The Perfidious Parrot

Amsterdam Cops Mysteries #14

by Janwillem van de Wetering

The fourteenth Amsterdam Cops Mystery

Retired policemen Grijpstra and de Gier are being blackmailed. The threat is a serious to set the income tax authority on them. The blackmailers, a wealthy yacht owner and his son, want them to investigate the mysterious hijacking of a supertanker’s entire cargo in the Caribbean. The Amsterdam cops reluctantly agree to take the case. Their rendezvous is in Key West, where they are confronted with a murder.

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

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1997

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I'm very sad to have finished the last novel in van de Wetering's Amsterdam Cops series (though I still have the short story collection to get to). I love them. But I was also glad to finish this one, because I've come to the conclusion that it's a false Grijpstra-de Gier novel, as were the previous two. They describe an Alternate Universe, with three characters with similar names as in the real novels, but who are in fact quite different.

Only Turtle remains true in both Universes.

I guess vdW decided that the whole world is corrupt, and turned his characters inside out to fit that vision, at least until the end of this novel. I couldn't buy it. So I enjoyed the dialogue, enjoyed some of the characters, and basically never suspended even a little disbelief.

The mystery in this novel is the disappearance of a supertanker's oil cargo in the West Indies. G, de G, and the commissaris are bullied (in a not very believable sequence of events) into taking the case. It allows them to visit Key West, some Caribbean islands, and a fancy ship, in pursuit of the solution to the problem; though the problem dissolved about midway through the book.

Ah, well. My suggestion for folks who take up this series is to skip Just a Corpse at Twilight, and finish with The Hollow-Eyed Angel; and skip this one, too.

[Elisala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Des policiers partent en pré-retraite après avoir récupéré des fonds confortables de manière pas des plus légales, mais n'arrivent pas totalement à décrocher de leur métier (à leur corps défendant) et se retrouvent pris dans une enquête des plus improbables entre Floride, Cuba et Caraïbes.

Ça donne un truc plutôt drôle, un peu foutraque, on ne sait pas toujours bien où veut en venir l'auteur, mais ça n'est pas désagréable, juste un peu déstabilisant. L'intrigue policière, faute de meilleur terme, se déroule, se dénoue, se renoue, avec une logique apparemment fluctuante. Au final, c'est avant tout l'occasion de passer un moment avec une fière équipe de gens plus maboules les uns que les autres, embarqués dans une histoire qui les dépasse, et de se laisser porter, juste comme ça.

[Jocelyn Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this guy. This one was the most contemporary novel and it was slightly different than the early stories... of course. The early are from the 1970s and things have changed. This is a goodie though!

[Katherine Slack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool. Loved the tough flippant cadence.

[Cheryl Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky and great fun, loved this mystery!

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The usual blend of humor and philosophy that seems to be the strong suit of the cold country writers

[Stefan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really hoping that the Grijpstra & de Gier series would go out with a bang. You know, a great novel to wrap things up... Nope!

I honestly think Janwillem van de Wetering gave up on this series back three novels ago with Hard Rain as these last three books (including this one) have been all over the map, and far less than stellar. Were these final three novels just to fulfill a contract obligation?

As the book's plot line goes: The (once again) retired Grijpstra, de Gier, and commissaris are this time in the Florida Keys and the islands of the West Indies heading up an investigation into stolen crude oil from a supertanker. Grijpstra & de Gier, now living like fat cats, head up their own detective agency as a front not to actually do much work. But when they do get work, they still rely on the commissaris to guide them through their adventures. Of course, throw in the two idiots, Karate & Ketchup as the comic relief and the right-on-schedule fling with the pretty girl by de Gier and you have what is now known as the 14th and final novel in the Grijpstra & de Gier series.

I really wanted to give up on this one about a quarter of the way through, but stuck it out hoping it would come around and end everything properly. Didn't even come close! But I got through all of the main books in the series, so that is some sort of an accomplishment I guess (not really).

Avoid this one unless you are like me, and just want to see the series through to its completion.

[Annabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first book I read by this author, and was anxious to get into this one. But I was disappointed. One thing is that he switches from focusing on Grijpstra and de Gier, the detectives, as his main characters and showcases the commissaris, Jan, who is not very interesting. A father and son who cheat countries while brokering crude oil shipments, hire the three to find out who has stolen the oil and killed one of their crew men. It turns out to be a ruse of high level corrupt financing. The history of the Dutch West Indies and 18th century plays between Holland, England and France are interesting. But skip it.

[Jason Paulios · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd read the first in this Danish cop series earlier last year and, for some reason, never read another until now. An intriguing duo of philosophical, somewhat-sensitive, brainy cops. I like how they don't take the world too seriously despite all they deal with. The mysteries themselves are probably not all that appealing to the normal mystery reader, but I prefer these type of character driven mysteries.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this book because I was traveling to Aruba and was excited to read books that mentioned the island. I ended up feeling this book would make a better movie than book. I had trouble following some of the humorous dialog and thought on the screen it might be like a Marx Brothers mystery and more enjoyable. The characters and writing were fun but it wasn't my favorite read. And doesn't do Aruba much credit.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't recommend it to anyone, it's not that I didn't enjoy it, it's more like it doesn't really fit into any category - in theory it's a mystery but isn't really, there's not much to solve - and it isn't really a thriller either, not thrilling enough by far to earn that description, so it kind of comes down to a nothing ball book. Not bad, but not particularly good either.

[Lynne-marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time in spite of furnishing us with all his usual bells and whistles, I got the feeling that van de Wetering was parodying himself -- on purpose. The sense began with the dedication & intro which I beg you not to skip. Either way, it's a crazy ride.

[Vudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best in the series. Tempted to give it 5 stars.

[Peter]

ENjoyed this book tremendously. Great dialog and characterization, humor and action.

[Lena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this because I had picked out several losers from the library, and I needed some reading. This will teach me to judge a book by its cover.

[Steve Myers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just doesn't hold together. At all.

[Karmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grijpstra and de Gier find drug money and retire. soon they open a detection agency.

they're hired by a wealthy yacht and soon to investigate a hijacking the Caribbean.