De Cock en de dode tempeliers by A.C. Baantjer

Why read the book?

A woman of forty reports that her husband, a respectable banker she is no longer fond of, has gone missing. Soon after, a body is found in the basement of a house for sale on the Herengracht, with a dagger in its back. The shaken owner recognises the dead man as a friend of her father. Both men belonged to the secret Brotherhood of the Cross.

The murder weapon is an unusual dagger that stands out of the back like a cross. De Cock and Vledder are drawn into the case. They learn that anyone who breaks the rules of the Brotherhood is condemned by a blood council.

There is a group that keeps its own laws and its own punishments. De Cock must find out who its members are. He decides he will solve this case even if it is his last, because such groups are a danger to the country. Every member carries a deadly dagger, including one who lives in a villa in Naarden.

Favourite quote

What I Loved

The secret brotherhood gives this book a strong shape, with a clear and sinister threat behind the murder. De Cock's resolve to see it through, whatever the cost, drives the story.

The Amsterdam canal house setting and the strange weapon add weight to the puzzle. The slow uncovering of the members is the heart of the case.

Key Takeaway

A closed group that punishes its own can hide a killer in plain sight. De Cock sets out to name every member and end the threat.

Note

This book is only available in Dutch

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