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Amsterdam Cops Mysteries #3
The Corpse on the Dike
A recluse has been shot right between the eyes while standing at his bedroom window. His neighbor, a schoolteacher and pistol shot champion, admits she discovered the body and failed to report it. Is she guilty of murder? Grijpstra and de Gier will travel to whorehouses, through a shady electronics market and into the house of a very flashy potential suspect to find out.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
39 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Janwillem van de Wetering
145 books129 followersJan Willem Lincoln "Janwillem" van de Wetering was the author of a number of works in English and Dutch.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
May 24, 2019
A Distinctive Kind of Policing (and Country)
As a foreigner in The Netherlands, one of the essential pieces of vocabulary the novice Dutch-speaker acquires is the word gezellig (pronounced like the English ‘gazelle’ with the guttural ‘g’ at both the beginning and end). Gezelligheid is a concept easy to understand but much harder to comprehend. It includes the Danish idea of hygge, coziness in one’s surroundings; and the German notion of Gemütlichkeit as friendly warmth. There’s even a bit of Japanese Wa, or natural social harmony. But ultimately it is something uniquely Dutch, a cultural trait that appears as a sort of national aspiration. Van de Wetering uses gezelligheid as a central theme in his murder mystery.
It appears first in the attitudes of the investigating police officers. One lives alone, and although somewhat of a ladies’ man, his real ambition is for a quiet evening with his cat. The other is married and being driven mad by the domestic tumult created by his wife and three children; he longs for a quiet retreat to escape the chaos.
But the attachment to gezelligheid is more profound than mere desire for peace and quiet. Van de Wetering’s editorial musings by the officers are instructive. The policemen are professionals and good at their jobs; but they are also ambivalent about the criminal justice system. Their jobs are necessary but mainly as a sort of necessary evil to combat an even greater evil of a lack of order, an absence of gezelligheid.
This ambivalence is demonstrated practically in their relationships with the general public, particularly with suspects. Their response to taunts is irenic. They have time for a little cup of coffee with witnesses. They would prefer not to jail the prime suspect as a matter of principle. This is not naivety on their part but a behavioural counter-balance to their inherent power to disrupt the lives of those around them, to destroy gezelligheid. Van de Wetering suggests that even criminals respond to its existence and give themselves up without undue violence.
Gezelligheid implies a mutuality; it is not an individual’s feeling but a relationship. When one is invited to an event in Holland, a not uncommon response is “Oh gezellig!” (Or, in Amsterdam, more likely: “Gezellig, hoor”), signifying not just acceptance but the anticipation of a reason for being together in order to strengthen a relationship. Gezelligheid is used as a social tactic by the officers to establish rapport with those involved in the investigation - as well as with each other. They play flute and drum duets together at the station - something considered not abnormal by their colleagues.
An antonym to gezellig is eigenwijs, literally ‘one’s own way,’ that is, stubborn or uncooperative. The Dutch may be provoked into eigenwijsheid when gezelligheid is demanded of them. Social harmony is voluntary or it doesn’t exist. One of the policeman makes this clear to an immigrant who thinks the police act ‘under orders.’ The policeman sets him straight on the cultural rules of the game: “The Dutch do not like to work under orders. It is true that I was asked to come here but I was not ordered. I came here because I thought the suggestion was right.” This just to remind the reader that gezelligheid is a matter of choice, and sometimes of considerable interpretive effort.
Holland no doubt has its fair share of villains, miscreants, and anti-social types. One senior officer indicates his acute awareness of reality when he refers to “Amsterdam, ... the lunatic asylum of Holland.” Gezelligheid is not a universal state of affairs but a commonly shared ideal. It is a standard, a norm, of social interaction which has emerged as unspoken ethic. Remarkably, it is this ethic which is at the core of The Corpse on the Dike, and perhaps even the entire country. Oranje Boven!
