Death of a Hawker [Paperback]

Janwillem Van De Wetering (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

Amsterdam is normally sedate but today there is a riot in Newmarket Square. Constables have blocked access to adjoining Straight Tree Ditch Road all day. When the body of the "King" of the local street market is found in a room in his house on that street, his head bashed in, there are only two suspects: his lovely sister or the upstairs boarder. Which one is the killer? Grijipstra and de Gier must discover the murderer's identity before another crime can be committed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A superb storyteller."--Chicago Tribune

"One of the masters of the mystery form."--Los Angeles Times

"Cool prose, serene mind, impish wit."--The New York Times

"What makes this series so engaging is that the policemen are as quirky and complicated and human as the criminals."--Washington Post

"He is doing what Simenon might have done if Albert Camus had sublet his skull."--John Leonard

"One of the most well-written, unusual, and entertaining series of the last few decades."--Armchair Detective

"Van de Wetering's wry style might be compared to caviar . . . Once you're hooked, there is nothing quite like it."--San Diego Union

About the Author

Janwillem van de Wetering (1931–2008) was born and raised in Rotterdam, but lived most recently in Surry, Maine. He served as a member of the Amsterdam Special Constabulary and was once a Zen Buddhist monk. He is renowned for his detective fiction, including Outsider in Amsterdam, The Corpse on the Dike, The Japanese Corpse, and eleven other books in the Grijpstra and de Gier series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: Soho Crime (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569470790
• ISBN-13: 978-1569470794
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.7 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #680,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riots, philosophy, unhappy marriage, and Amsterdam, November 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Death of a Hawker (Paperback)

Interesting and atmospheric book. I don't know if mysteries written by foreign authors just sound more intelligent or really are, but the effect remains regardless of the reason. These detectives, Grijpstra and de Gier, really come alive in these books. They have a warts and all kind of approach not only about their own personalities, but also the personalities of their friends and family members as well that I really like. Almost incidentally, van de Wetering makes you very interested in the ultimate whodunnit. As an American living in the Netherlands, I also appreciate the view of Amsterdam.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Return to Form, January 29, 2002

By 

JD Cetola (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death of a Hawker (Paperback)

"Death of a Hawker" is the fourth book in Van de Wetering's Amsterdam Cop Series and is a return to top form after the somewhat disappointing second and third volumes (the first, "Outsider in Amsterdam" is magnificient, and the proper place to start reading this excellent mystery series).

Amusing, ruminating Amsterdam cops Detective Grijpstra and Sergeant de Gier are as much a part of the story as the mystery itself (this is typical of this series, although the detectives' observations were less a focus of the second and third books). In this mystery, Amsterdam's market square is beset by protests and riots over government-forced construction. Meanwhile, a wealthy hawker (an individual who sells items for profit in the market) is murdered in his apartment. The man's roommate is upstairs and his beautiful sister downstairs (it's a three room flat) and both claim to have heard nothing unusual, nor did they see anyone enter or exit the flat. Cops outside the flat (for riot protection) noticed nothing unusual either. Nevertheless, the victim's face has been smashed in by a heavy object. The question is: who did the smashing, how, and why?

Naturally, Grijpstra and de Gier are put in charge of the case and along with the aged Commissaris (their boss) they unravel the mystery. Along the way, they interview prostitutes, hawkers, importers, bar maids, attend a raucous party, and even fall in love (de Gier). The dialogue is amusing and insightful and the solution of the mystery is fairly clever (although not too complicated). This book is more similar to the first book in the series in that suspect interviews are more confrontational and Grijpstra and de Gier spend a lot of time offering their views (and complaints) on life.

Overall, a quick read--both humorous and mysterious. Highly Recommended.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Zen what?, April 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Death of a Hawker (Paperback)

Do not make this the first van de Wetering book you read.

It takes some getting used to, this mix of Buddhism, police procedural, Simenon-like psychonovel and bizarre imagination. In this book, those factors collide sharply. The solution the the pseudo-locked-room mystery is odd, at best. Mix in street riots and a strange interlude where police do a most unconvincing undercover act and the reader who expected something like the 87th Precinct transplanted to Amsterdam will be baffled by the strength of the cover blurbs. Praise for this?

But if you've already become familiar with the characters, you know these books aren't so much about the plot as the people and the mood. Read a few others first (make sure you start with the good ones, the ones based in Amsterdam) and then move on.