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After the Silence

(Amsterdam Quartet #1)

Jake Woodhouse (Goodreads Author)

3.58 · Rating details · 438 ratings · 82 reviews

Perfect for fans of The Killing or The Bridge, After the Silence is an utterly compelling crime debut set in Amsterdam. Jake Woodhouse's second novel, Into the Night, published March 2015.

***

A body is found hanging on a hook above the canals of Amsterdam's old town, a mobile phone forced into the victim's mouth.

In a remote coastal village, a doll lies in the ashes of a bu ...more

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Kindle Edition, 464 pages

Published April 24th 2014 by Penguin (first published January 1st 2014)

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Feb 09, 2018 Ingrid rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A police procedural, but a good one, I really enjoyed reading it.

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Jan 09, 2017 Rinn rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, crime-mystery-thriller, read-2017

I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.

I may not read the genre that often, but I do enjoy a good crime novel. Sadly, After the Silence is not one of these.

I picked it up initially because it was set in Amsterdam, and I’m always eager to read more books set in the Netherlands. However, the setting here is completely inconsequential: it could literally be set anywhere else in the world and it would make zero dif I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.

I may not read the genre that often, but I do enjoy a good crime novel. Sadly, After the Silence is not one of these.

I picked it up initially because it was set in Amsterdam, and I’m always eager to read more books set in the Netherlands. However, the setting here is completely inconsequential: it could literally be set anywhere else in the world and it would make zero difference. We get some Dutch names, a few well-known locations in Amsterdam but otherwise you could just transport it anywhere else, which was a real shame. Not as much of a shame, however, as the absolutely atrocious characters that After the Silence contains, every single one a horrible, horrible stereotype:

- The main character is a cop who had a career changing tragic moment pre-book, which we get to see in badly timed flashbacks. Since then he left the force, went to Japan and ‘found himself’, and came back.
- The main female cop is constantly objectified by her colleagues, her soon to be boss makes lewd suggestions about how she might rise through the ranks and SHE DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT. This is so infuriating. She’s clearly a tough lady, judging by what she’s been through and what she does for a living, so why does she put up with this crap?
- There’s the cocaine addicted, homophobic, racist and misogynistic cop who I’m supposed to somehow feel sorry for?? Er, no. No thanks.
- Literally every policeman (and I say man, because Tanya is the ONLY female cop in the Netherlands apparently) is racist and homophobic and misogynistic and it made me SO ANGRY.

I can’t even really comment too much on what happens. It wasn’t a particularly special crime novel, there were no stunning twists or big reveals, and I was mostly just distracted by how disgusting these characters were, these people who were meant to be protecting society. And if it’s not bad enough, of course Jaap and Tanya hook up, because how on earth could a male and female cop work together without that happening? I spent the entire duration of this book feeling very angry, and the only positive was that it was at least quick to read, and needless to say I won’t be searching out the next one in the series. ...more

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Jul 16, 2015 Sarah rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-crime, library-books, did-not-finish-will-not-reread

18/7 - I'm not sure about this one, it's not working very well for me. The writing is clunky and a bit clumsy, with some incorrectly capitalised words. If I didn't know better I'd think this had been translated from Dutch and some of the meanings had been lost in translation, but there is no mention of a translator anywhere, so I have to assume that it was written solely by Woodhouse. I assume that Rykel Jaap is the main character that the plot (and series) is focused on but he hasn't had that m ...more

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Mar 25, 2014 Cleopatra Pullen rated it liked it

Shelves: crime, crime-series

This is billed as an action packed thriller and it is certainly that! The book starts with violently with a Police Officer being pursued by a man in a mask, his last thoughts that of his wife and his unborn child and his partner Inspector Japp Rykel.

