Freeling's second novel, published in 1963, is up to the standards of his best books (King of a Rainy Country, Gun Before Butter, etc.). Well-written and well-conceived, Freeling remains one of my all-time favorite mystery writers.

In this book, Van der Valk uncovers the very unlikely fact of a youth gang from the rich town of Bloemendaal. These teenagers are carrying out particularly vicious robberies in Amsterdam and leave their victim with only the mysterious words "the cats won't like it." To solve this particular mystery, Van Der Valk needs to get beneath the skin of a seemingly sleepy Dutch town to get at the rot that lies beneath.

If you're a fan of Simenon or Durrenmatt, you should consider trying Nicolas Freeling.

Castang meets Sabine Arthur when she comes to share her concern that something is wrong in her household. Sabine is an elderly widow who means well, but manages to be abrasive to everyone she meets. This talent has put her at odd with her son, and Sabine is afraid. Castang believes that she has something to be afraid of, but there isn't anything the police can do for her, since nothing had yet happened.

Her death finally allows Castang to take action, as her case becomes his first fully-fledged homicide inquiry.

One of the things that Freeling does best is explore the uncertainties and games that underlie middle-class European life. His look at the tiny French town of Soulay is a masterful example of this talent. One of the best Castang books (although I still prefer the Van Der Valk series).

Inspector Castang was overtired and wanted nothing more to retire home to his wife Vera's cooking and a good night's sleep. The absolute last thing he needed was for a nude female corpse to show up in the boot of a Rolls-Royce belonging to a British VIP.

I have to admit to generally being partial to Freeling's Van Der Valk books, but _The Night Lords_ is everything a mystery should be. The characters are vivid and detailed, there's a great deal of rich local scenery, and the plot doesn't disappoint in terms of either mystery or police procedure. A definite read for Freeling fans and not a bad place to begin if you're new to the Castang books.

Seventy-year-old English writer John Charles lives a comfortable life in France. However, John's quiet lifestyle is abruptly shattered when a bullet is fired at his cottage from an unknown assailant. Subsequently, a man dressed in threads similar to what John enjoys wearing is found dead. Finally, John's beloved home is burned to the ground.

Rather than visit the police, the invigorated John flees across the continent to escape his enemies, even as he tries to learn their identities. However, his unknown foes are in close pursuit and they know a lot about what makes John ticks as his past threatens to catch up to him. His enemies will kill him if they ever catch up to him.

ONE MORE RIVER is great personal thriller that digs deep into the mind of the victim. The story line hooks the reader early and never lets go until the novel is finished. The book effortlessly switches back and forth between first and third person without missing a beat and, in fact, propels the terrific tale forward. Nicolas Freeling demonstrates the depth of his talent with this brilliantly written, fast-paced novel that is outside the author's normal realm (police procedural starring Inspector Castang). This reviewer recommends this novel and the author's Castang books because they are all quite enjoyable.

Harriet Klausner

A lovely young woman is assassinated in a very un-Dutch manner-- shot in her apartment seven times with what seems like a machine gun:

"Van der Valk got the point. Even one gunshot is a rarity in Holland. Seven is exaggerating."

Van der Valk quickly discovers that her life was not as simple as it seemed and the search for the killer brings him to France to search for her past and ultimately leads him deep into the still-painful memories of the French war in Vietnam.

Vintage Van Der Valk-- up there with _King of the Rainy Country_ and _Death in Amsterdam_. This would be an excellent book for either Freeling fans or for people just getting acquainted with the series.

A psychological portrait of a man who might be a murderer, Nicolas Freeling's "Some Day Tomorrow," depicts a Dutch flower grower facing old age and mortality and not much liking what he sees. As the police seek the murderer of a young female student in his neighborhood, Hubertus van Bijl reflects on his comfortable life and what it has come to.

Van Bijl's long-respected family history in the flower business culminates with him, a well-educated, well-off, respectable sort of man disappointed with his daughters and, by extension, himself. The narrator, he slips into the third person, to describe "Bert's" inabilities to cope with age and the changes in stolid Dutch society.

"Bert" strikes up a friendship with a young girl. "Stupid Bert. Susceptible Bert." Has a brief affair before he loses the ability entirely in an operation for prostate cancer. It's "Bert" who rages furtively, accosts the wife of a friend, befriends the dead girl. The "I" remains aloof, tasteful and intelligent, maintaining a staunch allegiance to his athletic, conventional wife, a mild disdain toward his daughters, an indulgent smile for the antics of "Bert."

