DeKok and the Mask of Death

May 11, 2009
First published in 1987, this clever mystery in Baantjer's series featuring Inspector DeKok of the Amsterdam police's Warmoes Street station (DeKok and the Murder in Bronze
, etc.) should help gain him new readers in the U.S. A distraught young man, Richard Netherwood, tells DeKok and DeKok's impetuous sidekick, Dick Vledder, that he took his girlfriend, Rosalind Evertsoord, to Slotervaart Hospital on a neurology referral from her doctor and she simply disappeared. Other young women have also gone missing at the respected hospital, which denies all knowledge of the women. DeKok must deal with a fatherly pimp, a skilled forger, angry boyfriends and devious hospital officials to unravel the case. DeKok's wide network of contacts and his contemplative approach contrast nicely with the more aggressive approach of his protégé, Vledder; the two men make a formidable and appealing detective team.

November 1, 2009
Adult/High School-DeKok, an aging Amsterdam police investigator, has been compared to the detecting men created by Arthur Conan Doyle, and that seems apt: he is understated, given to his moods, brilliant when it comes to deductive reasoning, and surprisingly observant. The effort to provide translations of his various cases bodes well for American teens who are Sherlock Holmes fans as well as for those assigned to read novels in translation for their world literature classes. The setup here is properly mysteriouswomen check into a hospital and then disappearand includes some racy suggestionsone woman is a genteel prostitute and there is talk of cocaine usebut the onstage action is staid without being the least bit sluggish. The solution is credible and not the least disappointing. This translation has short sentences and easy vocabulary, making it an adult book that is not only accessible, but also inviting."Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia"

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