As a foreigner in The Netherlands, one of the essential pieces of vocabulary the novice Dutch-speaker acquires is the word gezellig (pronounced like the English ‘gazelle’ with the guttural ‘g’ at both the beginning and end). Gezelligheid is a concept easy to understand but much harder to comprehend. It includes the Danish idea of hygge, coziness in one’s surroundings; and the German notion of Gemütlichkeit as friendly warmth. There’s even a bit of Japanese Wa, or natural social harmony. But ultimately it is something uniquely Dutch, a cultural trait that appears as a sort of national aspiration. Van de Wetering uses gezelligheid as a central theme in his murder mystery.
It appears first in the attitudes of the investigating police officers. One lives alone, and although somewhat of a ladies’ man, his real ambition is for a quiet evening with his cat. The other is married and being driven mad by the domestic tumult created by his wife and three children; he longs for a quiet retreat to escape the chaos.
But the attachment to gezelligheid is more profound than mere desire for peace and quiet. Van de Wetering’s editorial musings by the officers are instructive. The policemen are professionals and good at their jobs; but they are also ambivalent about the criminal justice system. Their jobs are necessary but mainly as a sort of necessary evil to combat an even greater evil of a lack of order, an absence of gezelligheid.
This ambivalence is demonstrated practically in their relationships with the general public, particularly with suspects. Their response to taunts is irenic. They have time for a little cup of coffee with witnesses. They would prefer not to jail the prime suspect as a matter of principle. This is not naivety on their part but a behavioural counter-balance to their inherent power to disrupt the lives of those around them, to destroy gezelligheid. Van de Wetering suggests that even criminals respond to its existence and give themselves up without undue violence.
Gezelligheid implies a mutuality; it is not an individual’s feeling but a relationship. When one is invited to an event in Holland, a not uncommon response is “Oh gezellig!” (Or, in Amsterdam, more likely: “Gezellig, hoor”), signifying not just acceptance but the anticipation of a reason for being together in order to strengthen a relationship. Gezelligheid is used as a social tactic by the officers to establish rapport with those involved in the investigation - as well as with each other. They play flute and drum duets together at the station - something considered not abnormal by their colleagues.
An antonym to gezellig is eigenwijs, literally ‘one’s own way,’ that is, stubborn or uncooperative. The Dutch may be provoked into eigenwijsheid when gezelligheid is demanded of them. Social harmony is voluntary or it doesn’t exist. One of the policeman makes this clear to an immigrant who thinks the police act ‘under orders.’ The policeman sets him straight on the cultural rules of the game: “The Dutch do not like to work under orders. It is true that I was asked to come here but I was not ordered. I came here because I thought the suggestion was right.” This just to remind the reader that gezelligheid is a matter of choice, and sometimes of considerable interpretive effort.
Holland no doubt has its fair share of villains, miscreants, and anti-social types. One senior officer indicates his acute awareness of reality when he refers to “Amsterdam, ... the lunatic asylum of Holland.” Gezelligheid is not a universal state of affairs but a commonly shared ideal. It is a standard, a norm, of social interaction which has emerged as unspoken ethic. Remarkably, it is this ethic which is at the core of The Corpse on the Dike, and perhaps even the entire country. Oranje Boven!
August 8, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book and rate it an easy 4 stars out of 5. I received it through NetGalley from Soho crime. Soho crime is celebrating 25 years of publishing international crime fiction with a reading challenge. I'm reading my way through Janwillem van de Wetering over the next two months.
This is book 3 in the Grijpstra & de Gier series. Grijpstra and de Gier are part of a successful operation to catch a criminal on a dike. But as they about to leave, a woman comes to them and tells them that she has found a dead man. The man was a recluse and no longer had a job. He has been shot dead. The investigation leads them to a man called "The Cat." He has an alibi for the time of the murder, but he had been a regular visitor to the dead man. How these two quirky detectives track down the murderer makes for an entertaining mystery with several twists and turns.
One of the detectives, Sgt. de Gier goes to interview "The Cat' and finds that he is not at home, but his girlfriend, Ursula, is. They talk and find out that they both play the flute. She gets out her flute and he gets his out and they play for a while.
Some quotes:
"The angel should come and fetch me. I wonder what the angel of death will look like in Holland."
"There were ants in his head, digging narrow tunnels through his brain."
