Book Review: The Square of Revenge by Pieter Aspe

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Open Road Integrated Media, viaNetGalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

Synopsis: 
In his first novel to be published in the U.S., internationally best-selling Flemish crime writer Aspe introduces readers to Belgian Detective Inspector Pieter Van In, who solves crimes in the idyllic medieval city of Bruges.

The beautiful medieval architecture of Bruges belies the dark longings of her residents. When the wealthy and powerful Ludovic Degroof’s jewelry store is broken into, nothing is stolen, but the jewels have been dissolved in jars if aqua regia, an acid so strong it can even melt gold. In the empty safe is a scrap of paper on which a strange square has been drawn. The perpetrator was clearly sending a message to wealthy store proprietor Ludovic Degroof. But what were the reasons for such unabashed spite? 

At first, Inspector Van In pays little attention to the paper, focusing on the bizarre nature of the burglary. But when Degroof’s offspring also receive letters with this same square, Van In and the beautiful new DA Hannelore Martens find themselves unraveling a complex,sordid world of forbidden love and sinister deed, fraught in a web of an enigmatic Latin phrase and a baroness’ fallen family.  When Degroof’s grandson, Bertrand, is taken hostage, Van In and Martens must plumb the depths of family dysfunction to save the young man’s life.

Review: As you know, I love reading foreign books, as they are like little time capsules of other countries and cultures! And sometimes in reading them, you find a writer you just adore! I have to admit, this book was a little slow in the beginning, but once the characters starting loosening up and showing their true selves, I could NOT put the book down! It was interesting to here the complaints about 'American crime TV shows', echoed by the Flemish police, that are the same ones said here in America about them, by law enforcement! TV is NOT reality, but people believe crimes can be solved by miracles within an hour! It was also interesting to contrast the difference in procedure and court procedures from the two countries!

This book will keep the reader guessing almost to the very end, trying to figure out the puzzle, and then what Van In and Martens will do with the info they have, and if the grandson will be saved! It is a very satisfying read, and perfect for the Fall season! I will be looking at finding translations of the rest of the series, as I'd love to follow up with more Van In/ martens stories (His second book, The Midas Murders, will hit the US shelves in November, and if both books do well, then the publisher will translate more!) , and you will too, once you read this book!

About the Author: Pieter Aspe is the author of a multi-volume detective series starring Inspector Van In, which has produced multiple bestsellers in Europe. Aspe lives in Bruges, Belgium, and is one of the most popular contemporary writers in the Flemish language. His novels have now sold over three million copies in Europe alone.