This is my first Nesser/ VanVeeteren book. I really like Nesser's spare writing style and the first 3/4 of the novel was really enjoyable. Sadly, the ending feels a little rushed and glossed over. Having said that, I will definately read more of Nesser's books.

I found the narrative quite disjointed at times and a hard time keeping track of all the secondary characters. The Silence refers to the three sisters I'd the religious cult Pure Life who refuse to say anything about the whereabouts of the sect's leader or the disappearance of two of the sect's girls.

The thinking detective up against mute purity sect. I love Van Veeteren's ruminative approach to crime solving, which requires extensive breaks for beer, chess, and philosophical discussion. Nothing (mostly) explodes and the ending never includes 20 NYPD cop cars upended in midtown.

This one combined two things I hate: Predictability and a vital clue revealed in the last 20 pages.

Not as good as his other books, the ending came out of nowhere.

I really like VV - he's human, intuative, and deeply moved by the horrors he has seen including the little girls in this book. It was heading toward a 5 star read, but the ending of the book was weak to me. Nevertheless - the telling of the story was superb. I will read more of the VV mysteries and Nesser to my growing list of favorite European crime writers.

All Van Veeteren's are pretty good and this is no exception.

This is the first Inspector Van Veeteren novel that I've read, and I don't think it'll be the last. While it may not be the most exciting thriller/crime drama that I've ever read, it does seem to have a level of character-development and heart that I really enjoyed. It's not the usual rough and gritty detective who deals with rough and gritty people. While the Inspector is a bit rough, you do get a sense that he has a lot more emotions that just anger. Throughout the plot we get to see his interactions with a variety of people, and his inner monologue that may/may not match those interactions. It's an interesting way to really bring two sides to a character. As for the mystery itself, it's not a terribly complex mystery, and I figured it out a bit earlier than he probably wanted to, but I enjoyed the process of getting there, and will be looking to go back and read the first novel in the series.

Nice to get back to this excellent series. Dark thriller with lots of introspection, interesting characters, and good humor.

I’m in search of a new crime series and thought this may have a chance but found it a bit Ho-hum