This is book 3 in the Grijpstra & de Gier series. Grijpstra and de Gier are part of a successful operation to catch a criminal on a dike. But as they about to leave, a woman comes to them and tells them that she has found a dead man. The man was a recluse and no longer had a job. He has been shot dead. The investigation leads them to a man called "The Cat." He has an alibi for the time of the murder, but he had been a regular visitor to the dead man. How these two quirky detectives track down the murderer makes for an entertaining mystery with several twists and turns.
One of the detectives, Sgt. de Gier goes to interview "The Cat' and finds that he is not at home, but his girlfriend, Ursula, is. They talk and find out that they both play the flute. She gets out her flute and he gets his out and they play for a while.
Some quotes:
"The angel should come and fetch me. I wonder what the angel of death will look like in Holland."
"There were ants in his head, digging narrow tunnels through his brain."
July 26, 2016
Description: A recluse has been shot right between the eyes while standing at his bedroom window. His neighbor, a schoolteacher and pistol shot champion, admits she discovered the body and failed to report it. Is she guilty of murder? Grijpstra and de Gier will travel to whorehouses, through a shady electronics market and into the house of a very flashy potential suspect to find out.
Opening: THE LATE SUMMER EVENING WAS HOT AND HEAVY. DARK clouds had packed together until they covered the sky and the thick light seemed to distort the scene around the two lone fishermen in their small boat on the river.
This is the one with The Cat With Boots On and Oliver, the castrated siamese. Neither have anything to do with boom-boom orgasms.
4* Outsider in Amsterdam
3.5* Tumbleweed
4* The Corpse in the Dike
Opening: THE LATE SUMMER EVENING WAS HOT AND HEAVY. DARK clouds had packed together until they covered the sky and the thick light seemed to distort the scene around the two lone fishermen in their small boat on the river.
This is the one with The Cat With Boots On and Oliver, the castrated siamese. Neither have anything to do with boom-boom orgasms. 4* Outsider in Amsterdam
3.5* Tumbleweed
4* The Corpse in the Dike
May 13, 2019
Pitch perfect. He portrays a philosophical community service side of law-enforcement that doesn’t make headlines and doesn’t try to. I would like to live in this world and enjoyed inhabiting it for a week!
November 22, 2018
This is the third Grijpstra & De Gier novel in which the book starts with a stake out in order to re-arrest an escaped convict and both leading men are spending their time on the water while pondering life's questions and morality.
When the apprehend the convict which in itself is nothing but unspectacular they are asked to look into the matter of a recluse who has not been seen for some days which is kinda explained by the bullet-hole in his head when the policemen find him lying in his living room.
The story is then about the murder of Wernekirk or so you would expect but it isn't the focus shifts to his best friend who goes by the moniker Puss in boots, which is the Dutch title by the way. His live and living on the dyke were quite a few people live in what some people would call slum-like situations gets a new and stern look at by the police. And when a fire fight happens on the dyke the Dutch police has to do some serious thinking as gunfights is not something the Netherlands has plenty of.
As always the van de Wetering novels are not high octane thrillers in which a lot of Zen Buddhism of its writer shines through very clearly. It is not so much a whodunit as a howdunit and whydunit. The story is as always about moralisme but not in a judgmental art or style. But Grijpstra, de Gier and the commissaris all have a somewhat interesting way of looking at things and sharing with the reader.
And in the end the book delivers an ending whether it is justice or a lack of justice is in the eye of the beholder of reader. Having read the series once before albeit not all the installments I find the writer having a lot of fun with the "bad" guys who seem to be more sympathetic than you expect a writer of police novels to have. It makes for interesting reading.
When the apprehend the convict which in itself is nothing but unspectacular they are asked to look into the matter of a recluse who has not been seen for some days which is kinda explained by the bullet-hole in his head when the policemen find him lying in his living room.
The story is then about the murder of Wernekirk or so you would expect but it isn't the focus shifts to his best friend who goes by the moniker Puss in boots, which is the Dutch title by the way. His live and living on the dyke were quite a few people live in what some people would call slum-like situations gets a new and stern look at by the police. And when a fire fight happens on the dyke the Dutch police has to do some serious thinking as gunfights is not something the Netherlands has plenty of.