Freeling, whose many awards include the Edgar, fleshes out his narrator with a sharp knife. His staccato style reveals a complex, layered man. Unable to articulate his fears and insecurities and rages, he expresses his disappointments by draping them on others and keeps much of his character hidden even from himself.

A well done, thoughtful portrait but it's been done before and van Bijl arouses little sympathy

The Dutch police question retired flower grower septuagenarian Hubertus "Bert" van Bijl of the crime. Bert tells the police a rambling tale about his current life and much of the major events in his previous seven decades on the planet.

Through his meandering confession, Bert proves that he recently has become more and more isolated from his family and friends. Even his wife who Bert in some distant way cares about seems just out of reach for the elderly man. His efforts to connect with anyone, including wives of former associates, and family members only leave him further segregated from society. However, segregating one's self is not a crime, but is his babbling confession ultimately going to lead to his admitting that he murdered the young woman or is it just the inane chatter of a lonely old man?

SOME DAY TOMORROW is a different type of police procedural. The story line focuses inside the mind of the prime suspect, a senior citizen, who may have killed a younger woman. Readers obtain an incredible psychological and emotional look from the inside at an intelligent, educated individual who has been forced into retirement before he is ready to do so. Nicolas Freeling's novel is not action-packed, but packs quite a wallop through its ingenious "autobiographical" psychological character study.

Harriet Klausner

What's the connection between an elderly businessman who's been stabbed to death on the streets of Amsterdam and three lovely Dutch expatriots living as housewives in Dublin? That's the central question of The Lovely Ladies and it's one that extends into a fascinating mystery in the finest Freeling tradition. For any other writer, this book would get five stars, but it isn't quite at the same level as a book like King of a Rainy Country. Intelligent and realistic mystery with well-written characters.

This was the first Freeling book I've read. It's an easy read, and the characters and situations are very interesting, even engrossing. However, the book is driven by a string of highly improbable coincidences. A drunk just happens to remove the license plates from a car. The detective just happens to keep running into Lucienne on odd occasions and critical junctures. The detective just happens to be struck by a painting hanging on the victim's wall. Lucienne just happens to be in a location where some Italians just happen to be talking about the victim's wife, in a language Lucienne just happens to understand. The victim just happens to withhold from Lucienne his crucial conversation with his wife. Van der Valk didn't solve the mystery, the solution just happened to fall into his lap (with some loose ends that are never explained). So after following an interesting enough tale, one is left with a strong feeling of dissatisfaction.

I didn't think that Freeling was going to be able to equal _The King of the Rainy Country_, but I think that _Gun Before Butter_ achieves that and (just possibly) more. Van der Valk links the melancholy story of Luciene Englebert with the fate of a secretive man found dead in Amsterdam. A sad and gripping story that inspires deep satisfaction in the reader.

I'm probably being a little bit harsh in giving this book only three stars-- I think from a writer who was not Nicolas Freeling it would have easily cleared four-- but it isn't up to the par of his usual standard, even while it is a decent read.

_The Widow_ is set after the death of Van Der Valk in _Aupres de Ma Blonde_ and features his widow Arlette setting up a counseling service/detective agency in Strasbourg with her new sociologist husband. She starts off with what she thinks is a girl being treated badly by her family and ends up in an entirely different and more dangerous kettle of fish.

Given that Arlette was one of my least favorite elements of the more standard Van Der Valk novels, I'm honestly suprised that I liked it as much as I did. It's hurt by the initial pages, which are unnecessarily confusing in setting the stage. It's definitely not where to begin with Freeling, but is something for the real fan.

A little boy disappears. Four years later, his mother gets a call she swears comes from her son, saying he's fine. Henri Castang, former French police officer, agrees to investigate. So far, so good. But then it turns out that the grandfather of the little boy was a former SS agent who had a illegitimate child with a Czechoslovakian woman, and of course, that explains the kidnapping.

This plot was really far-fetched. The characters were unbelievable and flat. But the really awful part was the writing. I can accept a thin plot if the characters are interesting and the writing is good. But it was very frustrating trying to read this. I gave up after 6 chapters and just skimmed through the rest. The writer puts in whole conversations without identifying the speakers. He treats thoughts and words the same way. The characters, especially Castang, will carry on two conversations, one real and one imagined, at the same time. I had no idea what was going on. I will not read another one of these books.