’ vandaan komt. Ik had altijd zo’n hekel aan die uitdrukking omdat ik een afkeer heb van die rare namaakvloeken maar nu weet ik dus z’n herkomst en kan ermee leven.
November 4, 2013
The Midas Murders is the second book by Pieter Aspe featuring Bruges inspector Pieter Van In. After reading The Square of Revenge and finding it to be a pretty good read, I was interested in seeing where Aspe would take this character Van In.
A businessman is found dead in the cold streets of Bruges from an apparent alcoholic induced death. Over the course of the investigation Van In goes to question another man seen with him on the night of his death only to find that man dead as well. Coincidence? Van In doesn't believe so. To top it off, a seemingly unrelated bombing destroys one of Bruges most treated popular attraction, Guido Gazelle.
What I liked most about the novel this time around is not the mystery or the characters. What's most endearing with this title is the relationship between Van In and DA Hannelore Maartins. They are an odd couple that I did not see fitting together after reading the first story in the Van In series. Van In is not someone I would say has their life together what with his chain smoking, boozing, financial woes, and low self esteem. He seems the least likely candidate for the beautiful Hannelore. Aspe makes them fun and enjoyable to read with dialogue that's not cheesy or stilted.
I wouldn't describe The Midas Murders a genre-bending read but I found its swift pacing and absorbing mystery worth the few hours it took to read it. I will definitely read the next in the series.
copy provided by Netgalley
A businessman is found dead in the cold streets of Bruges from an apparent alcoholic induced death. Over the course of the investigation Van In goes to question another man seen with him on the night of his death only to find that man dead as well. Coincidence? Van In doesn't believe so. To top it off, a seemingly unrelated bombing destroys one of Bruges most treated popular attraction, Guido Gazelle.
What I liked most about the novel this time around is not the mystery or the characters. What's most endearing with this title is the relationship between Van In and DA Hannelore Maartins. They are an odd couple that I did not see fitting together after reading the first story in the Van In series. Van In is not someone I would say has their life together what with his chain smoking, boozing, financial woes, and low self esteem. He seems the least likely candidate for the beautiful Hannelore. Aspe makes them fun and enjoyable to read with dialogue that's not cheesy or stilted.
I wouldn't describe The Midas Murders a genre-bending read but I found its swift pacing and absorbing mystery worth the few hours it took to read it. I will definitely read the next in the series.
copy provided by Netgalley
October 3, 2022
Ik vond dit boek niet zo geweldig, hoewel ik meestal wel van de boeken van Pieter Aspe houd.
Een Duitse man wordt vermoord in Brugge, het standbeeld van Guido Gezelle wordt opgeblazen, en een hoge functionaris krijgt doodsbedreigingen.
Van In moet deze zaak zien op te lossen. Is er een verband met een terroristische aanslag uit 1967? En waarom wil de bank zo graag beslag leggen op zijn huis? Heeft een invloedrijke touroperator iets met de zaak te maken?
Net op tijd weet Van In een volgende aanslag te vermijden, nadat hij alle puzzelstukjes kunnen plaatsen heeft.
Soms is het boek nogal verwarrend vond ik, ik was in elk geval niet zo erg mee met het verhaal als bij de andere boeken van de auteur.
Een Duitse man wordt vermoord in Brugge, het standbeeld van Guido Gezelle wordt opgeblazen, en een hoge functionaris krijgt doodsbedreigingen.
Van In moet deze zaak zien op te lossen. Is er een verband met een terroristische aanslag uit 1967? En waarom wil de bank zo graag beslag leggen op zijn huis? Heeft een invloedrijke touroperator iets met de zaak te maken?
Net op tijd weet Van In een volgende aanslag te vermijden, nadat hij alle puzzelstukjes kunnen plaatsen heeft.
Soms is het boek nogal verwarrend vond ik, ik was in elk geval niet zo erg mee met het verhaal als bij de andere boeken van de auteur.
March 4, 2025
Letto nel 2010 e, visto il tempo passato, riletto nel 2025.