As always the van de Wetering novels are not high octane thrillers in which a lot of Zen Buddhism of its writer shines through very clearly. It is not so much a whodunit as a howdunit and whydunit. The story is as always about moralisme but not in a judgmental art or style. But Grijpstra, de Gier and the commissaris all have a somewhat interesting way of looking at things and sharing with the reader.
And in the end the book delivers an ending whether it is justice or a lack of justice is in the eye of the beholder of reader. Having read the series once before albeit not all the installments I find the writer having a lot of fun with the "bad" guys who seem to be more sympathetic than you expect a writer of police novels to have. It makes for interesting reading.
February 8, 2019
200611: i knew the author’s name from his zen book Empty Mirror, so decided to try this work: worth it. clean, simple, direct, tone, writing, plot. deliberate, understated detectives and police and various criminals and other characters. not an action book, more detection, similar to martin beck series. police working sensibly and as a team. the characters think, rather than beat up suspects. rational, philosophical and psychological insight powers the plot. made me certainly think of zen and philosophy. i will read more of his work...
June 20, 2009
John Leonard said of Janwillem van de Wetering, “He is doing what Simenon [author of the wonderful Maigret stories:] might have done if Albert Camus had sublet his skull.” There is a great resemblance to Simenon — high praise, indeed. Wetering, who served in the Amsterdam Reserve Constabulary but now lives in the United States, ensconces his detective stories in Amsterdam. The commisaris, Amsterdam’s chief of detectives, is a wily, philosophical old man who wields subtle techniques to bring out the best in Adjutant Grijpstra and Sergeant De Gier, who suffer from the normal human catastrophes and ensorcellments.
I like police procedurals, and Dutch and Swedish are some of the best. These from Amsterdam are very satisfying. In The Corpse on the Dike , a man is shot dead in his back yard with a bullet between the eyes. The sole suspect, in what otherwise seems a motiveless murder, is the lesbian next door who, they suspect, might have been jealous of her fetching roomer’s interest in the dead man. She was a crack shot, a gun enthusiast and sportswoman in a country where guns are difficult to obtain legally. She vehemently and convincingly denies having committed the crime. The dead man had no apparent friends and was not involved in any crimes. A couple of motorcycle police stumble on the key to the case when they witness several men unloading a truck of stolen goods. Soon it is apparent that the residents of the dike are all involved in some prodigious thievery led by the “Cat,” but the motive for the killing still eludes the authorities — for a while.
Updated 6/19/09
I like police procedurals, and Dutch and Swedish are some of the best. These from Amsterdam are very satisfying. In The Corpse on the Dike , a man is shot dead in his back yard with a bullet between the eyes. The sole suspect, in what otherwise seems a motiveless murder, is the lesbian next door who, they suspect, might have been jealous of her fetching roomer’s interest in the dead man. She was a crack shot, a gun enthusiast and sportswoman in a country where guns are difficult to obtain legally. She vehemently and convincingly denies having committed the crime. The dead man had no apparent friends and was not involved in any crimes. A couple of motorcycle police stumble on the key to the case when they witness several men unloading a truck of stolen goods. Soon it is apparent that the residents of the dike are all involved in some prodigious thievery led by the “Cat,” but the motive for the killing still eludes the authorities — for a while.
Updated 6/19/09
August 26, 2008
Reading about these two zen-ish detectives and their lovable boss makes me feel like I am really screwing life up. I need to get a turtle. Calm down. Grow crappy plants in pots. Live simply. Become more positive. Yeah. I'm not sure what I'll do when I finish this series, maybe I'll be on another karmic plane by then.
November 7, 2013
It took me 31 years to finish Janwillem van de Wetering's "The Corpse on the Dike". It was the first book that I started reading when I landed in the U.S. in 1982. I could not get past the first 20 pages at that time, and the book had to wait until now. Well, it could have waited longer - it is not that interesting.
A rich recluse is found shot on an Amsterdam dike. Adjutant-Detective Grijpstra, Sergeant de Grier, and their boss, the commissaris from the Amsterdam Municipal Police, are trying to find the killer. We meet colorful crowd of strange characters living on the dike. We also meet seamy characters: thieves, pimps, and stolen good dealers. The plot is quite complex and seems to constantly veer in different directions.
