The first novel in the Franka series seems more like an ensemble cast than singling out Franka as the main character. It introduces the Crime museum where she works as a secretary and her colleagues.
Lovely ligne claire drawings, a bit 70's in their style, somewhat tightly drawn without the fluidity of his later works. The clothing is very well done, as is the evocative external images of the fictional Dutch city, Groterdam.
Franka uncovers an illicit weapons deal while on an errand, which she connects to a robbery at the mint printing foreign money. Through her investigations, she gets involved in a revolution in the small island state Oceanaque.
There is a lot of humour in the story, both as part of the main plot, and Kuijpers uses the media optimally to add details that create depth and additional humour in the background. On the last page there is an amusing send-of to Tintin, making the savvy reader feel part in the know.
The story is surprisingly complex for the format and length. ( )