After the Silence

Amsterdam Quartet #1

by Jake Woodhouse

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 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 ...

After the Silence introduces Inspector Jaap Rykel in a gripping debut police procedural from Jake Woodhouse, which is sure to appeal to fans of Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson and Stuart MacBride. This is the first novel in The Amsterdam Quartet series.

PRAISE FOR After the Silence:

'This gripping detective novel will thrill fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and bears comparison to Fatherland ... Utterly unputdownable' The Sun

'Utterly enthralling ... looks set to be one of the key sequences in modern crime fiction' Barry Forshaw, Crimetime

'After the Silence is as dark and twisty as the Amsterdam it navigates and Rykel a fascinating and original protagonist. A promising start to what could be a great series.' Stav Sherez, author of A Dark Redemption

'Complex ... intriguing ... keeps the reader hooked' Eurocrime

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.

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Rinn · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Sarah (is only writing short reviews for now) · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 much attention so I don't know very much about him. I'm not a fan of what seems like inherent sexism in Terpstra's personality, plus he's a cocaine addict. Characters need to have light and shade, unless they're meant to be a villain, otherwise it's very hard to see them as one of the good guys. This has what sounded like a very promising plot, but I don't know whether I'm going to be able to finish it. To be continued...

20/7 - DNFed after another chapter. I felt absolutely no no motivation to keep going with this one. I felt no connection with any of the characters, I found the mystery non-mystifying and even a little bit forced - just because a brand new doll is found in the ashes of a burnt out house where an elderly couple with no children lived doesn't mean that something hinky is going on. It may just be a child having a tantrum and throwing their new doll away because Daddy won't buy the new doll a new dress, or maybe Daddy threw the new doll out the car window because the child was having a tantrum, or maybe a dog took off with it, or maybe many more likely explanations than there's a dead child in the ashes of a house with no children, or a missing child who doesn't seem to be missed by anyone. I'm glad I gave up on this because in the hours since I put it down I've read another whole book that was much more interesting.

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 discontented and dysfunctional team and excessive demands from his superiors!

I was a little bit worried I had started part way through the series as there was references to Rykel’s past but this is the first book in the Amsterdam Quartet. Previously Rykel had a bit of a breakdown and went to Kyoto to find himself, later returning to policing. His method of coping mainly seems to involve tossing coins at the beginning of each day to predict what the day has in store for him. A device that seemed a little off the wall to me.

To be honest I found the multiple themes and violence in this book a little too much for my taste, the pace is fast and at first I found the characters quite hard to distinguish although this eased as I got further through the book and their traits became more apparent.

If you like your police procedurals fast and furious and would like to read one set outside the normal locations, this could be the book for you.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers Penguin, in return for my opinion. This book is due to be released on 24 April 2014.

[A Reader's Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

(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

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 distraction and is over hyped, other than mentioning a few streets, there really isn't anything about Amsterdam or Dutch people which I think is a shame.

I also have to say I found the characters weak. There is little about Jaap Rykel that tells us who he is. We know he traveled to the east after his breakdown where he picked up meditation and he took up some fortune telling game (?) using coins, but I couldn't really tell you anything about him. The same goes for the other characters.


Finally, the story is a little unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, I know things like this go on but the stories of the primary characters just seems unlikely unless you are watching an ITV drama!!

I may give Jake Woodhouse another go but my expectations will not be high.

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

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…

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a flawed trio deserves my attention.

[crimethrillerhound.co.uk · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 different cultures and lifestyles but, like the Inspector, I felt the Amsterdam setting was also underdeveloped. The pluses are various. I think the other two detectives - Tanya and Kees - are well drawn and interesting characters, especially Kees with his multiple problems - ambition and coke abuse. I would like to see their working relationship develop in future books as I could see it starting to gell by the end of the book. The plot with its wide ranging ramifications is intricate and keeps the reader on his toes but mostly I liked the pace as I felt the detectives' stress and sense of urgency throughout. This novel is by no means perfect but I can see great things for future offerings and I'm glad to be in at the beginning. It's well worth a read.

