Outsider in Amsterdam [Hardcover]

Janwillem Van De Wetering (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1975

A novel of suspense. The author makes a dramatic novel out of his knowledge of Zen and his personal experience on the Amsterdam police force. The owner of a sleazy restaurant is found hanging from the rafters. The first assumption is suicide but the investigation quickly turns up murder. The clues are plentiful enough to be puzzling and so is the juicy variety of suspects.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 213 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; First printing. edition (1975)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000OOLL4Q
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,687,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best discovery this year of an "old master", June 16, 1999

By 

U.N. Owen (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Outsider in Amsterdam (Grijpstra & de Gier Mystery) (Paperback)

I have been wanting to read these books for a while and finally found the time to dig into this first one on a long flight to Europe. Perfect setting for reading any of van deWetering's books. These novels are thoroughly European and I loved the way the characters spoke and interacted. I especially enjoyed the pervasive air of morality throughout the book. So many of contemporary thrillers lack that essential element. The novelist makes good use of his obvious Buddhist beliefs and sprinkles some quite beautiful thoughts (when de Gier meets the father of a female suspect take extra time to linger over his philosophy. It's utterly engaging and memorable) throughout this story of the search for the killer of a murdered spiritual adviser and some smarmy drug dealing in 1970s Amsterdam. This book also contains the first villain with a conscience I've ever encountered in all my decades of mystery reading. I look forward to completing the series.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Atypical For A Mystery, March 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Outsider in Amsterdam (Grijpstra & de Gier Mystery) (Paperback)

I picked up this novel because I was reminiscing about Amsterdam, rather than out of a desire to read a mystery. It was exactly what I was looking for. Van De Wetering's descriptions of the city are crisp and well defined and his characters are intriguing and convincingly written. It was a good mystery as well. The motivations of all the characters seemed true enough, and for this, the novel could just as well be classified as literature. The translation maintains European syntax, so the Dutch character of work is not lost. It was a fun little novel, and great mind candy. The next day I bought two more of the series. If you need something, quick, light and exotic to read this is a good one. It's always nice to read about someone else's city.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Start to a Great Series, July 24, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: Outsider in Amsterdam (Grijpstra & de Gier Mystery) (Paperback)

A thoroughly engaging and well-written mystery. The first in a series of mysteries pairing Amsterdam detectives Grijpstra & DeGier, this novel enchants and hooks the reader from the very beginning. The story is first class and will be enjoyed by lovers of the genre, but it's the interaction and dialogue between the two protagonists that makes this book such a gem. At times philosophers and often humorous, these characters are a welcome addition to the readers' life and the good news is: there's more where this comes from. Check it (them) out and you won't be disappointed. Highly Recommended for those who enjoy mysteries and top-quality literature in general.