Inalterata la delusione per quello che viene presentato come il Simenon fiammingo.
Inalterata la delusione per quello che viene presentato come il Simenon fiammingo.
December 30, 2015
Had a bit of a hard time keeping all the characters straight. Lots going on and it didn't seem related for a long time. Commissioner Van In has a lot of self inflicted problems. He drinks too much which causes a lot of his problems. Versavel tries to keep him in line and covers up for him a lot and is also very helpful in the investigations. It is amazing that Van In is able to figure things out considering his shortcomings. It was nice to see that he did start to clean up his act towards the end. His girlfriend is trying to help him both on the job and off.
I'm unfamiliar with Bruges and its history and that of the tension between the Flemish and Walloons so that make it a bit hard to pick up some of what was happening. The bombing and murders were all about trying to gain economic control and it was a complicated way to go about it.
I'm unfamiliar with Bruges and its history and that of the tension between the Flemish and Walloons so that make it a bit hard to pick up some of what was happening. The bombing and murders were all about trying to gain economic control and it was a complicated way to go about it.
August 7, 2018
The book is nominally about Inspector Van In of the Bruges police investigating the murder of a German who had a mysterious meeting in a bar before his death and the bombing of a statue. The book switches viewpoints constantly and it's hard to keep track of who is who. Van In is an obnoxious drunk who alternates between anger and depression and I have no idea why his girlfriend stays with him or how he keeps his job. Every woman in the book is treated as a sex object and has no personality. The book also has a horrible metaphor or simile on every page, for example "Moens radiated like an applicant who had finally been given a job after his thirty-sixth psychological screening." Reading a book full of endless lines such as that was painful. If I hadn't had such a hard time finding a Belgium book in my library I never would have finished this book.
November 26, 2013
The Midas Murders (1996) is the second book in a long series of police procedural novels by Pieter Aspe. Aspe is a Belgian author and the books were originally published in Belgium. This is only the second novel in the series to be translated into English and published in the US and the UK.
The first book in this series, The Square of Revenge, ended on an up note, with Commissioner Van In's prospects on the job improving, and his relationship with Hannelore Martens of the Public Prosecutor's office going well. Thus I was surprised to find that Van In was having problems in this book. Problems with women, alcohol, and depression. His health is not good and his finances are suffering. To top it off, he is behind on the payments for the beautiful house that he loves, and he cannot convince the bank to give him time to catch up on payments.
Van In is called in on two cases. A German business executive is found dead in the snow. At first it seems to be the result of an accident, but they begin to suspect foul play very soon. And very shortly after that, there is a bombing of a historic statue to be investigated.
The tone of these murder mysteries is different from most English-language mysteries I read. They seem to have a lighter, less serious tone, but definitely not cozy-ish. Sex and risque language, but not a lot of violence. I like the differences.
I found the effects of the strains and stresses of Van In's job to be realistic, although we get little background on why he has spiraled into the state he is in. Hannelore and his friends at work support him and the relationships seem realistic. Even though one wonders why Hannelore is so forgiving, I bought it, and I like the relationship. I found the whole story -- the mystery, the investigations, and the background relationships -- intriguing. The setting is the beautiful city of Bruges. That is another plus for this novel.
This book was provided for review by Open Road Integrated Media via NetGalley.
The first book in this series, The Square of Revenge, ended on an up note, with Commissioner Van In's prospects on the job improving, and his relationship with Hannelore Martens of the Public Prosecutor's office going well. Thus I was surprised to find that Van In was having problems in this book. Problems with women, alcohol, and depression. His health is not good and his finances are suffering. To top it off, he is behind on the payments for the beautiful house that he loves, and he cannot convince the bank to give him time to catch up on payments.
Van In is called in on two cases. A German business executive is found dead in the snow. At first it seems to be the result of an accident, but they begin to suspect foul play very soon. And very shortly after that, there is a bombing of a historic statue to be investigated.
The tone of these murder mysteries is different from most English-language mysteries I read. They seem to have a lighter, less serious tone, but definitely not cozy-ish. Sex and risque language, but not a lot of violence. I like the differences.
