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This page lists novels by Nicolas Freeling.

Love in Amsterdam

Nicolas Freeling

1962

A Van der Valk novel.

"Elsa de Charmoy is found shot with a Mauser 765; a gun bought by her lover Martin who swears he hasn't seen her for five years. But Inspector Van der Valk, the unorthodox hero of Freeling's crime blockbusters, has misgivings and applies a subtle, insidious pressure in a masterly performance of police interrogation. Martin is driven to examine his past culminating in an edgy and ultra-hypnotic reprise for Van der Valk amidst the streets and cafes of Amsterdam."

Because of the Cats

Nicolas Freeling

1963

A Van der Valk novel.

"Bloemendaal aan Zee, that smugly prosperous little seaside town, has more television sets per capita than anywhere else in Holland. Even its drunks are polite, its houses uniformly tidy and sparkling clean. But there's something very wrong with the kids. The most popular teenagers have formed a gang that is preying, with increasing viciousness, on nearby Amsterdam -- Inspector Van der Valk's patch. Van der Valk has no love for chilly, yuppified Bloemendaal. But his curiosity is as voracious as his appetite for good food. And while his colleagues just want the attacks stopped, Van der Valk can't help asking what it is about the town that has turned Bloemendaal's children into monsters."

Gun Before Butter

Nicolas Freeling

1963

A Van der Valk novel.

"When you're in love, the whole world speaks of your beloved. Certainly this is true for Inspector Van der Valk, though it takes some time for him to recognize the cause of his condition. The beloved in this instance is Lucienne Englebert, the beautiful, troubled daughter of a well-known conductor, now orphaned and running riot through Amsterdam. And calling Lucienne to mind is everything and everyone that Van der Valk encounters, from an embittered piano-dealer to an secluded fishing lodge, from a garrulous mechanic to an expensive, abandoned car. Clearly, all roads that Van der Valk is traveling lead back to Lucienne. But is love the only connection? Or could Lucienne possibly have something to do with the murder that Van der Valk is investigating?"

Double-Barrel

Nicolas Freeling

1964

A Van der Valk novel.

"Two women had committed suicide, and a third had had to be led gently away by men in white coats. There had been an outbreak of anonymous letters. . .That was not so very much. But there was something more, intangible but perceptible. And Inspector Van der Valk changes his mind about the routine nature of his mission to Drente. What lies behind the small-town immoralities, eaves-dropping, hysteria? Could he by chance have stumbled upon one of the century's most wanted criminals?"

Valparaiso

Nicolas Freeling

1964

"The peaceful bay of Porquerolles looks out over the waters to Toulon and to Kapitan, an extraordinary drifter who lives for his beloved boat, Olivia, bobbing among the bustling blue of the shores. Kapitan is an enigma; a man who has sailed the Mediterranean for years. When Kapitan is given a chance to raise money for his boat he swoops at the chance, but this seemingly unassailable plan leads to big trouble in a little harbour."

Criminal Conversation

Nicolas Freeling

1965

A Van der Valk novel.

"Van der Valk is on the case again as a mysterious letter is unearthed alluding to the murder of a man named Cabestan. In the letter, the murderer is named but van der Valk must find out first who this mysterious letter-writer is. What transpires is a tale of deception and adultery as the rich Carl Merckel, the managing director of the Lutz Brothers merchant bank, lays an accusation of cold blooded homicide of which, he claims, his wife had no part to play."

The King of the Rainy Country

Nicolas Freeling

1966

A Van der Valk novel.

"This was the end of the story that had started 'Once upon a time, in a rainy country, there was a king. . .' The end had not happened in a rainy country, but on a bone-dry Spanish hillside, three hundred metres from where Van der Valk had left a lot of blood, some splintered bone, a few fragments of gut, and a ten-seventy-five Mauser rifle bullet. No one had broken any laws. But a handsome, middle-aged millionaire had disappeared with a naked girl. And Van der Valk was given the job of finding out why."

The Dresden Green

Nicolas Freeling

1966

"The placid freedom from wiling away the hours on holiday seems like a dream. But there's no rest for the wicked. At least, not where Louis Schweitzer is concerned. After a day in the countryside, Schweitzer is back home, having murdered two victims and now gained possession of a most amazing gem. Follow the twists and turns of a shock story of love, betrayal, a Communist crime ring, a naked girl at gunpoint and four more murders by a master of storytelling."

