This is the third of the Grijpsta/de Gier/commisarius/Cardozo series that I have read and the most traditionally-plotted. It's a straightforward murder mystery, taking placed almost entirely in Amsterdam. Note how I include two more characters in the identification of the series. That's because the commisarius and junior detective Cardozo are featured as much as the two main detectives. Really, the detectives act as a team, with everyone participating, and really the series should be identified as "the Amsterdam municipal police murder squad series" instead of "the Grijpsta-de Gier series".
This time, a woman falls down her back stairs during a destructive gale. It looks like an accident and she was drinking, but there are too many weird minor other things going on for the team to simply let it go. Soon they are digging into a complex tale of the internal politics of a furniture business. As usual, the real pleasure of these books is the interplay between the detectives and their humanist approach to their work and the world. It's like putting on an old comfy sweater. I wonder if they made a TV show out of this? They should if they haven't.
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4 comments:
What's the significance of the title in the story?
It's a great title, isn't it? The Blond Baboon is the nickname for an ex-salesman of the firm of which the murdered woman was 3/4 owner. He was an extraordinary salesman who just drops it all when his affair with the dead woman gives him the opportunity to take over the entire company. The detectives end up quite liking him, finding him to be an interesting individual which makes the case worthwhile for them.
It is a great title and an even better nickname.
These kinds of touches are what make this series so enjoyable.
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