De Cock en het lijk aan de kerkmuur by A.C. Baantjer

Why read the book?

Against the wall of the Oude Zuiderkerk lies the body of a tramp. At first sight the man seems to have died a natural death. The doctor finds something else. The man was killed in an unusual way, and De Cock sees he is facing a clever murderer.

The dead man is Archibald van Maanenfeldt, a rich baron who liked to live in odd ways. He played the down-and-out, the dock worker, and other roles. De Cock wonders if Archibald was also a drug dealer, and if that is why he was killed.

De Cock meets a strange family. Then a second dead Archibald is found. Now the question is which man was the real baron, and De Cock needs all his sharp thinking to answer it.

Favourite quote

What I Loved

The case turns on a neat reversal. A poor tramp becomes a rich baron, and then a second body raises the question of identity. That puzzle of who is who keeps the mystery interesting.

The Amsterdam setting is strong, from the church wall to the eccentric baron who dressed as a tramp and a dock worker. De Cock works through a difficult family with his usual patience.

Key Takeaway

A dead tramp is really a rich baron, and a second matching body makes the question of identity the heart of the case.

Note

This book is only available in Dutch

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