Perfect for fans of The Killing or The Bridge, After the Silence is an utterly compelling crime debut set in Amsterdam.
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A body is found hanging on a hook above the canals of Amsterdam's old town, a mobile phone forced into the victim's mouth.
In a remote coastal village, a doll lies in the ashes of a burnt-down house. But the couple who died in the fire had no children of their own. Did a little girl escape the blaze? And, if so, who is she and where is she now?
Inspector Jaap Rykel knows that he's hunting a clever and brutal murderer. Still grieving from the violent death of his last partner, Rykel must work alongside a junior out-of-town detective with her own demons to face, if he has any hope of stopping the killer from striking again.
Their investigation reveals two dark truths: everybody in this city harbours secrets - and hearing those secrets comes at a terrible price ...
After the Silence introduces Inspector Jaap Rykel in a gripping debut police procedural from Jake Woodhouse, which is sure to appeal to fans of Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson and Stuart MacBride. This is the first novel in The Amsterdam Quartet series.
PRAISE FOR JAKE WOODHOUSE:
'This gripping detective novel will thrill fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and bears comparison to Fatherland ... Utterly unputdownable' The Sun
'Utterly enthralling ... looks set to be one of the key sequences in modern crime fiction' Barry Forshaw, Crimetime
'Jake Woodhouse's taut, twisty plots are expertly woven and beautifully written. They are peopled with complex characters that will have you turning the pages to see what becomes of them. He has created a flawed gem in Inspector Jaap Rykel, a cop with an assured literary future' Craig Robertson, author of Witness the Dead and The Last Refuge
'After the Silence is as dark and twisty as the Amsterdam it navigates and Rykel a fascinating and original protagonist. A promising start to what could be a great series.' Stav Sherez, author of A Dark Redemption
'Complex ... intriguing ... keeps the reader hooked' Eurocrime
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Copycat written by Jake Woodhouse, read by Daniel Weyman.
A detective on the edge. A case that might take him over it. Get ready for the gripping new Inspector Rykel thriller.
Jaap Rykel is on the brink, his dark past driving him to breaking point - and ending his police career.
Visiting the station one last time, he stumbles across an investigation into a particularly violent murder. A murder where the details exactly match a case he solved years earlier.
But that killer was caught - and is still in prison.
Is there a copycat killer on the loose, playing games with Rykel's fragile mind? Or did he get it wrong, and send an innocent man to prison?
This might be his last chance to make things right - or it could be the blow that finally takes him over the edge . . .
Auf einem Hausdach in der Amsterdamer Innenstadt wird eine männliche Leiche gefunden - die Hand des Opfers wurde mit einem Schneidbrenner bearbeitet, sein Kopf fehlt. Als Inspector Jaap Rykel das Smartphone des Enthaupteten untersucht, stockt ihm der Atem: Im Handyspeicher findet er ein Foto von sich selbst. Kurz darauf erhält die Polizei eine Twitter-Nachricht, in der ein bestimmter Ort angegeben wird. Rykel und sein Team fahren sofort dorthin und entdecken eine weitere kopflose Leiche. Allen wird klar, dass der Täter ein grausames Spiel mit Rykel spielt ...
Inspector Jaap Rykel von der Amsterdamer Polizei wird zu einem morbiden Schauplatz gerufen: Aus dem Fenster eines Altstadthauses baumelt die Leiche eines Mannes. Schon bald ergibt sich eine Verbindung zu einem anderen Verbrechen: In Friesland wurde ein Haus abgefackelt, ein altes Ehepaar kam dabei ums Leben. Zeugenaussagen lassen jedoch darauf schließen, dass ein kleines Mädchen den Flammen entkommen konnte. Inspector Rykel muss nicht nur einen Mörder suchen, sondern auch das Mädchen finden, das in größter Gefahr ist. Bald stellt er fest, dass er in ein Wespennest gestochen hat - und seine Gegner völlig skrupellos sind.
