The Square of Revenge

I love Euro mysteries and am always on the lookout for a new series. I have been anxiously awaiting “The Square of Revenge” which is the first of the Belgian Assistant Commissioner Pieter Van In mysteries. There were a few small issues but overall I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more as soon as they are translated into English.

The story begins in the beautiful medieval city of Bruges in Belgium. Thieves have broken into the fashionable Degroof jewelry store but instead of stealing the jewels they melted them into vat of aqua regia (a mixture of acids that destroy gold). When Van In arrives at the scene he is informed by his boss that the Degroof family do not want the case investigated any further. Van In show more complies but two days later he's called back in when Degroof's young grandson is kidnapped and a very bizarre ransom is demanded. He begins to suspect there is some sort of revenge being plotted against the Degroof family.

Assisting him is the new Deputy Public Prosecutor Hannelore Martens. She is young, ambitious and attractive. She teams up with Van In to investigate the crimes and hopes they will both be promoted if they can solve the mystery. Van In is a gruff, over 40 detective who drinks and smokes too much. He's divorced and has a huge mortgage in addition to his alimony payments. He's very awkward around women and the interplay between these two is quite humorous.

I really enjoyed the setting of this book and the interplay between the main characters. There are some plot issues that were poorly explained and may have to do with the translation. After I finished the book I discovered there are 32 Van In mysteries so hopefully those issues will have been fixed before the next one is released here in America.

None of that spoiled the interesting characters and storyline for me. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next Van In mystery (The Midas Murders, sometime in 2014). show less

Excellent characters, a very complex plot and set in Bruges Belgium make this book an excellent start to hopefully a compelling new series. An irascible policeman and an attractive prosecutor team up to track an ancient enmity to its interesting, if tangled, conclusion.

Putting down this book was difficult, but it wasn't for the reasons that most reviewers give when it comes to mystery novels. The plot was okay, but I really, really struggled to make myself read. I wasn't at all fond of the writing style and trudged through at a pace that was something between "hurry up and get this over with" and "well, I at least want to find out who's guilty." By the end of the book I was feeling much better, because it was only at the very end that I realized any of the story had been worth my attention. On a somewhat unrelated note, I read the kindle version and found a lot of typos, which made it even more off-putting. In the end, it was kind of worth the read, but I don't know that I'd go with this author again.

I looked forward to reading The Square of Revenge for its setting in a medieval city and for my first experience with a police procedure set in Belgium. Unfortunately the book is a bit uneven. The setting in the ancient city of Bruges did not disappoint; it adds depth to the story. The characters were another matter.

Pieter Van In is a bit puzzling. He's eager to take on the Degroof investigation so he can prove his ability to solve a high-profile case, but very little is said or done about his inexperience after the opening pages-- probably because he does not behave like a fledgling inspector. He's got the usual set of problems: acrimonious divorce, crippling mortgage, no car, etc. Two character traits in particular astounded me: Van show more In imbibes too much alcohol at very inappropriate times (like in the home of a suspect he's interviewing), and he is much too easily distracted by a pretty female. Show a little leg, flash a smile, brush your chest lightly against his arm, and his brain goes into meltdown. These traits did not endear him to me in the slightest, but perhaps they're meant to show his inexperience.

District attorney Hannelore Martens is first described as a politically ambitious woman who knows how to get her way, but when brought together with Van In she rapidly turns into a pretty little sidekick who likes to drive fast. We never really get to see her as the master manipulator she's supposed to be.

The story also had its problems. The pacing was deadly slow for the first third of the book. It took me no time at all to understand why Degroof was being targeted, and from that point on I hoped for the worst to happen to him. Access to security codes, the type of ransom being extracted from Degroof, and other details didn't quite add up.

All in all, I felt the book had promise, but a lackluster delivery. Did the translation have anything to do with that? I honestly don't know. I've also realized that The Square of Revenge does not hold up well in my memory. The longer I'm away from it, the less I like it, which bodes ill for my continuing to read the series. Would I recommend it? Yes, but with strong reservations. show less

A dark and dismal detective story, good plotting, interesting characters, but a pretty dark tone overall.

Pieter Aspe is a Flemish writer, whose mystery series featuring Inspector Pieter Van In is popular in Belgium. [book:The Square of Revenge|16255206], originally published in 1995, has been translated into English for the first time. Based on this book, many standard elements of mysteries and crime fiction are in evidence in the series -- the seasoned inspector who has a lonely personal life, the beautiful public prosecutor, a political milieu which causes headaches for Van In and his superiors. What Aspe adds, and adds well, is a sense of setting (Bruges) and an imaginative approach to crimes. He also writes with a light touch.

In this novel, Van In and the Deputy Public Prosecutor Hannelore Martens team up to investigate a burglary in a show more jewelry store owned by Ghislain Degroof, the son of the powerful, wealthy, well-connected Ludovic Degroof. However, this is not the usual burglary, and the specific details of the case suggest a very personal motive. When Ludovic Degroof's grandson is kidnapped, the case gets more urgent.

I had fun reading this book. I had some quibbles -- in particular, the tendency to focus so much attention on Martens' physical appearance drove me crazy, and her relationship with Van In didn't make much sense to me. However, Aspe describes the ensuing investigation with humor. This is a fast read, and very entertaining, especially as Van In and Martens attempt to learn more of the secrets of the Degroof family. An entertaining and fast paced read, perfect for the summer.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review. show less

Some people don't like reading translations, but often I find them interesting...it's an intriguing look into a different culture, just to see that the writing "conventions" we set such store by do not necessarily apply everywhere.

This was a quite decent mystery and although some of the characters acted strangely by our standards, I don't think that means it was poorly-written in its native tongue, or poorly-translated, either. It's just different. I did enjoy it and the narration was very well done.