Best police procedural books to add to your reading list

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Inspector Rykel Book 3

Before the Dawn

A gripping police procedural, Before the Dawn sees Inspector Jaap Rykel of Amsterdam's Murder Squad drawn into a case which may destroy him . . . 
 
On a small Dutch island a body is found. 
The victim's head is wrapped in cling film. 
Her hands are tied behind her back. 
 
Veteran detective Inspector Jaap Rykel of Amsterdam's Murder Squad is swiftly summoned and he soon identifies a suspect, who hands himself over. Yet the man has no history of violence, no motive, and no connection to the victim. 
 
On the other side of Holland, a similar murder - and confession - is reported and Rykel wonders if these are random senseless acts, or something more mysterious. 
 
Seeking patterns no one wants to see, Rykel is drawn deeper into a sinister, sprawling case which will destroy all who touch it . . . 
 
Praise for Jake Woodhouse: 
 
'A strong sense of place matched by storytelling that keeps the plot accelerating' Daily Mail 
 
'Utterly enthralling ... Looks set to be one of the key sequences in modern crime fiction' Barry Forshaw, Crimetime 
'Taut, expertly woven and beautifully written' Craig Robertson

A gripping police procedural, After the Silence sees Inspector Jaap Rykel of Amsterdam's Murder Squad drawn into a case which may destroy him . . .

This gripping detective novel will thrill fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and bears comparison to Fatherland ... Utterly unputdownable

Taut, expertly woven and beautifully written ... in Inspector Jaap Rykel, Woodhouse has created a flawed gem

A strong sense of place is matched by a capacity for storytelling that keeps the plot accelerating

Utterly enthralling ... looks set to be one of the key sequences in modern crime fiction

After the Silence is as dark and twisty as the Amsterdam it navigates and Rykel a fascinating and original protagonist. A promising start to what could be a great series

Jake Woodhouse has worked as a musician, wine maker and entrepreneur. He now lives in London with his wife and their young gundog.

A body is found, the victim's head wrapped in cling film, hands tied behind her back. The small island's police force needs help from Amsterdam's Murder Squad's veteran Detective Inspector Jaap Rykel. 
 
A suspect confesses, but the killer has no history of violence, no motive, and no connection to the victim. 
 
Across the country, a similar murder is reported and Rykel wonders if these are random senseless acts, or something far darker...? 
 
Rykel walks a thin line between spotting patterns no one wants to see, and a sinister, sprawling case which will consume everything in its path...

Inspector Rykel Book 1

After the Silence

Perfect for fans of The Killing or The Bridge, After the Silence is an utterly compelling crime debut set in Amsterdam. 
 
*** 
 
A body is found hanging on a hook above the canals of Amsterdam's old town, a mobile phone forced into the victim's mouth. 
 
In a remote coastal village, a doll lies in the ashes of a burnt-down house. But the couple who died in the fire had no children of their own. Did a little girl escape the blaze? And, if so, who is she and where is she now? 
 
Inspector Jaap Rykel knows that he's hunting a clever and brutal murderer. Still grieving from the violent death of his last partner, Rykel must work alongside a junior out-of-town detective with her own demons to face, if he has any hope of stopping the killer from striking again. 
 
Their investigation reveals two dark truths: everybody in this city harbours secrets - and hearing those secrets comes at a terrible price ... 
 
After the Silence introduces Inspector Jaap Rykel in a gripping debut police procedural from Jake Woodhouse, which is sure to appeal to fans of Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson and Stuart MacBride. This is the first novel in The Amsterdam Quartet series. 
 
PRAISE FOR JAKE WOODHOUSE: 
 
'This gripping detective novel will thrill fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and bears comparison to Fatherland ... Utterly unputdownable' The Sun 
 
'Utterly enthralling ... looks set to be one of the key sequences in modern crime fiction' Barry Forshaw, Crimetime 
 
'Jake Woodhouse's taut, twisty plots are expertly woven and beautifully written. They are peopled with complex characters that will have you turning the pages to see what becomes of them. He has created a flawed gem in Inspector Jaap Rykel, a cop with an assured literary future' Craig Robertson, author of Witness the Dead and The Last Refuge 
 
'After the Silence is as dark and twisty as the Amsterdam it navigates and Rykel a fascinating and original protagonist. A promising start to what could be a great series.' Stav Sherez, author of A Dark Redemption 
 
'Complex ... intriguing ... keeps the reader hooked' Eurocrime

This gripping detective novel will thrill fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and bears comparison to Fatherland ... Utterly unputdownable

Complex ... intriguing ... keeps the reader hooked

Does for Amsterdam what Rankin did for Edinburgh ... a rich cast of characters, a sinewy, complex plot and a starring role for Amsterdam are the highlights of this brilliant debut ... a great read

So fast it leaves tyre tracks. From the shocking first pages to the final paragraph the tension remains and never lets up for a single moment ... disturbing, claustrophobic and utterly thrilling

After the Silence is as dark and twisty as the Amsterdam it navigates and Rykel a fascinating and original protagonist. A promising start to what could be a great series.