I found the effects of the strains and stresses of Van In's job to be realistic, although we get little background on why he has spiraled into the state he is in. Hannelore and his friends at work support him and the relationships seem realistic. Even though one wonders why Hannelore is so forgiving, I bought it, and I like the relationship. I found the whole story -- the mystery, the investigations, and the background relationships -- intriguing. The setting is the beautiful city of Bruges. That is another plus for this novel.
This book was provided for review by Open Road Integrated Media via NetGalley.
April 14, 2014
Opnieuw een commissaris Van In mysterie. Brugge lijkt bedreigt te worden door terroristen. Een bom ontploft bij het beeld van Guido Gezelle, een Duits zakenman wordt vermoord op straat gevonden, het Belfort wordt ook bedreigd met een bomaanslag.
Van In moet proberen te ontdekken, wat de verbindende factor van deze gebeurtenissen is. Moeilijk.
Wat is de betekenis van de foto, die in de zak van de vermoorde Duitse toerist is gevonden? Het is een afbeelding van de madonna van Michelangelo, maar niet van het beeld dat in de Brugse kerk staat. Dit beeld staat duidelijk buiten. Omdat in de nabijheid van het beeld karmozijnbessen groeien, meent men op te kunnen maken, dat deze foto op het zuidelijk halfrond gemaakt is. Deze plant zou in onze gebieden niet voorkomen. Helaas: in onze tuin wel en meer dan me lief is: ze zijn niet uit te roeien. Maar dit terzijde.
Een bomaanslag in 1967 en gegevens over de Nibelungenschat geven meer aanwijzingen. Hoe kan het, dat bij de politie binnengekomen informatie naar buiten komt? Wie heeft ze doorgespeeld?
Van In ontdekt het. Tussen de bedrijven door, want intussen gaat zijn leven verder. Moeizaam, want hij heeft geldgebrek en zijn huis dreigt verkocht te worden door de bank, omdat hij zijn hypotheekkosten niet meer kan betalen.
De relatie met de mooie Hannelore verloopt niet altijd zonder problemen, maar ziet er aan het eind van het boek toch veelbelovend voor Van In uit.
Het eerste deel kon me meer boeien, maar toch ga ik nog een paar delen van dze serie lezen.
Van In moet proberen te ontdekken, wat de verbindende factor van deze gebeurtenissen is. Moeilijk.
Wat is de betekenis van de foto, die in de zak van de vermoorde Duitse toerist is gevonden? Het is een afbeelding van de madonna van Michelangelo, maar niet van het beeld dat in de Brugse kerk staat. Dit beeld staat duidelijk buiten. Omdat in de nabijheid van het beeld karmozijnbessen groeien, meent men op te kunnen maken, dat deze foto op het zuidelijk halfrond gemaakt is. Deze plant zou in onze gebieden niet voorkomen. Helaas: in onze tuin wel en meer dan me lief is: ze zijn niet uit te roeien. Maar dit terzijde.
Een bomaanslag in 1967 en gegevens over de Nibelungenschat geven meer aanwijzingen. Hoe kan het, dat bij de politie binnengekomen informatie naar buiten komt? Wie heeft ze doorgespeeld?
Van In ontdekt het. Tussen de bedrijven door, want intussen gaat zijn leven verder. Moeizaam, want hij heeft geldgebrek en zijn huis dreigt verkocht te worden door de bank, omdat hij zijn hypotheekkosten niet meer kan betalen.
De relatie met de mooie Hannelore verloopt niet altijd zonder problemen, maar ziet er aan het eind van het boek toch veelbelovend voor Van In uit.
Het eerste deel kon me meer boeien, maar toch ga ik nog een paar delen van dze serie lezen.
May 7, 2014
This is the second book by Pieter Aspe that has been translated in English from Dutch. Inspector Van In from the Bruges police is a real prize, in many ways. I almost thought he was going to die half way through the book just from the life style he lives, which isn't very healthy to say the least. This book was first published in 1996, and the plot carries all the current headlines today, Aspe is a great story teller with lots of factual material. Can't wait until the next book is translated, this is a great series, and if you've ever been to Bruges, it's that much better. Give me more of Van In and his team.