Strike Out Where Not Applicable

Nicolas Freeling

1967

A Van der Valk novel.

"Commissaire Van der Valk, appointed to his new position after surviving a bullet through the leg, is getting rather bored of his new quiet life in the town of Lisse. Whilst getting home in time for dinner and golf at the weekends is all well and good, a little excitement wouldn't go amiss. So when a local man is found dead in suspicious circumstances, Van der Valk is on the case in a trice. Getting to know the local riding school's characters proves a daunting task, revealing a maze of illicit relationships, family secrets and disappointed women. But which suspect had enough of a motive? Who truly had it in them to kill?"

This is the Castle

Nicolas Freeling

1968

"Take a journey through the volatile imagination of the writer Dutheil, a reclusive, recalcitrant man whose identity is concealed by an elaborate lattice of fantasy and fiction. Does Dutheil live in a castle? Is he having an affair? Are his feelings for his daughter incestuous? Who is the journalist who is intent on interviewing him? And does he kill? Nicolas Freeling leaves us dangling by a thread in this masterly fiction of intrigue."

Tsing-Boum!

Nicolas Freeling

1969

A Van der Valk novel.

"Van der Valk is intrigued. It isn't everyday that a quiet housewife is machine gunned down at lunchtime in a block of flats. But the body isn't discovered until hours later, and by that time, the killer's trail is already getting cold. Van der Valk is left with more than one problem posed by the death of Esther Marx. For not only does she leave behind her a tide of mystery, but also a young daughter, in desperate need of care. Taking little Ruth into his home brings Van der Valk and his wife closer to the enigma of Esther, and even more determined to discover her killer. But there is more to Ester Marx's story than meets the eye. Unravelling her secrets will take Van der Valk on a journey into Esther's hidden past, revealing her to be anything but a simple, innocent, defenceless woman."

Over the High Side

Nicolas Freeling

1971

A Van der Valk novel.

"A respectable looking elderly man is stabbed in a busy street, and, despite being surrounded by people, no one seems to have seen anything. Van der Valk soon discovers that the victim was more of a rogue than he at first appeared, and is dragged into a world of dodgy deals and beautiful women. With five marriages under his belt and four beautiful daughters living in Ireland, Van der Valk feels strongly that Mr Martinez's death is somehow connected to them. His investigations bring him to Ireland, where there is something strange about the ladies of Belgrave Square, and the IRA looms over unfolding events."

A Long Silence

Nicolas Freeling

1972

A Van der Valk novel.

"It was not a very important case. No crime had been committed. For Van der Valk the shady dealings of a prosperous Amsterdam jeweler were more of a private puzzle. Two bullets put paid to that incurable curiosity."

Dressing of Diamond

Nicolas Freeling

1974

A Henri Castang novel.

"For Colette Delavigne, one of France's youngest judges, life takes a terrifying twist when she returns from work one night to find her daughter has been abducted. Henri Castang is sought out to investigate her vanishing and Delavigne's profession seems to have more than a little to do with the disappearance. To Castang this is no ordinary kidnapping."

What are the Bugles Blowing For?

Nicolas Freeling

1975

A Henri Castang novel.

"A European city, bathed in the sultry heat of a summer afternoon, and a telephone call announcing a triple murder. Henri Castang is called into action in this profound and disturbing detective story. To protect himself, he must play by the rules - but if that were the case, then he wouldn't be Henri Castang. Crime is about more than just the chase for the unorthodox Inspector."

Lake Isle

Nicolas Freeling

1976

A Henri Castang novel.

"A brutal robbery, a drugged teenager and the sad delusions of a nervous old lady await Henri Castang in the tiny French town of Soulay. But Castang can do nothing to help Soulay’s inhabitants until a violent death connects the small-town world of gossip and spite with a fetid corner of a Paris room where a man shot at him. What do these two malicious acts have to do with each other? What lengths will Henri Castang have to go to in order to uncover the truth?"

Gadget

Nicolas Freeling

1977

"Nicolas Freeling, a master of crime writing, is teamed here with a distinguished American physicist in this factual account of an unspeakable event that could so easily happen. Applying his engrossing insights into psychological observation, Freeling presents a chilling portrayal of the nuclear age which will leave you free from many a good night's sleep."

The Night Lords

Nicolas Freeling

1978

A Henri Castang novel.