Set over a tight time-period of five days in the depths of winter it is Japp Rykel who has multiple murders, child abduction and a gang that import all types of nasties called the Black Tulips to contend with. This is in addition to the normal discon ...more

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Oct 22, 2017 A Reader's Heaven rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, net-galley, mystery, thrillers, action-adventure, european-literature

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

A body is found hanging on a hook above the canals of Amsterdam's old town, a mobile phone forced into the victim's mouth.
In a remote coastal village, a doll lies in the ashes of a burnt-down house. But the couple who died in the fire had no children of their own. Did a little girl escape the blaze? And, if so, who is she and where is she now?
Inspector Jaap Rykel knows that he's hunting a clever and brutal mur (I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

A body is found hanging on a hook above the canals of Amsterdam's old town, a mobile phone forced into the victim's mouth.
In a remote coastal village, a doll lies in the ashes of a burnt-down house. But the couple who died in the fire had no children of their own. Did a little girl escape the blaze? And, if so, who is she and where is she now?
Inspector Jaap Rykel knows that he's hunting a clever and brutal murderer. Still grieving from the violent death of his last partner, Rykel must work alongside a junior out-of-town detective with her own demons to face, if he has any hope of stopping the killer from striking again.
Their investigation reveals two dark truths: everybody in this city harbours secrets - and hearing those secrets comes at a terrible price...

*2.5 stars*

Lots of things to get excited about going into this novel: set in Amsterdam (which I can't say I have read many books like that); comparisons to some of my favourite crime authors helps; and it is described as an "action-packed thriller" which will always get me interested...

Sadly, it just didn't deliver on any of those things.

The setting could have just about been anywhere - apart from a few Dutch names, and the odd street, I didn't ever get the feeling I was anywhere but a US or British city. And that is a shame as I was really hoping for a little hint of location and culture to spice up a thriller novel.

The comparisons to other authors was just good marketing. In reality, this story was rather bleak and filled with characters that you wouldn't want to know in real life. And those are the "good guys"...the misogyny is dreadful (the comments about how she may rise through the ranks were horrible), and the racist, homophobic cocaine addict (and he is a cop!) is someone we are supposed to feel empathy for? Not this little black duck.

The action thriller title was probably as close to the truth as anything...there were some great action scenes and, at times, the suspense did build well...only to be brought crashing back to earth with terrible transitions from scene to scene.

Will I try more from this author? Absolutely - I try not to write off anyone after one book...but it will have to be extraordinarily better to stick with it...

Paul
ARH ...more

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Jul 23, 2014 Andrew rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Really disappointed. There is no character to this book. It's a cliff hanger style story with more cliches than most Hollywood b-movies.

I bought it because it was set in Amsterdam (I lived there for several years) and there was almost nothing that related to the city. This is strange as the writer (who is clearly talented) lived there. The publishers liken the story to the Rankin series but the Rebus books evoke a much stronger feeling about the environment it is set in.

The location is a distr ...more

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Aug 10, 2014 Raven rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This is the first book in Woodhouse’s Amsterdam Quartet series featuring Inspector Jaap Rykel. Described as a perfect read for fans of The Killing, The Bridge, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Fatherland and equally for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart MacBride et al, I was more than a little keen to read this. Although I normally review in isolation, I will say that having read this as part of a crime book group, I find myself echoing the thoughts of my venerable fellow members, so what did we conclu This is the first book in Woodhouse’s Amsterdam Quartet series featuring Inspector Jaap Rykel. Described as a perfect read for fans of The Killing, The Bridge, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Fatherland and equally for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart MacBride et al, I was more than a little keen to read this. Although I normally review in isolation, I will say that having read this as part of a crime book group, I find myself echoing the thoughts of my venerable fellow members, so what did we conclude?

