De Cock en de dood in antiek by A.C. Baantjer
Why read the book?
De Cock is about to end his evening shift and go home to his wife and a glass of cognac. A young woman walks into his office. She is tense and in a hurry. She reports that a bronze sarcophagus has been stolen from her, and she says a curse rests on it.
De Cock and his assistant Vledder listen with some doubt. They are not sure such a story belongs at the Warmoesstraat station. But the doubt soon fades. The talk of a curse turns out to be no exaggeration. A trail of crime follows.
Favourite quote
If one can see through a lie at once, as with those pike standing in line, there is no harm in it.
What I Loved
This is a classic Warmoesstraat case built on a strange object and an even stranger claim. The pleasure is watching De Cock move from polite scepticism to real concern, step by step, without ever rushing.
The Amsterdam setting and De Cock's patient method carry the story. The puzzle keeps its hold because the answer is not obvious from the start.
Key Takeaway
An odd report that sounds like superstition can hide a real crime. De Cock takes it seriously, and the case proves him right.
Note
This book is only available in Dutch
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