The flood of European crime novels in English translations — an ongoing legacy of the Stieg Larsson phenomenon — continues unabated. The latest contender in the Larsson sweepstakes is Belgian novelist Pieter Aspe. Said to be one of the most popular writers working in the Flemish language, Aspe is the creator of Inspector Pieter Van In and the author of more than 30 novels set in his native city of Bruges. Perhaps inevitably, Aspe has been likened to another Belgian novelist, the astonishingly prolific Georges Simenon, who gave us one of the indelible figures of modern crime fiction, Inspector Jules Maigret.
The flood of European crime novels in English translations — an ongoing legacy of the Stieg Larsson phenomenon — continues unabated. The latest contender in the Larsson sweepstakes is Belgian novelist Pieter Aspe. Said to be one of the most popular writers working in the Flemish language, Aspe is the creator of Inspector Pieter Van In and the author of more than 30 novels set in his native city of Bruges. Perhaps inevitably, Aspe has been likened to another Belgian novelist, the astonishingly prolific Georges Simenon, who gave us one of the indelible figures of modern crime fiction, Inspector Jules Maigret.
August 5, 2014
Pieter Aspe has done it again, first with The Square of Revenge and now with The Midas Murders. One of my favorite qualities of Aspe’s writing, is his ability to drop you in the middle of a country that you have never been to and make it feel as natural as if he was setting his story stateside, rather than in the middle of Europe. At the same time, there is just enough detail to give the reader glimpses into what these foreign cities are really like. I am not sure how he is able to achieve both the sensation of comfort and the excitement of a foreign location, but it is an interesting experience for the reader none the less. On top of this dualistic pleasure, Aspe weaves together a captivating plot and blends in a cast of rich and colorful characters. Reading his novels gave me a very similar sensation to the one Stieg Larsson’s now infamous books did - but I would not compare the two authors. Each are very distinctive and gifted. I would say that Aspe is on the same level as Larsson - with the potential to gift us, his hungry readers with additional works which we anxiously await with no more patience than a toddler begging for his next ice cream.
Read More of the Review Here: http://www.blackdogspeaks.com/the-mid...
Read More of the Review Here: http://www.blackdogspeaks.com/the-mid...
November 12, 2013
Bruges Asst. Commissioner Pieter Van In Keeps Us Hooked
My prior interview of Pieter Aspe's “The Square of Revenge,” sums up what this series has going for it so far. Beautiful medieval Bruges and quirky Hercule Poirot is pretty much what all US mystery readers know of Belgium. Pieter Aspe’s “The Midas Murders” digs into the dark side of the Belgium culture through the eyes of disillusioned Asst. Commissioner Van In, who is no Poirot except for his clever insights and crime solving skills. The workings of the police department include the corruptness and control of Bruge’s rich over everything and everyone, including the bank's threat to foreclose on Van In’s house.
This personal incident in his life ties into his recent case of finding out who murdered a prominent German travel executive and who bombed the statue of beloved Flemish poet Guido Gezelle, and threats that more bombing are to come.
Aided by his love interest, Assistant DA, Hannelore Martens, Van In finds himself enmeshed in the case that threatens not just the lives of countless innocent people, but the heart of the city he loves. A very good read in a very good series.
My prior interview of Pieter Aspe's “The Square of Revenge,” sums up what this series has going for it so far. Beautiful medieval Bruges and quirky Hercule Poirot is pretty much what all US mystery readers know of Belgium. Pieter Aspe’s “The Midas Murders” digs into the dark side of the Belgium culture through the eyes of disillusioned Asst. Commissioner Van In, who is no Poirot except for his clever insights and crime solving skills. The workings of the police department include the corruptness and control of Bruge’s rich over everything and everyone, including the bank's threat to foreclose on Van In’s house.