As much as it pains me to write a more negative review of a debut thriller, the general feeling from myself and others was one of disappointment, despite the glowing plaudits this book has received elsewhere. As the scene setter for a proposed series, enforced by the heady comparisons previously mentioned, this was one of those instances when I was expecting something breathless and amazing, but was more than a little disappointed to find that in terms of plot, characterisation and location, it was all rather familiar and pedestrian. Opening with the murder of Rykel’s police partner Andreas in an ongoing investigation into child sex abuse, compounded by both the discovery of a hanging body in Amsterdam’s Old Town, and a missing child after a fire out in the sticks, the scene was set for an interesting overlapping of these separate investigations. With the help of Sergeant Tanya van der Mark, who is investigating the fire and missing child, Rykel and his reluctant and scheming partner (with obligatory drug habit) Kees Terpstra, find themselves embroiled in the shady world of a ruthless Russian crime gang and corruption in Amsterdam…

Unfortunately, throughout the book, Woodhouse did seem to be adhering to the ABC of crime fiction writing in terms of characterisation. Rykel was a bit of a turgid character, where the insertion of his journey to self discovery using Eastern mysticism, most notably I-Ching, and the mildly exciting fact of living on a houseboat, did not exactly make him a compelling character. Even with the reveal of his previous relationship with his dead partner’s other half, the all too predictable outcome of their recent dalliance and with the equally predictable ‘will they- won’t they’ with the fresh faced Tanya (who incidentally had also had a relationship with Kees and a childhood tainted by sexual abuse), the plot did rather descend into a mildly juicy episode of a soap opera. I found all this really distracting, and aside from snorter Kees, spying on Rykel in an effort to curry favour with his bosses, found all this to somehow be the main focus of the book, rather than applying more diligence in terms of the plot development. I did feel the plot was a little patchy, and again familiar, with some aspects of the story and crucial details, getting buried under this intense need to make the characters more interesting. Hence, with the rather workmanlike aspect of the plot, the final reveal of the main bad guy, came as no great surprise to the eagle eyed readers in the group. Shame.

I was also intrigued to see how the location of Amsterdam would be brought to bear on the whole affair, and despite a few references to how this was the Amsterdam that tourists never see, we didn’t see much of it either. The promises of the revealing of the sordid underbelly of one of the most popular European cities, never really came to fruition. Those of us so familiar with Amsterdam, were again, a wee bit disappointed, as aside from a couple of references to the less salubrious aspects of the locale, didn’t really bring anything to the overall setting of the book, and gave it a rather generic feel. Again, shame.

When I haven’t really enjoyed a book very much, particularly the first in a series, the crucial question I ask myself is always would I read the next one? Despite my criticisms and reservations, I would read the next one, as I think that there is a glimmer of potential if Woodhouse can avoid some of the lazy clichés employed in this one. I appreciate that characters do have to be ‘filled-out’ to introduce them to the reader, particularly in the first of a series, but hope that with the lesser need for this in a follow-up, and a greater concentration on plot and location, the Raven’s feathers will be less ruffled…
...more

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Feb 07, 2014 Susan rated it really liked it

This hard hitting debut police procedural novel, is set in Amsterdam. Inspector Jaap Rykel is a flawed main character, having suffered a breakdown; while his sister has returned from Afghanistan both disturbed by what she has witnessed and deeply depressed. When his partner, Andreus, asks him to accompany him on a lead he is following into a gang called the Black Tulips, Rykel has to refuse as his sister has just called him in a distressed state. It is something he will come to regret, as Andreu This hard hitting debut police procedural novel, is set in Amsterdam. Inspector Jaap Rykel is a flawed main character, having suffered a breakdown; while his sister has returned from Afghanistan both disturbed by what she has witnessed and deeply depressed. When his partner, Andreus, asks him to accompany him on a lead he is following into a gang called the Black Tulips, Rykel has to refuse as his sister has just called him in a distressed state. It is something he will come to regret, as Andreus is killed. Rykel’s guilt is exacerbated by the fact that his girlfriend, Saskia is due to give birth shortly.

