Baantjer

A. C. Baantjer is the most widely read author in the Netherlands. A former detective inspector of the Amsterdam police, his fictional characters reflect the depth and personality of individuals encountered during his near forty-year-career in law enforcement.

Baantjer was honored with the first-ever Master Prize of the Society of Dutch-language Crime Writers. He was also recently knighted by the Dutch monarchy for his lifetime achievements.

The sixty crime novels featuring Inspector Detective DeKok written by Baantjer have achieved a large following among readers in the Netherlands. A television series, based on these novels, reaches an even wider Dutch audience. Launched nearly a decade ago, the 100th episode of “Baantjer” series recently aired on Dutch channel RTL4.

In large part due to the popularity of the televised “Baantjer” series, sales of Baantjer’s novels have increased significantly over the past several years. In 2001, the 5 millionth copy of his books was sold—a number never before reached by a Dutch author.

Known as the “Dutch Conan Doyle,” Baantjer’s following continues to grow and conquer new territory. According to the Netherlands Library Information Service, a single title in the DeKok series is checked out of the library system more than 700,000 times a year.

The DeKok series has been published in China, Russia, Korea, and throughout Europe. Few titles have made it to the U. S. (by Intercontinental Publishing). Speck Press is pleased to bring you clear and invigorating translations to the English language.