Shrewd compassionate and dedicated DeKok makes a formidable opponent forcriminals and a worthwhile competitor for the attention of Simenons Maigretfans.Library ... » 

Shrewd compassionate and dedicated DeKok makes a formidable opponent forcriminals and a worthwhile competitor for the attention of Simenons Maigretfans.Library JournalIts easy to understand the appeal of Amsterdam police detective DeKok hehides his intelligence behind a phlegmatic demeanor like an old dog that lazesby the fireplace and only shows his teeth when the house is threatened.LosAngeles TimesAlthough at first it seemed to be a case for the narcotics division thislatest crime soon evolves into a series of sinister and almost impossiblemurders. Never before have inspectors DeKok and his partner Vledder been soinvolved in a case in which murder drug smuggling and child prostitution arealmost daily occurrences.Blackmail enters the picture and bodies continue to be found. DeKok even findshimself allowing one of the suspects in the serial crimes to go free.To darken the days a bit more in the past a single murder used to dominate thefront pages of the newspapers for weeks but now they get maybe four or sixlines on page fourteen third column near the bottom. Death has becomecommonplace in the news but never for DeKok. «