Dekok and the Corpse at the Church Wall (DeKok Mystery) [Paperback]

A. C. Baantjer (Author), H. G. Smittenaar (Author, Translator)

Book Description

Series: DeKok Mystery | Publication Date: May 1994

Along the wall of the old South Church lies the corpse of a vagrant. It seems a natural death. But the man has been murdered in an extraordinary manner. DeKok realizes that he is dealing with an extremely cunning murderer. The dead man is known as 'the Baron' and is identified as Archibald Manefeldt, rich, eccentric. He enjoys masquerading as a clochard, a dock worker...but this time? Was he also a drug dealer? Is that why he was murdered? DeKok meets a strange family and discovers the trail of the murderer. Another dead Archibald is found! Which is the 'real' Baron? A mystery which requires all of DeKok's tricks and knowledge.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Detective-Inspector DeKok, of Amsterdam's homicide department, returns to sort out a trio of puzzling deaths in another solid offering from Baantjer ( DeKok and the Sorrowing Tomcat ). DeKok is called in when tourists discover a corpse, with legs crossed and hands folded, neatly laid out by a church wall. A newspaper article on the death prompts beauty consultant Abigail Manefeldt to identify the deceased as her rich and eccentric uncle, Archibald Manefeldt, who occasionally liked to live in the gutter "to learn about people." When Johan Brewer, a small-time offender, is picked up carrying a pound of hashish, a wad of money and Archibald Manefeldt's identification papers, DeKok interrogates him; Brewer soon hangs himself in his cell. Even as DeKok and his assistant Dick Vledder wend their way through Archibald's gutter-life and his polished but thoroughly unlikable family, another body is discovered--and identified as Archibald Manefeldt. Shrewd but never slickly perfect, DeKok and Vledder play well off each other as they explore some of the uglier depths of Amsterdam and occasionally worry DeKok's superiors.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Inspector DeKok of the Amsterdam Police Force (star of several previous mysteries published by Intercontinental) has a new case to solve: a "peaceful corpse" is leading him on a trail of false identity, suicide, and deceit. The action takes place in and around Amsterdam, with plot points turning on a confused, bizarre family and the city's drug culture. Like Janwilliam Van de Wetering, Baantjer writes excitingly about present-day Amsterdam; the Dutch scene and characters set the mood for the mystery. DeKok is a careful, compassionate policeman in the tradition of Maigret, and his foibles and habits add interest to the story. In the approved manner of old-fashioned procedurals, the inspector sits down after the suspenseful action and explains to his wife and colleagues what happened. The translation is direct and workable; crime fans will enjoy this book.
- Gene Shaw, NYPL
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Intercontinental Pub Inc (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1881164101
• ISBN-13: 978-1881164104
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,016,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Holland's own Columbo, August 30, 2007

By 

DONALD G. FOX "Santee Sioux" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dekok and the Corpse at the Church Wall (DeKok Mystery) (Paperback)

The great sleuth, DeKok, is sloppy: sloppy in his clothes and sloppy in "slurping" his coffee. He is sometimes sloppy in personal interactions, too. However, he does like a neat brandy and is very neat in his thinking when it comes to solving a crime. Simenon's Maigret and Janwillem van de Wetering's De Gier would welcome DeKok with open arms to sit with them and drink wine or jenever at the local bar or brasserie. This particular crime involving two bodies and a corps of suspects brings forth a messy murder mystery. I suggest that readers might be best served by writing down a few notes about the various characters with their nicknames and associations. In the end, DeKok and his young assistant, Vledder, clean up all the messy loose ends. I think that the most enjoyable part of this book was the development of the character of Inspector DeKok of the Warmoesstraat Police Station (the Red Light District) of Amsterdam. DeKok is a very engaging character with a sharp mind and a sense of humor.