[Linda Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Anette · Rating 5 out of 5]

An einem Tag durchgelesen - manche Umstimmigkeit in der Krimihandlung fällt auf - aber es ist so superspannend, dass ich es nicht aus der Hand legen konnte. Zwei erst getrennte Fälle gehören zusammen: eine männliche Leiche hängt aufgehängt über einer Amsterdamer Gracht, der ermittelnde Kommissar wird erschossen, auf dem Land brennt ein Haus ab und die älteren Bewohner sterben gefesselt in den Flammen, Aber wo ist das Kind, das an diesem Wochenende bei ihnen war? Mehr verrate ich nicht, wer ein paar spannende Stunden verbringen will, dem ist dieser Krimi empfohlen.

[Andy Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 supporting cast is revealed.

[Miki Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

In a remote coastal village, a doll lies in the ashes of a burnt-down house. But the couple who fied 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.....

************************

[WortGestalt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ich bin kein Fan von Verrissen. Ich mag sie nicht gern schreiben und noch seltener gern lesen. Das hat meist etwas mit dem Ton, mit Respekt und mit Selbstdarstellung zu tun, eine negative Kritik angemessen zu formulieren, ist eine Kunst. Und in Kunst war ich schon immer schlecht. Nur für Strichmännchen reicht es gerade mal so. Und so wird das hier also die Strichmännchen-Version eines Verrisses, ich nehme es mal mit Humor, denn meine Güte, von einem schlechten Buch geht die Welt nicht unter.

Schöner wird sie davon allerdings auch nicht. Wobei, der Unterhaltungsfaktor liegt ja dann zumindest darin, sich hinterher über die unbefriedigende Lektüre aufzuregen. Das behagt mir zwar meist auch nicht, denn was weiß ich schon, aber man gönnt sich ja sonst nix, also auf! Vorab noch die Bemerkung, dass es sich bei "Der fünfte Tag" um das Debüt des in London lebenden Autors Jake Woodhouse handelt. Welpenschutz gibt es bei mir für diesen Reihenauftakt aber keinen.

Es ist der zweite Tag des neues Jahres, in Amsterdam ist es frostig und knackig kalt, da hängt eine nackte Leiche an einem Seilzug befestigt aus dem Fenster eines Wohnhauses. Mord? Komisch, wundert sich da schon der Kommissar, könnte ja auch Selbsttötung sein, aber wozu sich dann vorher extra ausziehen, und das bei der Kälte! Nun war ja aber auch das Fenster geschlossen, was ja richtig ist, bei der Kälte! Aber das kann der Erhängte ja schlecht selbst gemacht haben, so am Seilzug baumelnd. Also doch Mord! Während der geübte Krimileser den Fall schon nach wenigen Minuten so gut wie gelöst hat (Eine nackte Leichte! Aha! Also ein sexuell motiviertes Verbrechen! Und ein Handy im Mund des Opfers mit nur drei Telefonnummern im Speicher, na da will uns der Mörder wohl einen Hinweis geben! ), stehen Inspektor Jaap Rykel und seine Kollegen von der Amsterdamer Mordkommission vor einem Rätsel und erproben sich in Ermittlungsarbeit, die einem stellenweise irgendwie arg laienhaft erscheint. Hoffentlich ermitteln die nicht mal im Falle meines Ablebens, denkt man sich noch. Zeitgleich werden außerhalb Amsterdams die Leichen eines Ehepaares in einem niedergebrannten Bauernhaus entdeckt und ein kleines Mädchen, das offenbar bei dem Ehepaar lebte, ist verschwunden. Die junge Kommissarin Tanya van der Mark beginnt Nachforschungen anzustellen, die sie bald nach Amsterdam zum Kollegen Jaap Rykel führen.

Was dann folgt, ist, und das klingt jetzt hart, aber mir fällt nichts freundlicheres dazu ein, der uninspirierteste und unfundierteste Thriller, den ich seit langer Zeit gelesen habe. Uninspiriert, weil hier richtig tief in die Krimiklischeekiste gegriffen wurde, und das so wahllos, dass es auf mich wirkte, als würde man nur die Idee, wie ein Thriller sein müsste, nachahmen. Und unfundiert, weil stellenweise die Polizeiarbeit so hanebüchen unprofessionell anmutete, dass ich die Handlung schon kaum noch als glaubwürdig empfinden konnte. Es muss ja gar nicht immer haarscharf an der Realität dran sein, dafür ist es ja Fikton, aber wenn in einem Roman die Protagonisten ein Team von Ermittlern stellen und die Handlung zu 95 Prozent aus Ermittlungsarbeit entsteht, erwarte ich eine gewisse Authentizität, eine gewisse Atmosphäre, die ja nicht mal unbedingt exakt die Wirklichkeit abbilden muss, mir aber zumindest das Gefühl vermitteln sollte, plausibel zu sein. Ein stimmiges Bild eben, und das ist hier nicht enstanden. In einem Interview auf der Verlagshomepage von Random House kann man derweil auch nachlesen, dass Recherche nicht zu den liebsten Beschäftigungen des Autors gehört und er der Ansicht ist, dass zu viel Recherche "einer guten Geschichte, in deren Mittelpunkt letztlich immer Menschen stehen, allzu leicht in die Quere kommen" kann. (Quelle: Interview vom Verlag Page & Turner mit Jake Woodhouse)