"A thief has stolen a car and he’s sure he got away with it. That is until he realises there is a dead body on the backseat. Inspector Henri Castang is called in to investigate the mysterious appearance of a woman’s body… but it is not the one he expected. When Castang is asked to investigate a sensitive case involving a three star Michelin restaurant and an infamous British High Court Judge, he is not expecting the bizarre scenario that greets him. With the body found in the Judge’s Rolls Royce and his whole family testifying that it was not in the car when they arrived, Castang must unravel a web of lies, coincidences, and political intrigue. Castang soon finds himself in a race against the clock as another two bodies are found. Will justice be served on these mysterious killers before there’s another corpse to contend with?"

The Widow

Nicolas Freeling

1979

An Arlette Van der Valk novel.

"After the death of her notorious husband Van der Valk, Arlette has had to make a new life for herself, with a new city, new job, and now a new man. But being married to a detective for twenty years has left its mark, and the pull of her late husband's work draws her in. Her new husband, Arthur, has the remarkable idea that Arlette should go into helping people professionally, and her very own advice bureau is born. At first the expected battered wives and suspicious husbands knock at her door, but these cases are not as simple as they first appear, and Arlette soon finds herself acting the private detective in a violent and dangerous world."

Castang's City

Nicolas Freeling

1980

A Henri Castang novel.

"When a local official is gunned down in the street, Inspector Henri Castang is called in to investigate this brutal and public murder. Apparently an assassination, the crime smacks of a malice, premeditation, and political agenda. But as Castang begins to question the victim’s colleagues and family, it seems the motive might be closer to home. The mystery only becomes more tangled when the official’s son turns up dead. What is this family involved in that has cost them two lives already? Full of secrets and societies, blackmail and lies, can Castang solve this case before anyone else falls victim to this perverse plot?"

One Damn Thing After Another

Nicolas Freeling

1981

An Arlette Van der Valk novel.

"Since setting up shop in Strasbourg with her new husband, Arlette, widow to the notorious Van der Valk, has garnered something of a name for herself. Getting shot at, kidnapped and blackmailed seem to have simply become a part of daily life. Being taken under the wing of the local police commissioner has come in handy – especially when it came to the gun license – but being connected to the police can be dangerous. When Arlette returns from a relaxing holiday, she finds that her cases have not stalled in her absence, but piled up one on top of the other. Dealing with the different issues of her clients is one thing, but when one particularly nasty case arises, Arlette must decide if she will break the police commissioner's cardinal rule, and stick her nose into police business."

Wolfnight

Nicolas Freeling

1982

A Henri Castang novel.

"Replete with the volatile tensions of a political thriller, Freeling introduces the reader to the nebulous, frightening world of conspiracy. Henri Castang, renowned police inspector, is called in to investigate a car accident involving a French politician and his mistress. When Castang uncovers a top-level plot linking industrial and political leaders, he takes the law into his own hands with what turns out to be incredible consequences."

The Back of the North Wind

Nicolas Freeling

1983

A Henri Castang novel.

"Inspector Henri Castang's investigation into a gruesome, cannibalistic murder leads him to a lovely young prostitute whose activities conceal sinister crimes and to ruthless political machinations, power ploys, and intrigue."

No Part in Your Death

Nicolas Freeling

1984

A Henri Castang novel.

"Police Commissaire Henri Castang is pressed to his wit's end by three cases involving his own past, a romantic double suicide, and a friend's wife's disappearance."

A City Solitary

Nicolas Freeling

1984

"A harmless, self-obsessed writer is attacked by muggers in his own home but what starts as an assault turns into an unusual kidnapping. This is an entrancing tale where the hunter and the hunted become the subject of an enthralling scrutiny under the pen of a master crimewriter."

Cold Iron

Nicolas Freeling

1986

A Henri Castang novel.

"In this Henri Castang mystery, he has just moved from the city to a provincial northern town. Still finding his feet in the unfamiliar surroundings, Castang is plunged into the very centre of Flanders society to investigate the death by asphyxiation of a tycoon's wife in her luxurious villa."

Lady Macbeth

Nicolas Freeling

1988

A Henri Castang novel.

