Book Review: DeKok and Murder by Melody

Reviewed By: Gina Metz - RAM

DeKok and Murder by Melody     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
A. C. Baantjer
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Dekok
Speck Press; 2005; 191pp

DeKok and his partner, Vledder are in the middle of investigating the death of two ex-junkies who are both strangled within a very short time period on the same night. They both lived in the same boarding house owned by a severe woman who was a former prostitute. She also winds up strangled.

One of the ex-junkies had a brother who was also a junkie who had died recently from the drugs and Vledder is convinced that the remaining brother is the killer. He does not help himself by running away when he hears that he might be a suspect. But nothing is adding up for DeKok. A month into the investigation, he finds himself still stumped by the murders, what the motive could be and the connection with all those involved. The main connections are drugs and music.

Although many of the DeKok mysteries seem to start out slowly, they quickly grab a hold of your interest as one never knows where DeKok will go with the investigation. A.C. Baantjer’s DeKok series is a great read for quick mysteries with unexpected endings. In this book DeKok and Vledder have been working together much longer than in earlier works I have read and I like the way their professional relationship has progressed. I look forward to further translations of Mr. Baantjer’s DeKok series.

Gina Metz - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Gina Metz - RAM