De Cock en de gebrandmerkte doden by A.C. Baantjer

Why read the book?

De Cock tells Vledder that he would like half a year free of murder. The wish does not last. A young man arrives with a strange story. His former girlfriend, Angela, was lured by a taxi driver to the canal house of her new lover. There she found the man dead in front of the hearth, with a cord around his neck and two diamond shapes branded on his forehead.

Before De Cock and Vledder even speak to Angela, they go to look at the scene themselves. The killing does not stay alone. The detectives find the same situation a few more times. They face a puzzle. What does a killer mean by leaving a victim strangled and branded?

De Cock uses every method he knows to expose this serial killer.

Favourite quote

What I Loved

The repeated, marked killings give the book a clear and grim pattern, and the question of meaning behind the brand drives the case forward. The work moves through Amsterdam canal houses, the setting the series does best.

De Cock follows his usual patient method, working from one scene to the next rather than guessing.

Key Takeaway

A serial case built around a strange signature, solved by steady detective work rather than luck.

Note

This book is only available in Dutch

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