Although Rykel is banned from investigating the death of his partner, he refuses to rest until he finds out who is responsible and suspects it is linked to their case with the vicious Black Tulips – a gang whose members come from ex-Soviet states and who are linked to many crimes, including people trafficking . Rykel is given the aid of Kees Terpstra, a man who has his own problems, including an unhappy relationship and a drug problem, to look into the murder of a businessman – found hanging outside a building with a phone stuffed into his mouth. There is also the crime being investigated by Sergeant Tanya van der Mark – one of a series of arson attacks. There are two bodies in the burnt out building, but then Tanya hears rumours that the couple had recently had a child staying with them, who seems to have disappeared without trace...

This novel confronts many difficult issues, including organised crime, child abuse and abduction. It also looks with a jaundiced eye at the way the police operate; sexism in the workplace, bullying and dirty tricks used to obtain promotion. Rykel is not in a police force which aids and helps him, but discredits and tries to hamper his progress, as well as spying on him. Just about all the characters are struggling with their own demons, from problems in childhood, to drug addiction to struggling with guilt or being asked to inform on colleagues. During this investigation, Rykel has to try to clear both his name, and that of Andreus, from allegations of involvement in child pornography, fight against those in his own department and tie together the crimes of the murder of his partner, plus a series of murders linked to it and, with Tanya, find a missing child.

I have to admit that I found some of the themes in this novel upsetting, but I was intrigued by the characters – especially Rykel and Tanya, and hope that they will feature in further books.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, for review.
...more

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Aug 05, 2019 Claire rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

Was really looking forward too reading this book but was very disappointed, I could not get into the story or the characters.

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Dec 05, 2019 Sofia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery-thriller, 2019

Such a flawed trio deserves my attention.

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Nov 16, 2014 crimethrillerhound.co.uk rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Dark truths, hidden secrets and a new Inspector to die for.

With its narrow streets, famous canals and red-light district, Amsterdam provides a strong – if underused – setting for crime fiction. Throw in the January snow and ice and we have the perfect destination for Jake Woodhouse’s debut novel, the first of a quartet.

Inspector Jaap Rykel is a great new edition to the crime fiction scene. His close colleague, Andreas, has been shot, killed after chasing a lead. Rykel vows to catch the murdered Dark truths, hidden secrets and a new Inspector to die for.

With its narrow streets, famous canals and red-light district, Amsterdam provides a strong – if underused – setting for crime fiction. Throw in the January snow and ice and we have the perfect destination for Jake Woodhouse’s debut novel, the first of a quartet.

Inspector Jaap Rykel is a great new edition to the crime fiction scene. His close colleague, Andreas, has been shot, killed after chasing a lead. Rykel vows to catch the murdered, driven by his own guilt and the fact that Andreas’s girlfriend (an ex of Rykel’s) is due to give birth.

Andreas was looking into a vicious gang called the Black Tulips, Eastern Europeans who are linked to organised trafficking rings. Meanwhile, there’s an investigation into the murder of a businessman found hanging outside his apartment. Rykel’s colleague Tees Kerpstra is on hand as they pull the body back in through his apartment window and notice his open mouth. But this victim didn’t die yawning, he’s got a mobile phone stuffed in there. The man’s name is Friedman and his death is soon connected to the Black Tulips. Kerpstra is a slightly shady character, easily tempted and known to partake in cocaine and pleasures of the flesh. His sexist and addictive personality creates problems with colleagues and, unsurprisingly, his marriage is on the rocks.

Outside of the city Sergeant Tanya van der Mark has discovered two bodies in a building burnt out by arson. A doll in the ashes, and rumours that the couple had had a child staying with them, trigger a different kind of investigation. Tanya checks CCTV footage and finds a car with a distinctive driver. A man later linked to the Black Tulips. A link that brings her in contact with Rykel. But can she find the child?

This is a complex tale with a large cast of characters, many of which have their own demons and secrets. The Amsterdam police don’t make Rykel’s life any easier. Since he’s returned from a sick-leave year off he’s viewed with suspicion and his colleagues are quick to point the finger at him. Rykel must work to clear both his name and that of Andreas from horrible allegations.

