De Cock en de dood in gebed by A.C. Baantjer

Why read the book?

A junk arrested for robbery tells De Cock he needs the money for his addicted girlfriend. He admits she has promised fifty thousand euros to whoever murders her father, so she can use the inheritance to get clean. In the middle of the questioning, Vledder rushes in. A body is floating in the Keizersgracht.

The dead man's shoelaces are tied together and the fingers of his folded hands are glued shut. He is Victor Handgraaf, a powerful and wealthy man. That is reason enough for De Cock to visit the addicted girlfriend, Willemijn Handgraaf, who lies under a heap of rags in an attic room.

Did she manage to find someone to remove her father? Or is Cornelis Grijpskerk, fellow director of the Handgraaf Foundation, the killer? De Cock knows that things are often not what they seem, and that he must look behind the words of suspects and witnesses.

Favourite quote

What I Loved

The case opens with a clear and ugly motive handed to De Cock, which makes the truth harder rather than easier to read. The strange state of the body, laced and glued in prayer, is a grim, memorable detail.

De Cock's habit of looking behind what people say is the heart of the book, and it suits this puzzle well.

Key Takeaway

A plain motive handed over early, which only deepens the puzzle once De Cock looks behind the words.

Note

This book is only available in Dutch

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