Ja, naja, wenn man mit kongenialen Charakteren aufwarten könnte, würde dies sicherlich über Unstimmigkeiten in der Handlung hinwegtrösten. Wie gesagt, wenn man damit aufwarten könnte. Aber die Figurenzeichnung bietet nichts dergleichen, hier wurde einfach alles untergebracht, was machbar ist, auch dies wirkt regelrecht wahllos. Kommissare mit Drogenproblemen, männliche Vorgesetzte, die weibliche Kommissarinnen gängeln, Schusswechsel im Dienst mit traumatischen Folgen, korrupte Kollegen, Dienststellenleiter, die mehr Politik als Verbrechensbekämpfung im Kopf haben, der Hauptermittler braucht dazu natürlich noch eine kleine Extravaganz und da Klavierspieler und Gourmetkoch schon vergeben waren, wirft dieser hier I Ging-Münzen, das hat er nämlich während eines Aufenthaltes in einem buddhistischen Kloster gelernt. Kurzum, die Figuren und ihre Biografien bieten wenig überraschendes und sind so abgedroschen, dass sie weder schockieren noch berühren. Da kommt einfach nichts rüber.

Fazit: Auf der Homepage des Autors kann man die nette Anekdote lesen, dass ihm einst im Krankenhaus nach einer OP eine Krankenschwester sagte, mit diesem Namen sollte er Thriller schreiben. Und offenbar haben wir es eben dieser Krankenschwester zu verdanken, dass nun von dem ehemaligen Winzer, Weinhändler, Musiker und Instrumentenbauer Jake Woodhouse sein erster Schreibversuch vorliegt. Und Versuch macht bekanntlich klug, sagt man. Mich hat dieser Versuch insofern voran gebracht, als dass ich vorläufig erstmal die Finger von diesen immer gleichen, zurechtgestylten und durchchoreografierten, weichgespülten Thrillern lasse. Es ist quasi wie die Boygroup-Version eines Thrillers. Und damit eher etwas für Gelegenheitsleser und weniger etwas für routinierte Konsumenten dieses Genres.

Bewertung: 35,6 %
Stil: 3/5 | Idee: 2/5 | Umsetzung: 1/5 | Figuren: 1/5 | Plot-Entwicklung: 2/5
Tempo: 2/5 | Tiefe: 2/5 | Komplexität: 2/5 | Lesespaß: 1/5


Rezension von
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[Janice Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 novel read in 2 days worth the time and effort.

[Jo Jenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 Rykel can survive four books but I look forward to seeing him try.

[Richard Howard · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 ones but are not served well in this book. There's a dismissive Afrikaans phrase 'skop, skiet en donder' (kick, shoot & thump), which sums up this book well.

[Elke Woll · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gibt es ein Klischee, das nicht in dem Buch verbraten ist? Bei den Beschreibungen der Personen kommt das ganz stark zum Vorschein, zum Schütteln. Und so viele schlechte Kollegen kann es gar nicht geben! Zu guter Letzt auch noch Löcher in der Geschichte, die das ganze sowas von unglaubhaft machen. Zwei Sterne nur deshalb von mir, weil ich das Buch fertiggelesen habe (allerdings mangels Alternative). Dennoch: ein Stern ist bei mir für abgebrochene Bücher reserviert.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It did take me a few goes to get into. In fact I put it down over a year ago in hospital but tried again. Once I got into it I did enjoy it.

Some chapters I felt went into a lot of detail yet others seemed to be glossed over such as Karin’s murder. Maybe his feelings on this will be picked up further in the subsequent books.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Liz Rockingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

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

[Yoly · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Judefire33 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Ben Amos-Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Sara Aye Moung · Rating 3 out of 5]

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