I began reading this book in 1982 because of Nicolas Freeling's Van der Valk novels whose plots were also located in Amsterdam. Mr. Freeling's books are masterpieces of detective fiction, full of literary sophistication and acute psychological and sociological observations. Alas, "The Corpse on the Dike" is just a run-of-the-mill crime story, with little depth and little redeeming literary value. Not even close to Freeling's class.
Yes, there are some good fragments in the novel. For example the bit about events following de Grier's interview of Ursula or the story of the Landsburger dike firefight are hilarious. But that's not enough to save the novel from mediocrity. I am unable to believe that de Grier, Grijpstra, and the commissaris are real people.
Two stars.
A rich recluse is found shot on an Amsterdam dike. Adjutant-Detective Grijpstra, Sergeant de Grier, and their boss, the commissaris from the Amsterdam Municipal Police, are trying to find the killer. We meet colorful crowd of strange characters living on the dike. We also meet seamy characters: thieves, pimps, and stolen good dealers. The plot is quite complex and seems to constantly veer in different directions.
I began reading this book in 1982 because of Nicolas Freeling's Van der Valk novels whose plots were also located in Amsterdam. Mr. Freeling's books are masterpieces of detective fiction, full of literary sophistication and acute psychological and sociological observations. Alas, "The Corpse on the Dike" is just a run-of-the-mill crime story, with little depth and little redeeming literary value. Not even close to Freeling's class.
Yes, there are some good fragments in the novel. For example the bit about events following de Grier's interview of Ursula or the story of the Landsburger dike firefight are hilarious. But that's not enough to save the novel from mediocrity. I am unable to believe that de Grier, Grijpstra, and the commissaris are real people.
Two stars.
August 15, 2016
3-, verging on 2.
It retains the things I liked in the first 2 books of the series---the well-developed main characters of the police trio and the 70s Dutch atmosphere, but the story often seemed to drag, and the setting was more seamy. Even the police seemed a bit less pleasant in many places, like when de Gier is giving quite a hard time to a younger colleague, apparently for no reason. I will read the next in the series, in the hope that this is an aberration and not a trend.
It retains the things I liked in the first 2 books of the series---the well-developed main characters of the police trio and the 70s Dutch atmosphere, but the story often seemed to drag, and the setting was more seamy. Even the police seemed a bit less pleasant in many places, like when de Gier is giving quite a hard time to a younger colleague, apparently for no reason. I will read the next in the series, in the hope that this is an aberration and not a trend.
April 8, 2011
Van de Wetering has a uniquely fresh take on the whole cops and robbers thing. The cops are non judgemental live and let live types as are the criminals with much Dutch tolerance displayed through out.
July 25, 2008
A great mystery/crime series - fantastic, intelligent characters.
October 8, 2023
A recluse who lived like a slob despite having a home crammed full of valuable antiques is found dead, shot between the eyes by someone with the skills of a professional marksman. The most likely suspect appears to be the man's lesbian neighbor, who may have been jealous of her beautiful housemate's interest in the man and who also had the skills necessary to pull off the shot.
This book wasn't a good fit for me at all. I don't know where I got the willpower necessary to finish it, but somehow I managed it.
It seems that this may have at least partly been a cultural issue - this excellent review on Goodreads explains how Grijpstra and De Gier's policing style incorporates the Dutch concept of gezelligheid. I could definitely tell that they had a more laid-back approach to policing than I expected, and I recall being intrigued by the negative way characters, even (especially?) police officers, responded to things phrased as orders.
That said, this book made for excruciatingly slow reading, and I couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters (in fact, I had trouble remembering which one was Grijpstra and which one was De Gier most of the time). I haven't read the previous two books in the series, but I don't think that was as much of an issue as the characters' overall attitude. It probably didn't help that the way the various police characters leered at female witnesses made my skin crawl. The best part was when this hilariously backfired on De Gier and left him stranded without gas, stuck with an annoying child and a troublesome woman.
Not a series I plan on revisiting.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
This book wasn't a good fit for me at all. I don't know where I got the willpower necessary to finish it, but somehow I managed it.
