For Inspector Castang, life in the cosmopolitan setting of Brussels proves more than either he or Vera bargained for. When his boss is arrested for murder and a child abuser becomes a crime statistic, Castang realizes that crime is universal--and his skills as an investigator are as revelevant in the corridors of power as in the back alleys of Paris.

Police Inspector Piet Van Der Valk Becomes Involved In An Extraordinary Case When He Crosses The Path Of A Pretty Daughter Of A Famous Dead Conductor.

The Mystery Fancier, Volume 8 Number 6, November-December 1986, contains: "Spade Trumps Unplayed," by Jeff Banks, "The Singular Miss Seeton," by Neysa Chouteau, "Cornell Woolrich: The Last Years (Part II)," by Francis M. Nevins, Jr., "William MacHarg's O'Malley: Transitional Cop," by George N. Dove, "Let the Public Decide: An Interview with Nicolas Freeling," by Jane S. Bakerman, "A Gun-Toting Yankee in King Arthur's Court: The Violent World of Dempsey and Makepeace," by R. E. Skinner and "Further Gems from Literature," by William F. Deeck.

The first novel in the acclaimed VAN DER VALK series - now a major new ITV series starring Marc Warren 'Masterful' SUNDAY TIMES 'Freeling's Inspector Van der Valk is less rugged than Rebus, less parsonical than Dalgliesh, more Morse than Frost, and more Maigret than any of them. Marvellous' - Anita Brookner 'Freeling is a joy to read' TLS 'You're in for a treat' COSMOPOLITAN A woman, Elsa, is brutally murdered in her Amsterdam apartment. Her ex-lover, Martin, is seen outside the building around the time of the crime. The witness who saw him? A policeman. It looks like a straightforward case - but police inspector Van der Valk is not convinced. Despite all the evidence - and the fact that Martin originally denied he was at the apartment - he believes Martin is not guilty of murder. Instead of charging him, Van der Valk takes him on a tour: a tour of the investigation; a tour of Martin's own past; and a tour into the darkly obsessive world of Elsa...