Eeeeeek! I am a big fan of Daniel Pembrey after reading the fantatsic novel The Harbour Master, where we were introduced to the awesome Henk van der Pol! Read my review HERE. When asked by Anne Cater/No Exit Press whether I wanted to read/review and be on the blog tour for Night Market there was NO HESITATION as I screamed YES! YES! Oh God YES!! *Fans self* ?
So let’s kick off this post with finding out a bit about Mr Pembrey and this awesome book!
About The Author
Daniel Pembrey grew up in Nottinghamshire beside Sherwood Forest. He studied history at Edinburgh University and received an MBA from INSEAD business school in France. Daniel then spent over a decade working in America and more recently Luxembourg, coming to rest in Amsterdam and London — dividing his time now between these two great maritime cities.
He is the author of the Henk van der Pol detective series and several short thriller stories, and he contributes articles to publications including The Financial Times, The Times and The Field. In order to write The Harbour Master, he spent several months living in the docklands area of East Amsterdam, counting De Druif bar as his local.
To receive occasional email updates and offers of free exclusive content, please sign up at www.danielpembrey.com. Daniel is also on Twitter as @DPemb.
About The Book
When Henk van der Pol is asked by the Justice Minister to infiltrate a team investigating an online child exploitation network, he can hardly say no – he’s at the mercy of prominent government figures in The Hague. But he soon realises the case is far more complex than he was led to believe… Picking up from where The Harbour Master ended, this new investigation sees Detective Van der Pol once again put his life on the line as he wades the murky waters between right and wrong in his search for justice.
Sometimes, to catch the bad guys, you have to think like one. . .
My Rating: 5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Review:
Once again, we are taken back to the beautifully atmospheric Amsterdam – the stomping ground for Detective Henk van der Pol. As a reader, we are thrown into a world of exploitation, corruption, drugs, abuse, violence, a search for truth – where you don’t know who to trust but you’re determined to back Henk as he seeks justice for those who need it.
What I LOVE about this book is that the author takes on a challenging and controversial story-line. OMFG- What a brilliant start for the second book in this series….a #killerhook that had me instantly intrigued!! Unlike The Harbour Master, which had an awesome but slower build up, the pace of this book is fast, action-packed with a few strands to keep the reader on their toes!
Fan-Bloody-Tastic!!
Night Market is rich with interesting and complex characters. I’ll just touch upon a few as I don’t want spoil your enjoyment when you discover them all for yourself!! Of course, I am going to start with Henk van der Pol and mention his wife, Petra and their daughter- Nadia. I really enjoyed that Henk’s family featured more in this book than they did in the first. The relationships that Henk has with his wife and daughter is really put to the test with Henk being dedicated to his job so much so that he jeopardises his personal life. Henk is likeable because he is believable. Inner struggle on an almost daily basis, the reader is drawn to his wit, courage and sheer risk taking behaviour.
Joost van Erven rears his ugly head again. Henk’s nemesis is seemingly above the law but once again, Henk is determined that the truth will out and bringing this character to justice almost becomes a Holy Grail for Henk. Will he achieve his aim? Demons from his past, linked to the corruption that Henk wants to destroy, return to build up the suspense and tension as the story unfolds.
Tommy Franks – WHO IS THIS GUY!? Well…… He is a GREAT character that causes the reader to wonder whether Henk should trust him or steer clear! I could just keep rambling on and on about the ever so awesome narrative, tight plot and vivid characterisations, but what is the fun in that?
In my opinion, Daniel Pembrey is an exciting albeit relatively newish author that is firmly on my radar! I am MORE than excited to see what will be happening next in this series and look forward to when I can close my eyes and return to Amsterdam again! With some heart-racing moments and jaw-dropping twists….this is one action-packed police procedural with a difference!
Would I recommend you read this book? Hell Yeah!! Mr Pembrey, you have set the bar high, but I have no doubt that I will be just as excited when I next meet Mr van der Pol….I just hope it is soon!! Click the book, bump it up your TBR and enjoy the beauty that is Night Market!