I very much enjoyed working my way through the more than 500 pages of this book but was left very confused by the resolution of the case, particularly why Hennan's wife would so dramatically rush to the front lawn and fake faint when she could have just rung the police for them to attend. Otherwise a good ending to a good series. ( )

Ex-Kommissar Van Veteren wird erneut mit dem Jahre zurückliegenden, damals unaufgeklärten Mord an einer Frau konfrontiert, deren Leiche im leeren Swimmingpool gefunden wurde. Die Sache lässt ihn nicht zur Ruhe kommen ...

A disappointing end to the Van Veeteren series, especially after the strength of the previous novel in the series. The fault is mainly with the first half of the novel which is set in the past and is twice the length it needs to be. The second half is better. ( )

The G File is the final book in the series starring Van Veeteren, the now retired Chief Inspector who can't help being drawn away from his antiquarian book store when his one unsolved case comes resurrects itself. This series has been so successful that most of the books have now been turned into film.

The books are largely set in a town called Maardam, which is situated in a fictional northern European country. While Van Veeteren featured to a lesser degree in a number of the most recent titles in the series, here he takes centre stage, which is a welcome development. The book covers two time periods, 1987, when the death of a woman results in an unsolved case as the prime suspect has a water tight alibi, and 2002, when the disappearance of a private investigator involved in the unsolved case results in Van Veeteren revisiting the case.

This is the only case Van Veeteren had failed to solve in over 30 years of police work, so it is fitting that it should be the subject of this, the final book in the series.

In 1987, ex-police officer and private detective Verlangen, whose life has been heavily influenced by his drinking , is hired by a woman to follow her husband. However her death soon after and the fact that her husband had recently taken out a policy on her life lead to he being charged with her murder but walking free soon after due to his watertight alibi. Fifteen years later Verlangen goes missing and his daughter seeks Van Veeteren's help. It turns out that Verlangen seems to have uncovered new evidence regarding the death in 1987, and so Van Veeteren pursues the investigation afresh as well as the discovery of Verlangen's whereabouts.

Van Veeteren displays his usual talent and determination in pursuit of this case, despite he being retired for some five years. The question is - can he finally solve his one outstanding case and what might well have been the perfect crime?

The book is quite a long one (600 pages), with the first half set in 1987, but because it is in two parts your interest won't wane. Lend to that the fact that Nesser delivers an atmospheric crime thriller with a well constructed plot line, and interesting and well developed characters, not least Van Veeteren himself. Nesser's ability to surprise also makes his books interesting reads. A worthy finale to a fine series, it is up there with Nesser's best and will be time well spent. ( )