It’s a great read if you can stomach plenty of violence and a high body count (the subject of child abuse might also keep readers away). It's well written with moments of wonderful humour and a strong new hero in the shape of Rykel. I look forward to seeing how his burgeoning relationship with Tanya develops. The Amsterdam setting works well as does the structure. Set chronologically and over a few days, the short chapters (often only a page) helped keep the pace up and gave a feeling of reading in real-time. ...more

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Mar 17, 2017 Elaine Tomasso rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which I read in one sitting as I just had to know what was coming next. Looking back at it I think it is a great debut and the pluses outweigh the minuses. The minuses are few - I think the plot was a bit overloaded and from time to time it got confusing as to how it all interlinked and I felt that Inspector Jaap Rykel was underdeveloped as a character in this book but, it's something to look forward to in the next one. I like books set abroad as you get a taste of ...more

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Mar 31, 2014 Linda Todd rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: to friends

Recommended to Linda by: a gift

Shelves: my-fab, got

Waw loved this book have me griped from page one and did not let got until the end ho and what an end that was so if you would like to see what all this is about go get the book you will not be disappointed so all I can say is wonderful book and well thought out characters and the story line where superp and my heart felt thanks go to the author Jake Woodhouse a well put together piece of art so with all that said keep smiling and happy reading to you all with love from wee me. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ...more

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Aug 24, 2019 Andy Walker rated it liked it · review of another edition

I ordered the first three Jake Woodhouse books after seeing them highly recommended as must-reads. This first novel, about Amsterdam inspector Jaap Rykel, is a readable tale about a hard-bitten cop on the trail of some nasty criminals who have perpetrated some unspeakable crimes. The book takes a bit of time to get into its stride but by the end the author had me hooked. I’m hoping the second book in the series will be even better as the characters are fleshed out more and the background of the ...more

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Jun 08, 2017 Miki Jacobs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I liked this. Maybe it was because I've been to Amsterdam a few times and could picture the places in my head or that the story was just good. I don't know, but I liked it. ...more

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Apr 15, 2019 Janice Roberts rated it it was amazing

Speaks volumes

Very evocative descriptions use of words. Many swists and subplots and names occasionally .and it difficult to follow. The genre is familiar a detective and cohort who are damaged in various ways. Introduction of I Ching is different but doesn't add much. The setting is sufficiently detailed and seems true to Holland geography.
The denouement is a surprise but very well worked out. There are defined god got A and bad guys and one who teeters on the brink for interest. A superior no ...more

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Jul 14, 2019 Jo Jenner rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Inspector Rykel is a misunderstood mystery who left Amsterdam after a shooting gone wrong and has spent time in a Buddhist temple and follows the I-ching. But he is back and unofficially investigating the murder of his partner while getting draw into the disappearance of a small girl and a potential drugs ring.
Wonderfully written and I was routing for Rykel all the way through. There are four books in this series and I will definitely be buying the others based on this first story. I’m not sure ...more

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Sep 07, 2019 Richard Howard rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2019

With its Dutch setting this promised to be a welcome addition to recent Euro-noir but turned out to very disappointing on many levels. It's not really a procedural but more a TV action-thriller with far too many ridiculous set-pieces in which 'cops being hit over the head whilst going it alone' feature strongly. The police in 'After The Silence' rarely act in a professional manner and that they manage to solve the mystery astonishes me. The themes of child-trafficking and abuse are important one ...more

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Jun 11, 2019 Jacqueline rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: jake-woodhouse

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 04, 2019 Wendy rated it liked it

I found this gripping enough but after thinking about it I got frustrated by Jaap’s backstory and the shenanigans of Kees. The odd good metaphor thrown in too much at the start made the writing pleasing to read.

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Sep 05, 2017 Liz Rockingham rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Excellent new detective series. Believable. Found it difficult to read as there are no spaces between paragraphs- minor detail!

