The Harbour Master: An atmospheric Amsterdam detective investigation (Detective Henk van der Pol)

'The Henning Mankell of Amsterdam' - Bill Rogers, author of The Pick, The Spade and The Crow

Henk van der Pol is a 30-year-term policeman, a few months off retirement. When he finds a woman's body in Amsterdam Harbour, his detective instincts take over, even though it's not his jurisdiction. Warned off investigating the case, Henk soon realises he can trust nobody, as his search for the killer leads him to discover the involvement of senior police officers, government corruption in the highest places, Hungarian people traffickers, and a deadly threat to his own family...

For fans of Euro Noir, John Harvey's Charlie Resnick series and Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, The Harbour Master is an action-packed detective investigation set in the evocative locale of Amsterdam. Delivering for Amsterdam what fans of Scandinavian fiction have come to love, this gripping novel shines a fascinating light on the dark side of a famously liberal society, combining vivid characterisation with ice-cold suspense.

'A splendid debut by an English writer who has immersed himself in Amsterdam's dark and sinister port area'
- Times

'a debut novelist of rare skill' - Financial Times

'Compelling and fast-moving [...] The exquisitely drawn Inspector van der Pol battles his way to the truth in a way that his fictional ancestor, Inspector Piet van der Valk, created by Nicolas Freeling, did in the Sixties' - Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail

'Daniel Pembrey writes with great authority and authenticity. The Harbour Master is a compelling, highly believable tale set in the flesh markets of Amsterdam and the even seedier corridors of power beyond them, where it's hard to know who the real criminals really are. You'll keep turning these pages right till the end' - Howard Linskey, author of Behind Dead Eyes

'A splendid setting in what promises to be the start of a great new series' - Ragnar Jonasson, author of the international bestselling Dark Iceland series

'A vivid sense of place and a flawed and believable central character...could herald a great series and career from this new British author' - Maxim Jakubowski, Lovereading

'The Harbour Master is an accomplished novel, sporting a vividly realised sense of locale matched by an adroit evocation of character' - Barry Forshaw, Brit Noir

'The style of writing was so enjoyable...this really is an excellent read' - Sarah Ward, author of A Deadly Thaw