I intend to review the three books in this one volume seperately, give them stars and then add the overall rating for the whole book.
Book 1 'De kwetsbare getuige' gets 3.5 stars.

It is a good book that reads well. For some reason I had to get into the book, into the author's style of writing. I haven't been able to pinpoint the reason for that though.
About half way through that was over and then the book took me on a journey.

Oh my, how I dislike the main character of this book!! She's childish, stubborn, likes drinking too much, has a big mouth, goes her own way etc.
I understand why she is the way she is, why she does the things the way she does, but that doesn't mean I gave to like her. She is really annoying me, actually. She's not my type of heroine, I'm sorry.

Book two will now be read, 'Verstoten'. Review follows as soon as I'm done.

The second book I've read now too. This one gets 3 stars. The same main character, Maureen, going on unsactioned journey. In the first book I could understand why, but for this second one the reason I find very meager. Leslie, Maureens friend, has a cousin she's not seen in years. His wife shows up at rhe doorstep of a battered women's shelter and vlaims her husband beat her.
When the wife disappears, Maureen gets on her horse again, trying to trace steps and find out who did what in this case. She is risquing her health and life by doing so, and I can't figure out why. Why be so stubborn, get yourself nearly killed, for a woman you don't know and a man who doesn't stand up for himself and the children he has to raise.

If it weren't three books in one binding, I'd certainly not think about reading another novel with Maureen as main character.
I won't abandon thid book though, because it is notbad enough to do so and because I hate not finishing books.

The third part gets 2 stars. This book feels very much constructed. Of course it is okay to tell about what happens to the main characters, what is the outcome of all the plotlines that started in part one and went on in part two. However, the book would have been to thin, both litterally as wel as figuratively speaking, to leave it at that.
No, Maureen had to dive into the case of a fellow saleswoman at the black market, after her death finding that her son is exploiting a brothel and, together with the father of one of Maureen's friends, is part of an (inter)bationally operating chain of women traffickers. She can't do anything about it herself and gets a reporter to dive into it.
The policemen from the other books, Joe and Hugh, do not play a significant role.
Maureen is still drinking, still has problems eith her past.
The final ending of the book is a definitive one, in my eyes a good choice since I very much dislike the main character. That ending is also surprising, I won't comment on whether it is a believable option.

It has been a while since I was so glad to have finally finished a book as I am closing this one.
Will give the writer another try: have another book by her hand, but as soon as 'Maureen' pops up in the blurp on the back cover.... you'll guess what happens. ( )