It seems that this may have at least partly been a cultural issue - this excellent review on Goodreads explains how Grijpstra and De Gier's policing style incorporates the Dutch concept of gezelligheid. I could definitely tell that they had a more laid-back approach to policing than I expected, and I recall being intrigued by the negative way characters, even (especially?) police officers, responded to things phrased as orders.
That said, this book made for excruciatingly slow reading, and I couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters (in fact, I had trouble remembering which one was Grijpstra and which one was De Gier most of the time). I haven't read the previous two books in the series, but I don't think that was as much of an issue as the characters' overall attitude. It probably didn't help that the way the various police characters leered at female witnesses made my skin crawl. The best part was when this hilariously backfired on De Gier and left him stranded without gas, stuck with an annoying child and a troublesome woman.
Not a series I plan on revisiting.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
December 2, 2019
I read this as part of Cloak and Dagger month on Booktube. I read this book when it first was published in 1976 and wondered if it would survive the test of time. Unusually, the events take place in Amsterdam, though it is not a translated work. The author has lived and traveled all over the world and his descriptions of place seem a big plus in his work. I also think that the humorous and quirky relationship between the two policeman was something new at that time. Though an enjoyable reread, the plot kept this at a #3 level for me this time around.
March 18, 2024
Perhaps the quirkiest mystery I’ve read. It’s not about the mystery so much, but about the personalities of the policemen. More “research” for my upcoming trip to Amsterdam.
November 28, 2011
The Amsterdam Cop series, now branded as Grijpstra and de Gier Mysteries, by Janwillem van de Wetering are an excellent set of police procedurals that take place in 1970s Amsterdam, and The Corpse on the Dike lives up to that reputation. Amsterdam is portrayed as a quite city where no one ever gets murdered, but occasionally, when the unthinkable does happen, Grijpstra and de Gier are assigned the case. Through careful, clever interviews of suspects, thorough examination of evidence, and a deep understanding of human nature, they inevitably put all the pieces of the puzzle together and find the culprit.
Here a recluse living along a dike is shot dead between the eyes while standing at his window, and the shooter had to be at least 30 feet away. Such marksmanship is rare in the Netherlands, but a next door neighbor is a shooting champion. However, she doesn't seem to have a great motive, although she certainly had opportunity. Grijpstra and de Gier are unsatisfied and a later shooting along the dike, sends them off in a different direction following stolen merchandise and an amateur crime ring. But this crime ring seems to have nothing to do with the original victim. Following Grijpstra and de Gier through this maze of conflicting motives is very enjoyable as the story reaches a sound and satisfying conclusion.
Here a recluse living along a dike is shot dead between the eyes while standing at his window, and the shooter had to be at least 30 feet away. Such marksmanship is rare in the Netherlands, but a next door neighbor is a shooting champion. However, she doesn't seem to have a great motive, although she certainly had opportunity. Grijpstra and de Gier are unsatisfied and a later shooting along the dike, sends them off in a different direction following stolen merchandise and an amateur crime ring. But this crime ring seems to have nothing to do with the original victim. Following Grijpstra and de Gier through this maze of conflicting motives is very enjoyable as the story reaches a sound and satisfying conclusion.
February 19, 2017
The Corpse on the Dike by Janwillem van de Wetering is book 3 of the Amsterdam Cops mystery series set in Amsterdam in the late 20th century. All that detectives Grijpstra and deGier have in common is they partner on homicide cases. Otherwise, they are completely different in personality, style, fashion, outlook, what have you; contrasts making for pleasant entertainment. In Corpse on the Dike, the pair begin to investigate a murder on a dike. They encounter many eccentric residents of the dike. At first it all seems rather pointless, but they slog on because it's their job. Suddenly, a crime is committed before their eyes . Following up, they uncover a much larger crime operation than they ever would have suspected. A murder on a dike serves as the proverbial pulled thread that unravels a sweater. Don't expect serious heart-pounding suspense; although violent crime is committed, this is a 'gentle' read, more about the detectives themselves and their bureaucracy than about crime, and nicely seasoned with humor. An enjoyable pastime.
