Strike Out Where Not Applicable (Crime & mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Nicolas Freeling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1985 | Series: Crime & mystery

A Van der Valk Thriller - How do you prove a murder that's almost impossible to prove was a murder?

An elusive homicide evades even the most decisive guile from a true master of criminal investigation, but Van der Valk won't let that stop him. A seemingly unintended death of a local restaurant owner might not be as accidental as some would like it to appear, and when the suspicions of the Commissaire are aroused, Van der Valk is called in to ask some very awkward questions. A fascinating thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat as Van der Valk probes the strangest of human behaviours.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in London in 1927, Nicolas Freeling is the author of over thirty titles, many of which are part of the crime genre. His education was broad and he attended a series of schools in England, Ireland and France. He served in the Royal Air Force, and from 1950 worked at various jobs in kitchens, hotels and restaurants throughout Europe. It was this intimate knowledge of the continent that influenced the style and settings of his subsequent books. The first of these was published in 1961. He is best known for the creation of Inspector Piet Van der Valk, an irascible detective engaged in ordinary crime, political intrigue and international affairs. Freeling is married, has four sons and one daughter and currently resides in France. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (June 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140030093
• ISBN-13: 978-0140030099
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,456,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Van Der Valk among the tulip fields., February 28, 2004

By 

frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Strike Out Where Not Applicable (A Van Der Valk Thriller) (Paperback)

Retired upwards to the quiet town of Lisse, Van Der Valk is almost delighted when he can abandon cases of petty thievery for the mysterious death of a local restaurateur. It seems as though the unliked man was killed by a spooked horse, but when a local doctor sounds a note of unease Van Der Valk becomes convinced that there is something more behind the death.

Freeling's Van Der Valk novels are marvelous not only for their mysteries (always interesting) but also for their examination of the small details of Dutch life. Particularly striking in this book are the bicycle champion and his wife Janine. The poor unaccepted Janine speaks French rather than letting the toffs of the village hear her peasant Brabants accent. She and her husband are guilty of making money at something visible, rather than quietly accumulating it behind solid middle class doors.

Van Der Valk is not a typical detective, and one of the things that makes the Freeling mysteries so nice is the healthy twist of cynicism that run through all his novels. Van Der Valk hates to see crime (and criminals) reduced to the mechanisms of the middle class, but in the end he acquiesces, order must be restored and sometimes the best answer is not the truth, but the one which satisfies everyone the most...

Strike Out Where Not Applicable is not a bad place to begin with Freeling, but if you like this one be sure to read _The King of the Rainy Country_ and _Gun Before Butter_.