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Sep 18, 2017 Anna rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Didn't really like this book. Yes the reviews were really good. ...more

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Jul 05, 2019 Yoly rated it liked it

For fans of the killing

I liked the fact that follows the crime from different perspectives. Didn't like the end that much but it kept me interested. ...more

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May 25, 2020 Jude Wright rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Brilliant book, engaging characters and I loved the setting of Amsterdam.... must read! It took me 3 days!!

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Jul 14, 2020 Ben Amos-Simpson rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

Good paper-back crime thriller, nothing original, but pleasurable nonetheless

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Dec 08, 2020 Sara Aye Moung rated it liked it · review of another edition

Definitely a good read. Great setting and atmosphere. Darkness lightened with humour. Looking forward to the next in the series

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Mar 27, 2021 Steph Wales rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Can't stop turning the pages, very good read. First fiction I've read in about a year that I've thoroughly enjoyed. ...more

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Jul 15, 2014 Karen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, crime, ebook, european, review-books

Set in Amsterdam, AFTER THE SILENCE is a debut police procedural introducing, amongst a big cast of characters, Inspector Jaap Rykel. If you were looking for a single word to describe everyone in this book it would have to be damaged. They are all dealing with their own demons, to the point where there is a sneaking suspicion that there's not a happy person in the entire city. Mind you, the themes in the book will also have you wondering about where they have put their human decency into the bar Set in Amsterdam, AFTER THE SILENCE is a debut police procedural introducing, amongst a big cast of characters, Inspector Jaap Rykel. If you were looking for a single word to describe everyone in this book it would have to be damaged. They are all dealing with their own demons, to the point where there is a sneaking suspicion that there's not a happy person in the entire city. Mind you, the themes in the book will also have you wondering about where they have put their human decency into the bargain.

Rykel is a very flawed main character with a complicated past. His work partner, and friend Andreus also has his own problems, although the impending birth of his first child is something he's looking forward to. Until he's shot dead one night, when Rykel should have been working with him, although he was dealing with his sister who has a severe dose of PTSD from her time in Afghanistan. Rykel's guilt is exacerbated by his grief, and his complicated past with Andreus' girlfriend Saskia.

The inclusion of an out of town cop, Tanya van der Mark, seconded somewhat haphazardly to the investigation, to work alongside Rykel brings with her yet another set of private demons. About now the reader could be forgiven for thinking everybody and everything about this book is going to be flawed, damaged, mildly barking or overly complicated.

AFTER THE SILENCE specialises in complications. The personal lives, and backstories of everyone, the plot which works through a lot of threads - the death of the cop Andreus; the murder of an older couple by arson, and the discovery that their hereto unknown adopted child is missing; child abuse rings in a highly technical world and the murders of various business men. You might feel the need to take notes.

As well as the complicated plot and characters, the story is tackling a lot of deeply disturbing ills. Not just child abuse and abduction alongside organised crime including sex slave smuggling and drugs, it also takes a hefty swipe at the pointless interference of political and management types, macho police culture, and the overt sexism and harassment that seems to prevail in every station in the book.

Surprisingly for something as complicated, bleak and dark as AFTER THE SILENCE, there are high points. There are some touches of black humour and whilst many of the male characters are seemingly without a lot of hope, Rykel is an interesting amalgamation of flaw and decency. His new, seconded, partner, van der Mark, is committed, determined and dedicated. Which is obviously a cliché on one level, but on another, believable and consistent. The tension between all the team members is complicated, relies on a lot of past history, and present behaviour but there are some consequences. There is a bit of cop-jep sprinkled throughout that's either going to work because you have a sneaking suspicion that the character deserved it, or drive you bats, depending upon your perspective.