This personal incident in his life ties into his recent case of finding out who murdered a prominent German travel executive and who bombed the statue of beloved Flemish poet Guido Gezelle, and threats that more bombing are to come.
Aided by his love interest, Assistant DA, Hannelore Martens, Van In finds himself enmeshed in the case that threatens not just the lives of countless innocent people, but the heart of the city he loves. A very good read in a very good series.
November 18, 2019
in dit verhaal wordt Adjunct-commissaris Pieter Van In geconfronteerd met een moord op een belangrijke Duitse touroperator en vastgoedhandelaar, die grootste bouwplannen heeft in de Brugse binnenstad. Kort na de moord wordt er een terroristische bomaanslag gepleegd op het standbeeld van Guido Gezelle, door deze gebeurtenis ontstaat er paniek in Brugge. Aanvankelijk dacht de politie dat er een Waalse splintergroep verantwoordelijk is voor de aanslagen. Maar rustig wordt het duidelijk dat de verantwoordelijken moeten gezocht worden in het milieu van de internationale vastgoedhandel. Een milieu, dat in het verleden uitgesproken nazi-sympathie vertoonde en door de jaren heen nauwe banden is blijven houden met Belgische topmagistraten. Maar uiteindelijk slaagt commissaris Van In er toch in de boeven te vatten. Sinds ik dit boek heb gelezen heb ik een nieuwe favoriet, dit verhaal is tegelijk aangrijpen en spannend en de personages worden goed naar voren gebracht, het enige minpunt van dit verhaal is dat het einde heel voorspelbaar is, maar daardoor denk je verder dan het boek en dat vindt ik wel eens leuk. Het verhaal zelf was soms wat moeilijk maar dat heeft mij niet gestoord. Mijn eindoordeel over dit boek is dat ik dit boek zeker aan iedereen kan aanraden want het is mega spannend en je leest het boek ik 1 dag uit omdat je wil weten wie de dader is.
April 18, 2020
Wat doe je zoal in quarantaine? Juist ja, je boekenkast opruimen en er een thuisbibliotheek van maken! Tijdens het rommelen kwam ik plots De Midasmoorden tegen, en vroeg me af hoe het kwam dat ik die - als enige thriller in de hele kast - nog niet gelezen had. Hoog tijd dus om daar verandering in te brengen. Doordat ik genoeg afleveringen van Aspe gekeken heb, werden de Pieter en Hannelore in het boek in mijn verbeelding gewoon Herbert Flack en Francesca Vanthielen. Wat het ook makkelijk maakt om ín het boek te komen, waren de aangename, visuele beschrijving. Ik kon soms alleen niet zo goed volgen welke personages nu bij de moord betrokken waren of welke ontwikkelingen zich er nu juist voordeden, omdat er wel heel veel puzzelstukjes voor nodig waren. Misschien dat het duidelijker was geweest in een televisieaflevering?
May 26, 2024
Avant de le commencer je m'attendais à vraiment bien l'aimer car ça parlait d'une enquête policière et en plus de sa sur bruge qui est pas loin de chez moi mais malheureusement j'ai pas accroché je pense que c'est parce qu'il y avait un peu trop d'histoire à l'intérieur et ça allait un peu trop vite à mon goût je trouve aussi qu'on se perd facilement avec tous les personnages mais j'ai quand même aimé l'enquête dans sa globalité et surtout l'humour des personnages surtout celui du commissaire van in en tout cas j'ai aussi apprécié découvrir la vie du commissaire van in c'était un personnage intéressant
August 8, 2024
finished 8th august 2024 good read three stars i liked it firs from aspe, peter van in book 2. boo 1 is available digital library but one has to read it on browser and i'd prefer not to. seemed somewhat long and protracted, a mysterious group has plans for economic power, there's a murder or two, pieter van in begins to unravel the convoluted mess, there's also the possibility that a famous sculpture has a duplicate counterfeit. entertaining story for the most. all of the "v" names was enough to pause more than once...like reading "smith"..."schmitt"..."schmoh"..."schmuse"..."smite"...on and on.