February 17, 2010
From a series of Dutch police novel written in the 1970s featuring Adjutant Grijpstra, Sergeant De Gier of the Murder Squad of the Amerstdam police and thier commanding officer, known simply as "The Commassaris". Toward the beginning of each novel there is a footnote which explains the rank system. Commassaris is a very senior executive--this one, although almost crippled with rheumatism, often accompanies Grijpstra and De Geir when an arrest is imminent.
The mysteries in this series seem to center around why the victim was killed as much as who killed him. Solving the first leads quickly to the second. The moral duties of a person in the late 20th century, western Europe, is one of the themes that runs through the books. Another is the acceptance of suffering as inevitable to the human condition although each of the main characters take his responsiblities very seriously as an upholder of the law as well as an enforcer.
The mysteries in this series seem to center around why the victim was killed as much as who killed him. Solving the first leads quickly to the second. The moral duties of a person in the late 20th century, western Europe, is one of the themes that runs through the books. Another is the acceptance of suffering as inevitable to the human condition although each of the main characters take his responsiblities very seriously as an upholder of the law as well as an enforcer.
September 20, 2014
In the third book of the Grijpstra & de Gier series, an older, reclusive, wealthy gentleman is shot dead, and now Grijpstra, de Gier and their boss/sidekick the Commissaris try to track down the killer(s). They enlist the help of more colleagues in this one than the previous books too.
Of the three books I have read so far, The Corpse on the Dike is the one I have liked the least. Not that is wasn't a decent read, but I just didn't get into this one as much. You can obviously tell from the language used, and how different ethnicities are described, that this book was written many years ago, as there are a few cringe-worthy paragraphs in the book.
I'm sure I will continue on with the series, hoping that this was just an anomaly. So, bring on Death of a Hawker.
Of the three books I have read so far, The Corpse on the Dike is the one I have liked the least. Not that is wasn't a decent read, but I just didn't get into this one as much. You can obviously tell from the language used, and how different ethnicities are described, that this book was written many years ago, as there are a few cringe-worthy paragraphs in the book.
I'm sure I will continue on with the series, hoping that this was just an anomaly. So, bring on Death of a Hawker.
November 19, 2009
I am trying to remember why I put this title on my "to read list," and memory fails me. This is an early title in a series of "Amsterdam cops" mysteries, and perhaps I just wanted something offbeat. Apparently each novel features a pair of cops named De Gier and Grijpstra (who play a flute and a snare drum) and is rich in description of Dutch cities. The novel is slim and written in straightforward prose, with a minimum of gore or explicit sexual content. The plot here involves a mysterious shooting of a reclusive man, and the web of circumstances surrounding that death. Detectives learn that the recluse was visited by one man, a dealer in secondhand goods nicknamed The Cat. The investigation proceeds from there. I found the mystery to be perfectly adequate, though I probably will not seek out others in the series.
April 8, 2016
I happened on this Dutch procedural from the 1970s in the gift shop of an exhibit on Class Distinctions in Dutch Golden Age Art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
It was a curious choice, having little to do with the exhibit except for its country of origin, and it is a curious book as well.
This is the third in the series of mysteries written by van de Wetering in the 1970s, and the series had some international fame at the time. The noted American critic John Leonard blurbed the series with this: "[Van de Wetering] is doing what Simenon might have done if Albert Camus had sublet his skull."
Well, it's hard to know if this book lived up to that odd comment, but it was something of a wild ride, if by wild ride we can include the terms existential angst, ennui, zen, and an inordinate love of cigars on the part of most of the constabulary.
It was a curious choice, having little to do with the exhibit except for its country of origin, and it is a curious book as well.
This is the third in the series of mysteries written by van de Wetering in the 1970s, and the series had some international fame at the time. The noted American critic John Leonard blurbed the series with this: "[Van de Wetering] is doing what Simenon might have done if Albert Camus had sublet his skull."
Well, it's hard to know if this book lived up to that odd comment, but it was something of a wild ride, if by wild ride we can include the terms existential angst, ennui, zen, and an inordinate love of cigars on the part of most of the constabulary.
November 11, 2010
“A recluse has been shot right between the eyes as she stood looking out of his bedroom window. His neighbour, a schoolteacher who is a pistol shot champion, admits she discovered the body and failed to report it. Is she really guilty of murder?”
