Amsterdam Cops: Collected Stories

Amsterdam Cops Mysteries #Short stories

by Janwillem van de Wetering

For those who love Grijpstra and de Gier series set in Amsterdam, as well as newcomers, Amsterdam Cops brings together an enjoyable collection of short stories featuring the commissaris and their colleagues on the police force. These lively stories span two decades and a great deal of ups and downs in the lives of Grijpstra and de Gier.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Crime

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

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

Reviews

[Timons Esaias]

I was a bit reluctant to read this collection of short stories, because it was the last of the Grijpstra & DeGier books that I hadn't read. I greatly enjoy these quirky, concise, clever stories (though the two "alternate reality" volumes are weak), and I'm sad I've no new ones to look forward to.

I'm not sure if this volume would be a good introduction to the series, or whether it's best to start with An Outsider in Amsterdam. As I was reading I thought of suggesting it as a taster, but I've seen a couple of reviews that expressed disappointment.

If you're unfamiliar with the series, van de Wetering was a Buddhist practitioner, and he infused these Murder Squad police procedurals with discussions of the meaning of life. The central characters also enjoy jazz, and jam in their spare time. Pets are key characters, and the city of Amsterdam is a major character, itself. The prose style skips a lot of the "procedure" in favor of rapid progression, and extensive characterization. Three sentences of that characterization, as an example, from "The Letter in the Peppermint Jar":

"...His lifestyle always irritated me. I didn't like being a judge of female beauty when he had ladies he'd picked up in a bar strip on the grand piano in our living room. I preferred to do my homework rather than help construct a symbolical maze in the basement, with philosophical obstacles and spiritual downfalls."

I enjoyed the experimentation. A couple of the stories are in the POV of characters other than the usual three. A couple are in first person. A couple aren't really about an actionable crime.

I also liked the unexpected dialogue twists that also spice up the novels. There is a subplot with a dachshund in the story "Houseful of Mussels" which I may use as an example for my students. Honestly, the style is so much fun that I'm tempted to try something along the same line, myself. That's a recommendation.

[John]

Simply stated, I am a sucker for the Amsterdam Cops. While some of the stories in this collection are better than others, they are all charming and entertaining in one way or another. Van de Wetering's wit, his sly take on the human condition, his gift for the well-turned phrase, shine through throughout. Note: "Amsterdam Cops" is no different from "The Sergeant's Cat: Collected Stories." They both contain the exact same collection of stories.

[Robert]

Excellent short stories that capture the character of Amsterdam and garnish it with the characters of Grijpstra and DeGier.

[Linda Snow]

Super glad I finally opened a box of mostly unread books that lived in my cellar for years until I recently moved. It’s a gemstone collection of mystery/detective stories by an exceedingly unique and superior writer that had me laughing one minute and tearing up the next! And, surprise, there were three of Van de Wetering’s books in the box! Looking forward to reading the other ones with eager anticipation!

[Carol]

Couldn't finish it....

[Charlene]

Great short stories from a wonderful writer who knows how to imagine unusual, interesting characters, weird crime situations and a Zen mindset.

[Jan]

some of the gender/sexuality stuff was ....... outdated, but otherwise a FUN read!

[Lucy]

Short stories about 2 cops in Amsterdam who think they are philosophers, god’s gift to women, & smart. Lord! Remind me, the next time I’m in Amsterdam, to avoid Brewers Street!

[David Peters]

Some good, some bad; but they make me want to read the full books. I would call that a success.

[Kerry Pickens]

The characters in this series are hilarious. I can't figure out why these books haven't been made into a film yet.

[Rick Skwiot]

I recently delved back into the writing of the Zen Dutch mystery writer Janwillem van de Wetering through The Amsterdam Cops: Collected Stories. And while the uneven collection does not merit great praise, it did remind me how much pleasure I took from his earlier novels when I first discovered him some 30 years ago.