November 26, 2023
Can't tell if it's my unfamiliarity with the Flemish cultural background or problems with the translation. Or if the writer was still finding his style (this was the second book in his series). There's just something missing. It flows pretty well but there's just not information given in each scene to really follow.
The reviews below are similar -- the Dutch/Flemish really like the book; but the Anglos don't.
The reviews below are similar -- the Dutch/Flemish really like the book; but the Anglos don't.
April 13, 2019
Un protagonista a tratti irritante, ma a suo modo geniale, porta a soluzione un’indagine tutt’altro che semplice e mette i bastoni tra le ruote ad un’organizzazione dalle mille ramificazioni.
Non un libro imperdibile, ma le descrizioni di Bruges affascinano (e quindi mi toccherà farci un giro al più presto 😊) e la storia non è male
Non un libro imperdibile, ma le descrizioni di Bruges affascinano (e quindi mi toccherà farci un giro al più presto 😊) e la storia non è male
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2020
Non mi è piaciuto affatto questp giallo di Pieter Aspe. Poco chiara la storia, irritanti e di poco spessore i personaggi e poco convincente anche la traduzione. Un libro che ho faticato a portare al termine.
March 14, 2022
One of the worst books I’ve read… it was disappointing, the story line was al over the place it was hard to understand the plot. Also how the main character Pieter was so mean to his girlfriend and how he talks about woman was so annoying to read. Thank god I didn’t waste money on this book…
March 3, 2023
Fácil lectura, con el comisario Van In tratando de resolver el misterio de la destrucción de una estatua en Brujas. Me gustó, pero nada de otro mundo. A favor del escritor el uso del humor negro, en contra la no tan convincente trama del libro. Está bien para pasar un rato de distensión.
August 19, 2017
"Tacent satis laudant = Il silenzio è spesso la miglior risposta"
August 20, 2017
Bah, se questo è il Simenon belga siamo messi male...
December 5, 2017
soms toch wel ingewikkeld om te volgen met de namen die sterk op elkaar lijken.
July 19, 2018
3,5 Stars
February 18, 2021
Solid follow-up to The Square of Revenge.
June 13, 2021
Een mooie van Inn die alles weer op geheel eigen wijze op lost
July 16, 2022
de 2e Aspe beschrijft een complot met wortels in de 2e Wereldoorlog, dat nawerkt in de volgende generatie en gelinkt is aan een bekende West-Vlaamse touroperator. Spannende pageturner.
April 20, 2023
Worse than the first. Not sure if it’s the w translation. Decent story. Irritating, sexist writing!
November 27, 2013
Dull and derogatory...
A German businessman is murdered after a night-out in Bruges, and a famous statue is blown up. Assistant Commissioner Pieter Van In is responsible for investigating both incidents and soon begins to wonder if there’s a connection.
This is the second book in the Van In series. The first, The Square of Revenge, was a fairly light novel with lots of humour, and an enjoyable relationship between Van In and his girlfriend, deputy prosecutor Hannelore Martens. Unfortunately this one is quite different and the change is not for the better.
The plot is hackneyed (really, is there much more that can be got out of the Nazi gold saga?), confused (at least half of the time I hadn’t a clue how Van In was making his deductive leaps, and the other half I didn’t care) and unbelievable. The writing continues to have the clunkiness I mentioned in my review of the first book, and I still can’t determine whether this is a problem with the original or the translation.
Van In’s drinking has now become excessive, so we are treated to descriptions of drunkenness and hangovers, insubordination and inability to carry out his job. Very yawnworthy and not even done as ‘well’ as the many, many other drunken mavericks we’ve been bored to death by over the last few decades. We’re also treated to Van In using every corny and hackneyed insult about Germans that the author could dredge up – references to the Master Race and ‘Heil Hitler’ abound. It’s as if the book was written in the 50s rather than the 90s.
