THE HARBOURMASTER has been released in three parts and I'd previously read, and been wowed by, the second part. Now I had the chance to catch up with the whole story from the start in this collected edition; this is the best way to go. Descriptions are sparse so by taking the first part first I had a much better handle on who Henk, Pernilla and their student daughter Nadia really are. Each part takes an individual case but leads on to the next. In Part One we see the focus on the red light district in Amsterdam. The women here are, Henk sees, mainly from Eastern Europe countries like Hungary, controlled by pimps and while working legally, afraid of their controllers.

Part Two broadens the scope to Brussels, the seat of the European Parliament, where a representative tells Henk that nobody is rewarded for coming up with ways to shave a million euro off a budget. Dodgy deals are done, buying power of more than one variety. Diplomats from many continents flit through the airports and out again; diamonds from around the world are traded through nearby Rotterdam.

Part Three looks at the kidnapping of an influential figure, which has special meaning for Henk. For a start, the abduction echoes a case he worked on years ago. Secondly, this man had promised to help stop Henk's police station being shut down. As the stakes and dangers escalate, Henk is barred from the heart of the case, so he travels more broadly to find possible witnesses. The personal touch is to the fore as Henk frets that his wife is exposed to danger or frowns inwardly at his daughter's Russian boyfriend.

Few British writers are exploring the continent in crime stories so Daniel Pembrey, has a clear field which he is doing well to cover. His earlier The Candidate is a good introduction to his writing and THE HARBOUR MASTER is just as convincing and gripping to the last page.

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