Another great Grijpstra and de Gier novel that keeps you guessing until almost the end and then nicely wraps everything up...with van de Wetering’s unique sense of humour evident throughout the book. Even though you can be sure that police procedure is outdated in this mystery series, it makes little difference as you read about the humorous interaction between these Amsterdam cops as they solve murder and other unlawful acts.
Another great Grijpstra and de Gier novel that keeps you guessing until almost the end and then nicely wraps everything up...with van de Wetering’s unique sense of humour evident throughout the book. Even though you can be sure that police procedure is outdated in this mystery series, it makes little difference as you read about the humorous interaction between these Amsterdam cops as they solve murder and other unlawful acts.
May 29, 2016
Il libro è godibilissimo, ben scritto, i personaggi balzano fuori dalla pagina coi loro tic e le loro idiosincrasie, i buoni hanno un giusto sottofondo meschino che li rende umani, e i cattivi hanno molto fascino.
Amsterdam perde molto del suo mito di città cosmopolita in cui tutto è permesso, in compenso diventa un luogo che si ha voglia di visitare per, chissà mai, andarci a vivere, sperando di incontrare da qualche parte qualcuno dei personaggi.
Se vuoi conoscere i dettagli più reconditi che formano il carattere di una città, devi leggere i suoi scrittori noir, questo è vero per la Milano di Colaprico ed è vero per l'Amsterdam di Van de Wetering.
Amsterdam perde molto del suo mito di città cosmopolita in cui tutto è permesso, in compenso diventa un luogo che si ha voglia di visitare per, chissà mai, andarci a vivere, sperando di incontrare da qualche parte qualcuno dei personaggi.
Se vuoi conoscere i dettagli più reconditi che formano il carattere di una città, devi leggere i suoi scrittori noir, questo è vero per la Milano di Colaprico ed è vero per l'Amsterdam di Van de Wetering.
June 10, 2013
What a laid back sort of book. Made me want to live in Holland in the 70s, even with all the complaints about taxes. Not an elaborate mystery, in fact almost perfunctory in a way. Instead it is just good to settle in with the detectives (the aging commissaris and his aching legs and sudden clarity, Grijpstra and his awful home life and haunting dreams, and the debonair de Geir, home alone with his cat Oliver) as they slowly work out the crime, expecting better of people and wondering about identity and purpose.
September 2, 2015
van de Wetering was an extremely clever likeable writer with an interest in Zen who created offbeat three-dimensional characters that were the main attractions of his police procedurals set in Amsterdam. I've read several of his books and found them vastly entertaining. Though the plotting can be at times slightly shaky, the books nevertheless hold the reader's attention from start to finish. I found this book as enjoyable as the others and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good murder mystery.
March 19, 2014
As much as I love the characters of Grijpstra and De Gier, they weren't enough to carry this book like they had the other two. So-so mystery that wasn't strong or mysterious enough to make me really care. And the ending was so sudden that I thought my book was missing a few pages.
I think part of the problem was that there was too many other characters introduced that I had no interest in.
Maybe the next one will get better.
I think part of the problem was that there was too many other characters introduced that I had no interest in.
Maybe the next one will get better.
December 5, 2011
Who would've thought a police detective story could be so compassionate towards its characters. Left me in a very Zen state and with more positive feelings about law enforcement than I've felt since Childhood. For once, the police force isn't corrupt or racist or sexist, and neither is the government. Also the writing was enjoyably witty throughout.
April 14, 2009
This is the first of the Grijpstra and de Gier novels, detective partners with the Amsterdam police. I read several more but I have to consult with the spouse to try to confirm which ones. Nice and gritty and cop-like books with the foreign flavor.
August 30, 2010
not the best of books. too many tangents that were irrelevant and he did not develop the plot with the antagonists. winds the book up in the last 5-7 pages when 30-40 were needed to fully create an intriguing story.
January 13, 2012
Van de Wetering is an acquired taste, I think. One needs to think outside the box to really enjoy his mysteries, which are half quaint and half louche. Rather somebodies idea of a joke, I think, and if you're in on it, is fun to read along.
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