Description
Before the Dawn is the darkly atmospheric third novel in Jake Woodhouse’s Amsterdam Quartet, a sophisticated crime thriller series featuring the flawed yet compelling Inspector Jaap Rykel. Set against the shadowy streets and canals of Amsterdam and its surrounding islands, this gripping instalment sees Jaap confronting a chilling murder case that quickly escalates into something far more sinister. A young woman’s body is found on a remote Dutch island, her head gruesomely wrapped in cling film — and what seems an isolated killing soon hints at the work of a serial predator.
When a second body is uncovered on the mainland, bearing the same disturbing signature, Jaap realises he might be pursuing the first major serial killer in the Netherlands’ history. But with every promising lead, the case takes another unnerving turn. Is the killer an unpredictable, unstable loner, or is someone else orchestrating events from the shadows? As tensions rise, Jaap battles his own demons while navigating a web of secrets, corruption, and deception.
Tautly plotted, beautifully written, and layered with moral complexity, Before the Dawn is a must-read for lovers of intelligent, atmospheric crime fiction with an international edge.
