Customer Reviews

Blond Baboon

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A wild storm rocks Amsterdam and at the end of the storm the body of Elaine Carnet, successful businesswoman and former Paris torch singer, is found with a broken neck at the foot of her garden steps. Was she killed by a gust of wind? If so, who was smoking the cigarettes that they found in her house?

Grijpstra and de Gier are called in to figure out who was behind the murder.

Van De Wetering's novels are always among the best mysteries around. His characters are meditative in a way that feels authentic. He manages to put a human face on brutality while still somehow underlying the brutality. Even sensational endings feel like inevitable parts of a story rather than a novelists trick. Well worth a read for people who don't know them.

This is one of my favorites in this series. Terrific Amsterdam villians and weird introspective police abound, as always.

I like the books of Janwillem van de Wetering and have read some of the print books. Unforunately the kindle version contains so many recurring spelling mistakes- e.g. "th" becomes "m", so "them" becomes "mem", Ms. Carnet becomes Ms. Camet and so on. I found an average of 3 spelling mistakes per page. I wonder if anybody has ever proofread the text before it got published. For a kindle book that costs $13.79 and is more expensive than any printed version I expect more value for money. This is the first time that I am realy disappointed by the quality of a kindle book - mind you, not by the author an his writing.

"The Blond Baboon" has about 40 years under its belt since it was first published, but remains one of the memorable crime stories of all time. The intrepid Amsterdam detective team of Grijpstra and de Gier are called to investigate the death of a middle-aged chanteuse cum businesswoman, leading to a series of interviews with a widening circle of engaging characters, including the victim's ex-boyfriend who is known to one and all as the Blond Baboon.

Terrific plot line and even better character development. Not a false note in the entire story as the detectives and their commissario partner unravel this intriguing story. The city of Amsterdam makes an interesting backdrop for the action. Highly recommended.