But the real problem with this book is not the poor writing, the confused plotting or even the tedious drunkenness. It’s in the attitude to women that the book really shows itself up to be an unpleasant piece of work. Van In (and presumably the author) never looks at a woman without commenting on her breasts, her rear, her legs or her availability in the most derogatory terms. Hannelore has descended from being a colleague to being an object for sexual fantasising – the biggest fantasy being that an intelligent, beautiful and successful woman would find anything remotely attractive in the drunken, sexist and shabby Van In. But the sex scenes with the willing (exceptionally willing) Hannelore are not enough for Van In’s voracious appetite so he has to turn to prostitutes for regular top-ups during working hours. I apologise in advance, but here are a few examples of the language that disgusted me throughout this throwback to an earlier and less pleasant age:
She was wearing a modest jersey blouse and, he presumed, a Wonderbra.
He turned his gaze away from her legs. When she stood, he remained seated like a paralysed vulture. “Have a good day, Commissioner.” “I genuinely hope so,” he responded indifferently. The bitch left him cold.
“Comfort him, sweetheart,” said Van In scathingly. “What else are secretaries for?”
Van In shrugged his shoulders indifferently. The thought of Veronique made him horny. What was he to do? His body reacted to the bitch like a hungry baby to a juicy breast.
If you enjoyed these quotes, you might enjoy this book. Otherwise, do yourself a favour and skip it…the last Aspe I’ll be reading. (Extraordinarily, he has dedicated this book to his daughters! Saddening, isn’t it?)
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Open Road.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
A German businessman is murdered after a night-out in Bruges, and a famous statue is blown up. Assistant Commissioner Pieter Van In is responsible for investigating both incidents and soon begins to wonder if there’s a connection.
This is the second book in the Van In series. The first, The Square of Revenge, was a fairly light novel with lots of humour, and an enjoyable relationship between Van In and his girlfriend, deputy prosecutor Hannelore Martens. Unfortunately this one is quite different and the change is not for the better.
The plot is hackneyed (really, is there much more that can be got out of the Nazi gold saga?), confused (at least half of the time I hadn’t a clue how Van In was making his deductive leaps, and the other half I didn’t care) and unbelievable. The writing continues to have the clunkiness I mentioned in my review of the first book, and I still can’t determine whether this is a problem with the original or the translation.
Van In’s drinking has now become excessive, so we are treated to descriptions of drunkenness and hangovers, insubordination and inability to carry out his job. Very yawnworthy and not even done as ‘well’ as the many, many other drunken mavericks we’ve been bored to death by over the last few decades. We’re also treated to Van In using every corny and hackneyed insult about Germans that the author could dredge up – references to the Master Race and ‘Heil Hitler’ abound. It’s as if the book was written in the 50s rather than the 90s.
But the real problem with this book is not the poor writing, the confused plotting or even the tedious drunkenness. It’s in the attitude to women that the book really shows itself up to be an unpleasant piece of work. Van In (and presumably the author) never looks at a woman without commenting on her breasts, her rear, her legs or her availability in the most derogatory terms. Hannelore has descended from being a colleague to being an object for sexual fantasising – the biggest fantasy being that an intelligent, beautiful and successful woman would find anything remotely attractive in the drunken, sexist and shabby Van In. But the sex scenes with the willing (exceptionally willing) Hannelore are not enough for Van In’s voracious appetite so he has to turn to prostitutes for regular top-ups during working hours. I apologise in advance, but here are a few examples of the language that disgusted me throughout this throwback to an earlier and less pleasant age:
She was wearing a modest jersey blouse and, he presumed, a Wonderbra.
He turned his gaze away from her legs. When she stood, he remained seated like a paralysed vulture. “Have a good day, Commissioner.” “I genuinely hope so,” he responded indifferently. The bitch left him cold.
“Comfort him, sweetheart,” said Van In scathingly. “What else are secretaries for?”
Van In shrugged his shoulders indifferently. The thought of Veronique made him horny. What was he to do? His body reacted to the bitch like a hungry baby to a juicy breast.
If you enjoyed these quotes, you might enjoy this book. Otherwise, do yourself a favour and skip it…the last Aspe I’ll be reading. (Extraordinarily, he has dedicated this book to his daughters! Saddening, isn’t it?)
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Open Road.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
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