De vierde gestalte
Crime
Pieter Aspe
Pieter Van In, Book # 3
Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller
January 1, 1998
Paperback
274
Dutch; Flemish
Brian Doyle
March 3, 2023 March 11, 2023
10 Books in Translation in 2023, Cloak and Dagger, Finishing The Series, Mount TBR, Reading by the Numbers, The Backlist Reader, Translated Book Goals
A young woman is found dead in the canal outside her Bruges apartment building. But what seems like a clear-cut suicide evolves into something much more complex when Commissioner Pieter Van In uncovers the girl’s involvement in a satanic sect. Who is the mysterious Venex, and why does he inspire such devotion from his disciples?
Complicating the investigation further, Van In’s boss allows beautiful journalist Saartje Maes to profile the case, sparking tension with the commissioner’s expectant wife, District Attorney Hannelore Martens. As a horrific tragedy shocks the city, Van In seems to be surrounded by secrets. And though exposing them will lead him to the truth, it will also pit him against the very police force to which he’s devoted his life.
A Belgian national bestseller, has been reprinted in Dutch seventeen times. It is the 4th book in the Pieter Van In Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
What I think
Cases on satanic cults interest me a lot but sadly that wasn’t really the focus of the book. I would have preferred less drama and more sect. I still don’t like the main character. Also when in chapter 11 you already understand how it ends and you really don’t like it. I don’t want to give too much spoiler but there are some “clichés” that I just can’t digest and unfortunately one is mentioned here. This made my rating drop by a lot. I don’t think I will continue with a series and the main reason is that I don’t like Van In.