"Guy and Sibille Lebfebvre share a normal marriage, filled with more happy moments than stormy passages. That is until they have an explosive argument, and Sibille storms out of their car and into the deserted mountain roads. With Sibille now missing for six months, Arlette Davidson is sure something sinister has transpired. Her family hasn’t heard from her, her bank account hasn’t been touched, and, most troubling, her husband hasn’t bothered to find her. Arlette Davidson decides it’s time to start looking. With the help of Henri Castang, she launches an investigation into Guy Levfebvre. Guy swears that this is nothing more than a cold war of pride – Sibille too stubborn to come home, he too obstinate to reach out. But Guy’s diary suggests he has something to atone for… In this dark and winding mystery, can Castang determine who did it? Or is the greater question has it happened at all?"

Not as Far as Velma

Nicolas Freeling

1989

A Henri Castang novel.

"Sent to the north of France to investigate the disappearance of middle-aged hotelier Adrienne Sergent, Inspector Henri Castang stumbles into a case involving an elderly Jewish painter, the fatal bombing of a local convent, and an erratic journalist."

Sand Castles

Nicolas Freeling

1989

A Van der Valk novel.

"Crime and corruption ooze from the dark corners of small towns and no one understands this more than Police Inspector Van der Valk. But small town isn't Jan Rijk, a right-wing criminal whose connections with the underworld may be devastating to the lives of small town people. What can Van der Valk do to stop him?"

Those in Peril

Nicolas Freeling

1990

A Henri Castang novel.

"This probing, disturbing novel introduces Monsieur Dampierre, a renowned academic and TV personality; a man who takes a special literature class for privileged eleven-year-olds. But all is not well when Henri Castang finds that two of his daughter's school friends show signs of child abuse. Castang finds himself and his family moving ever closer to the dirty and dangerous world of criminal vice."

Flanders Sky

Nicolas Freeling

1992

A Henri Castang novel.

"For Inspector Castang, life in the cosmopolitan setting of Brussels proves more than either he or Vera bargained for. When his boss is arrested for murder and a child abuser becomes a crime statistic, Castang realizes that crime is universal--and his skills as an investigator are as revelevant in the corridors of power as in the back alleys of Paris."

You Who Know

Nicolas Freeling

1994

A Henri Castang novel.

"Henri Castang, still working for the EC in Brussels, is instructed to investigate the suicide of a senior British diplomat. As he investigates he becomes convinced that it was murder."

The Seacoast of Bohemia

Nicolas Freeling

1994

A Henri Castang novel.

"Checking on an apparent runaway case, Brussels-based Inspector Henri Castang learns the missing boy's identity and his connection to a former SS officer, prompting Castang to launch a full-scale kidnapping investigation."

A Dwarf Kingdom

Nicolas Freeling

1996

A Henri Castang novel.

"After a violent attack, the Castangs reaffirm their decision for Henri to retire and go to Biarritz to take stock of their situation. After the death of a friend, they find he has left his house to Vera. However the house has a legacy of conspiracy and corruption, which soon ensnares their family."

One More River

Nicolas Freeling

1998

"John Charles is a seventy-year-old English writer living in France. He has three grown-up children, with whom he gets on perfectly well, and an ex-wife, Sibilla, who left him some years ago. As a writer he has a reputation, and by wise investment has made himself comfortably off, if not wealthy; there remains his house, which is comfortable, and his garden, which he tends and of which he is very fond. He is strolling in it one afternoon when someone takes a pot shot at him, but misses. The would-be assassin does not return, but John cannot let the incident rest. He makes himself very visible, keen to draw the gunman out, and while he does so, travelling through Europe, he draws out his own past, peeling back layer upon layer of self-deceit and self-deception. Constructed with labyrinthine skill, full of allusion and illusion, this is a subtle, deeply-layered mystery."

Some Day Tomorrow

Nicolas Freeling

2000

"Told from the vantage point of a seemingly harmless Dutch botanist, it is a chilling examination of crime from the inside out."

The Janeites

Nicolas Freeling

2002

"This powerful meditation, set in Strasbourg and Paris, looks at how we cope with illness and impending death. William is an ex-minder to a veteran French politician. His life is in tatters: his wife has left him and now he has been diagnosed with cancer, the 'Crab'. His old boss arranges for a top doctor to treat him but he is soon beaten up in an alleyway outside his apartment block. Evil forces are at work, and William must act quickly before someone is killed."

The Freeling Omnibus

Nicolas Freeling

1972?

Combines the first three Van der Valk novels: Love In Amsterdam; Because Of The Cats; and Gun Before Butter.

The Second Freeling Omnibus

Nicolas Freeling

1972?

Combines the two Van der Valk novels Double-Barrel and King Of The Rainy Country and the non-series novel The Dresden Green.