I'm not sure why I enjoy this series. ( )

Grijpstra y De Gier investigan la muerte de una joven. Entre los sospechosos se encuentran un diplomático belga, un oficial norteamericano y un empresario holandés que habían mantenido relaciones con ella, pero las claves del caso están enterradas en el misterioso pasado de la víctima. De nuevo los singulares protagonistas de las novelas de Van de Wetering deberán recurrir a su enorme capacidad de deducción para seguir las pistas que en esta ocasión se hallan diseminadas por todo el mundo.

Story of a murdered (knife throwing) prostitute in Holland. Originally for Curacao and a bit of a witch (mandrake!) she enthralled three regular men regularly. Two detectives are excited to be on a murder case - so rare there and stumble along kidding each other along the way. Story kind of dragged in the beginning to the middle, but took for me when the detectives go to a little, rich island off the coast of Holland for a lead (and have to go bird watching to be genial) and their boss goes to Curacao for another lead. From then through the end, I was held. Will probably read another in the series..... ( )

One of the stranger books I've read in this series, and that's saying something. If you like cops who talk about zen, music, and philosophy, and are perfectly willing to believe that a murder victim was killed because she (actually) practiced black magic, this is the book for you. ( )

It had been several years since I first sampled the Grijpstra and de Gier series of Janwillem van de Wetering, so I thought I'd better pick up the second book, Tumbleweed. The book concentrates on the mystery and moves very quickly, and I discovered that, although a great deal of time had passed since I read that first book, I soon felt right at home.

Grijpstra is the older of the two detectives. He's married and a grouch. De Gier is single and likes to dress fashionably. They work together well and I liked both characters, but I have to admit that their superior officer the commissaris (who is never mentioned by name) was my favorite. The commissaris is an older man who's crippled by rheumatism yet not ready to retire. He has a lively mind and is interested in almost everything, and when he sent officers back to photograph the dead woman's bookshelves because "I am always interested in what people read," I was completely won over. Later on, his attitude toward travel was merely icing on the cake.

The mystery in Tumbleweed is intriguing, and the book reads quickly. Even though the emphasis is on the story, the characters are beguiling, and you can't help wanting to know more about them. One thing I do know for certain: I'll be grabbing the next book in the series in order to continue my literary love affair with the commissaris! ( )