De Cock en de dood van een kunstenaar by A.C. Baantjer

Why read the book?

The painter Peter Karstens calls De Cock to his home. Vledder thinks the man is a forger and a fraud, but De Cock sees a gifted artist and, above all, a friend. Karstens feels threatened. He has taken a dog, and his girlfriend is staying elsewhere for safety. He begs the old detective to lead the case himself in case something happens to him.

De Cock is barely back at the station when the telephone rings. A man has been shot on the Noordermarkt while walking his dog. De Cock and Vledder hurry there and find Peter Karstens dead. The dog has been shot too.

After three more murders, De Cock fears this may be the first case he cannot solve. He holds on hard. The work takes him into the art trade, among dishonest dealers and a bitter, ruthless woman.

Favourite quote

What I Loved

The victim is De Cock's own friend, which makes the case personal and gives weight to his fear that he might fail. The art trade setting brings forgery and greed into plain view.

The difference between how De Cock and Vledder judge the dead man adds a quiet human note to the work.

Key Takeaway

A personal case in the world of the art trade, with De Cock pushed by the fear of his first failure.

Note

This book is only available in Dutch

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