I had spent some time in Amsterdam in the 70s and got to revisit it through his quirky police officers Grijpstra and de Gier and their boss, the commissaris, all of whom seem less interested in fighting crime than being Zen about all the disorder of the Dutch capital. When stuck on a case, Grijpstra and de Gier would retrieve drums and flute that were evidence in a long-forgotten case and play jazz in their office to let their subconscious thoughts rise. Not something I’ve often seen done in Law and Order TV episodes.

I also enjoyed his memoirs of time spent in Japanese and American Zen monasteries, The Empty Mirror and A Glimpse of Nothingness, respectively.

Over the past decade Soho Press has been reissuing his work in trade paperback. The early Amsterdam mysteries I recall liking include The Blond Baboon, Death of a Hawker, The Japanese Corpse, Outsider in Amsterdam and The Corpse on the Dike. I also recommend Inspector Saito’s Small Satori, set in Kyoto, I believe, a series of interwoven short stories.

[R.]

The short stories in this book are presented from a point of view external to that of our beloved Commaris, Grijpstra, and de Gier. That could take you out of the comfort zone you've come to expect from the rest of the series. It did that to me at first, but I eventually came to appreciate how others see the Murder Brigate threesome. And, good for readers, the book is imbued with van de Wetering's famous Zen quirkiness.

I would recommend reading this book only after you've finished all Grijpstra/de Gier books through The Streetbird, lest you encounter a few spoilers.

While I did enjoy Amsterdam Cops Stories, I'm eager to hop back into the known universe of Grijpsta, de Gier, et al. I've already got The Rattle-Tat here at the house.

[Tim]

Wetering's Amsterdam Cops is a series of short stories, all involving the cops Grijpstra and de Gier. There are 13 stories in total, and in 8 of them these two cops are front and center. And they are masterpieces, not so much of mystery and detection, but of character development and dialogue. The stories are clever and funny with a hint of Zen and the philosophical. They are five star. The other five stories involve the pair only peripherally and are not quite as enjoyable, but still worth the read.

[Charles Kerns]

van de W. had fun writing this. After reading the book, I didn't feel like I know his two cops well, but I did get a great sense of the sly writer who plays with us readers and his city, too. And especially with the characters he concocts to commit crimes or maybe help the lonely cop.
I called this a police procedural but the two cops are not very police-like (they do shoot people, but somewhat arbitrarily), their procedures usually are no more than guesses, and the mysteries are not very difficult. But the book is easy on the brain and enjoyable. Just don't expect anything noir.

[Susan]

It's not quite correct for me to put this on my "read" shelf, because I did not read all the stories. I found the mystery-as-short-story genre not quite right. The whole point of mystery is to build suspense, and that doesn't happen when the crime is solved within 5 pages or so. I liked the writing and characters well enough, though. I think it is definitely worth trying one of the full-length stories featuring the Amsterdam Cops.

[Carole]

Enjoyed this originally, many years ago, and it still entertains. Features the homicide detectives of Amsterdam in the free-wheeling 1970's. Short stories all, with lots of erudite facts and philosophy, courtesy of Grijpstra and De Gier.

[Benjamin]

The philosophy bent of the detectives came through stronger in this book than some of the others in the Grijpstra & de Gier series. The short story format in this book was a fun take on the longer novels.

[Jason Paulios]

Not as good as the novels, but I'm ravenous for all things Grijpstra/De Gier related. Bring on the action figures!

[Elizabeth]

I always like visiting Amsterdam via these books and this author.

[David]

A great collection of short stories. A really fun read. Might be confusing to people who haven't read at least a couple of the books.

[Edwina Book Anaconda]

Can't say that I enjoyed this collection of short stories but I do know that if this is how Amsterdam really is then I never want to go there.

[Mick Williamson]

Brilliant- but probably best read once you've got to know the author and his favourite characters.

[Natasha]

Buddist crime stories.

[Dave]

Wonderful stories about two Amsterdam cops and their brethren.