Perhaps the greatest downside to AFTER THE SILENCE is that it bashes the reader over the head with a kitchen sink full of the ills of the world congregating in one investigation and one group of people. There are points where it's overwhelmingly complicated (there's that word again) and it's hard to avoid that sinking feeling of yet another "bad thing" being just around the corner. Having said that, the action is piled into a series of days, following up quickly on a number of violent deaths that trigger an all out search - not just for a cop killer but for a missing little girl. If you look at it from that point of view, then maybe that sort of pressure means that the wheels fall off a lot more quickly and considerably more spectacularly than you'd normally expect.

Despite a slight feeling of doubt, a slight feeling that everything was so bleak, and everybody was so damaged that you'd wonder how anybody got anything resolved ever, AFTER THE SILENCE is an interesting debut which shows promise, hopefully with a step back from the sink. It's definitely a series I'll look forward to following.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie... ...more

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Mar 09, 2017 Vanessab added it · review of another edition

This was very disappointing, to say the least. Reviewers have compared it with the novel's of Rankin, but I'm mystified by that. There was very little characterisation and I certainly did not care about the people. Most of them, including the police, behaved appallingly, but did not get their comeuppance. Most of it was extremely unbelievable, even with a suspension of disbelief. Overall I feel the writing was lazy and superficial. I've given it one star because the end was quite exciting. I sha ...more

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Oct 03, 2014 Freya Wolfe rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

So book number two in my brilliant crime novel prize was another debut, apparently part of a quartet but as yet the other three are not published. A quick Google tells me that my initial impression, that the Netherlands are part of Scandinavia and therefore this would be some sort of Scandi-noir crime book, was wrong - and indeed this novel is a far cry from the beloved beige and let's face it quite slow, crime drama of Mankell and Nesbo (much as I love them!) Within the first 10 pages or so we So book number two in my brilliant crime novel prize was another debut, apparently part of a quartet but as yet the other three are not published. A quick Google tells me that my initial impression, that the Netherlands are part of Scandinavia and therefore this would be some sort of Scandi-noir crime book, was wrong - and indeed this novel is a far cry from the beloved beige and let's face it quite slow, crime drama of Mankell and Nesbo (much as I love them!) Within the first 10 pages or so we have three murders on our hands, all ostensibly unconnected but as you'd expect as the novel romps on these three elements are drawn inexorably together.

This was definitely a fast-paced crime novel - it was really vibrant too and I think caught this idea of Amsterdam being a city of action and light and drama really well. The main character, Jaap Rykel was likeable, and although I do wish I'd occasionally read about a police detective who wasn't emotionally wrecked at some point, at least he'd pulled it together by the time this book was set. Despite the fact his partner is murdered (I'm not spoiling the plot here, that's literally Chapter 1!), he holds it together pretty well. Tanya, the female lead is a strong female character, but again the flawed background. And then the sidekick (forgot his name) is a mixed-up boy with again, the flawed background that he hasn't manage to shake off. It does make me question how the police solve anything as you'd think they're far to busy with their own screwed up backgrounds!

One thing that really annoyed me were Jaap's superior officers. Again, perhaps I'm being naive and the police really are nepotistic and promote ineptitude constantly, but even then their nepotism and self-interest and then there's blatant stupidity and recklessness. Jaap's dead partner is accused of the worst kind of crime and the boss's immediate reaction was to assume guilt. This didn't really ring true to me - there was no serious investigation into the allegations and it just really annoyed me that his guilt was accepted so easily! I think I'm also reaching a stage in life where my tolerance for incompetence is very low and so such an annoying character really got my goat.

At times, I found it a bit confusing - there was so much going on and it wasn't always clear who was doing what. The non-crime element of the ending was a bit pants to be honest - too much cliche and happy coincidence there that I didn't like. But all in all it was a gripping read that I did enjoy, and I will be going back and reading more when they're published! ...more

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About Jake Woodhouse

Jake Woodhouse

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Jake Woodhouse has worked as a musician, winemaker and entrepreneur. He now lives in London with his wife and their young gundog. After the Silence is the first book in his Amsterdam Quartet.