Daniel Pembrey

Really enjoyed this book. Great characters, nice casual writing style. Engaging flow but without lacking in enough pace to keep me interested. Fascinating, complex plot. My only dislike was that I felt the author tackled way too many themes - conflict in the police domain, prostitution, marijuana growing, diamond dealing, large scale politics, kidnapping, murder, to name a few. I would have liked a bit more depth on a few issues rather than what seemed like a bit of everything. There was a danger of losing focus, for me anyway. Amsterdam was painted convincingly although I have only been a tourist there, it was highly believable, impressive given that the author is not a native citizen himself but a Brit. The suspenseful situations were also very convincing and real. Will definitely read the next in this series.… (plus d'informations)

It takes an incredibly talented writer to pull off a novella. With the shorter form (usually a third of a full-length novel), it's very hard to encompass everything that makes a great story - characterization, backstory, atmosphere, setting and a complex or involving plot. Daniel Pembrey's "The Harbour Master" manages it all seemingly effortlessly.

Henk, as well as his wife, daughter and an assortment of other recurring characters, are very well drawn and make you feel that you know them right from the start. The author excels at descriptions of people and place. The way he paints a picture for you is such that the Red Light District of Amsterdam was almost palpable. I felt as if I were walking the streets with him, seeing and touching everything Henk did, and experiencing the sense of growing doom as each piece of this intricate puzzle unfolded. By the end of the book, I almost felt as if I'd been to Amsterdam.

There really was not a flaw in this... each scene just naturally pulled you along to the next until you absolutely couldn't wait to find out what was going on. The only thing that could make this better would be an endless stream of novels about Henk, or a mini-series based on these books.

… (plus d'informations)

This second installment of Daniel Pembrey's Harbor Master series, "The Maze," maintains the high bar that was set with the first. Plot, characterization, atmosphere and setting are all flawlessly executed.

In this outing, we come to know Henk and his family even more, as well as those he works with. Each person comes alive with all their flaws and foibles, which makes them more real and human to the reader.

Once again, you're transported to the mean streets of Amsterdam, as well as Berlin this time around, as you wind your way through the labyrinthine story. It's amazing how the author can come up with a plot that truly is a maze, and yet is completely fleshed out, doesn't get so convoluted that you can't follow it, and manages to wrap up neatly (with the exception of a little cliff-hanger ending) within the constraints of a novella.

If you're not reading these absolute gems of crime fiction, you need to start immediately. Everything from the pen of Daniel Pembrey is a special treat.… (plus d'informations)