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Van Veeteren is the lead character in the Inspector Van Veeteren series of novels by Swedish teacher turned author, Hakan Nesser. Van Veeteren was first introduced to readers in the 1993 published mystery thriller, Mind’s Eye.
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Order of Inspector Van Veeteren Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Münsters Fall [German] | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Borkmann's Point | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Return | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Mind's Eye | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Woman with Birthmark | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | The Inspector and Silence | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | The Unlucky Lottery / Munster's Case | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Hour of the Wolf | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | The G File | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | The Weeping Girl | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | The Strangler's Honeymoon | 2013 | Description / Buy |
Chronological Order of Inspector Van Veeteren Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Mind's Eye | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Borkmann's Point | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Return | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Woman with Birthmark | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Inspector and Silence | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | The Unlucky Lottery / Munster's Case | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Hour of the Wolf | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | The G File | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | The Weeping Girl | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | The Strangler's Honeymoon | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Münsters Fall [German] | 1998 | Description / Buy |
Van Veeteren is a detective in the early novels in the series, who later transforms into an antique books shop owner. The novels are set in Maardam, a fictitious city in northern Europe in an unnamed country with a striking resemblance to Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
The first novel in the series introduces us to Chief Inspector Van Veeteren, a veteran detective with a disturbing case. With years of experience on the job, he has never met a murder case that was as open and shut as the one in front of him. Janet Mitter claims that he discovered his wife of three months dead face down in the bathtub after he woke up from a brutal hangover. With such a flimsy excuse, he is charged with the murder, and is incarcerated in a mental institution.
But Van Veeteren’s suspicions about how easy the case was, remain. His instincts prove right when Mitter the supposed killer is murdered, while serving time in the mental institution. The detective now launches a new investigation into both murders. The most important clue they may have as to the identity of the real killer may come in the form a mysterious letter that the husband wrote shortly before he was killed. It is an amazing story full of action and twists in plot that highlights the excellent storytelling skills of one the best mystery thriller writers ever to come out of Europe.
INSPECTOR VAN VEETEREN AWARDS
The Inspector Van Veeteren series of novels has won several awards over the years. Borkmann’s Point the second novel in the series won the 1994 Best Swedish Crime Novel Award. The fourth novel in the series Kvinna med fodelsemarke (Woman with the Birthmark) won the 1996 Best Swedish Crime Novel Award. The seventh novel in the Inspector Van Veeteren series, Carambole (Hour of the Wolf) won the 2000 Glass Key Award.
INSPECTOR VAN VEETEREN BOOKS INTO TV/MOVIES
Several of the novels in the series have been adapted for TV over the years. Some of the novels that have been made into TV series in Sweden include The Mind’s Eye in 2000, The Return and Woman with Birthmark in 2001, Munsters Fall, Hour of the Wolf and Borkmann’s Point in 2005, and The Stranglers Honeymoon and the G Files in 2006.
BEST INSPECTOR VAN VEETEREN BOOKS
The first novel in the series, The Mind’s Eye has won multiple awards and has even been made into a TV series. A fan favorite, it is one of the most highly regarded novel in the Inspector Van Veeteren series of novels.
Woman with Birthmark: The fourth novel in the Inspector Van Veeteren series of novels has one of the most intriguing of plots. When Maria Adler hears of her mother’s deathbed confession, she knows that it is up to her to revenge her. Changing her appearance, she disappears and soon after, Inspector Van Veeteren and his lackeys are confronted with a curious murder. A man has been shot twice below the belt and twice in the heart in a curious case that seems highly meditated. The victim was a man with a very dull life. The only clue they have to go on is a series of bizarre phone calls made to his house, in which the caller said nothing instead playing an obscure pop song from the 60s.
Hour of the Wolf: Another excellent novel in the Inspector Van Veeteren series of novel is the seventh title, Hour of the Wolf. Van Veeteren is forced to come back from retirement after a series of deaths that started with a hit and run, proves too complicated for the new chief inspector to handle. In the greatest case of his detective career, he faces an unhinged and unpredictable killer with a thirst for blood.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE
Many Inspector Van Veeteren fans are also fans of the “Inspector Winter” series of novels by Åke Edwardson. The detective thrillers feature Inspector Winter a detective who solves a series of bizarre murders that are linked to gothic and cultic elements in his hometown of Gothenburg. Inspector Van Veeteren fans also enjoy the “Inspector Huss” series of novels by Helene Tursten. These detective thrillers feature inspector Irene Huss a detective and Jujitsu champion that tackles a series of complex crimes in her native town of Gotenburg, Sweden.
What Is The Next Book in The Inspector Van Veeteren Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Inspector Van Veeteren Series. The newest book is The Strangler\'s Honeymoon and was released on May, 1st 2013.