Jake Woodhouse's taut, twisty plots are expertly woven and beautifully written. They are peopled with complex characters that will have you turning the pages to see what becomes of them.  He has created a flawed gem in Inspector Jaap Rykel, a cop with an assured literary future

Craig Robertson, author of Witness the Dead and The Last Refuge

A body is found hanging on a hook above the canals of Amsterdam's old town, a mobile phone forced into the victim's mouth. 
 
In a remote coastal village, a doll lies in the ashes of a burnt-down house. But the couple who died in the fire had no children of their own. Did a little girl escape the blaze? And, if so, who is she and where is she now? 
 
Inspector Jaap Rykel knows that he's hunting a clever and brutal murderer. Still grieving from the violent death of his last partner, Rykel must work alongside a junior out-of-town detective with her own demons to face, if he has any hope of stopping the killer from striking again. 
 
Their investigation reveals two dark truths: everybody in this city harbours secrets - and hearing those secrets comes at a terrible price ... 
 
After the Silence introduces Inspector Jaap Rykel in a gripping debut police procedural from Jake Woodhouse, which is sure to appeal to fans of Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson and Stuart MacBride. This is the first novel in The Amsterdam Quartet series.

Inspector Rykel Book 2

Into the Night

The second sophisticated and dark installment in Jake Woodhouse's Amsterdam Quartet, featuring returning series character Inspector Jaap Rykel. After the Silence was Jake's first novel. 
 
 'DOES FOR AMSTERDAM WHAT RANKIN DID FOR EDINBURGH' Crime Thriller Hound 
 
*** 
 
A body is found on a rooftop, the dead man's hands blowtorched, his head removed. 
 
 The man tasked with tracking down the killer is Amsterdam Inspector Jaap Rykel. But as he searches the headless body for clues Rykel finds something which makes his blood run cold - a picture of himself on the victim's phone. 
 
 And then a message from the killer reveals the location of a second mutilated corpse. It's another day in Western Europe's murder capital . . . 
 
Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and The Killing. 
 
 Acclaim for Jake Woodhouse: 
 
'A strong sense of place is matched by a capacity for storytelling that keeps the plot accelerating' Daily Mail 
 
'A complex, brilliantly written crime novel, which builds to a truly shocking climax' S.J. Sykes, author of Plague Land 
 
'Dark, claustrophobic and non-stop' Crime Review 
 
'Superficially, a cracking cops 'n' robbers story, but with a deep, dark heart. You will read it in just a few sessions and be gripped ... The conclusion is intense, violent and shocking ... it left me literally dry-mouthed ... For someone on only his second novel, he writes like an established master' Crime Fiction Lover 
 
'Utterly enthralling ... Looks set to be one of the key sequences in modern crime fiction' Barry Forshaw, Crimetime 
 
 'Claustrophobic, disturbing and utterly thrilling' Crime Squad 
 
'Jake Woodhouse's taut, twisty plots are expertly woven and beautifully written. They are peopled with complex characters that will have you turning the pages to see what becomes of them. He has created a flawed gem in Inspector Jaap Rykel, a cop with an assured literary future' Craig Robertson, author of Witness the Dead and The Last Refuge 
 
'As dark and twisty as the Amsterdam it navigates' Stav Sherez 
 
'This is a great debut' Crime Fiction Lover 
 
 'This gripping detective novel will thrill fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and bears comparison to Fatherland ... Utterly unputdownable' Sun 
 
 'Complex ... intriguing ... keeps the reader hooked' Eurocrime

A complex, brilliantly written crime novel, which builds to a truly shocking climax

Superficially, a cracking cops 'n' robbers story, but with a deep, dark heart.  You will read it in just a few sessions and be gripped ... The conclusion is intense, violent and shocking ... it left me literally dry-mouthed ... For someone on only his second novel, he writes like an established master

Jake Woodhouse's taut, twisty plots are expertly woven and beautifully written. They are peopled with complex characters that will have you turning the pages to see what becomes of them. He has created a flawed gem in Inspector Jaap Rykel, a cop with an assured literary future

A body is found on a rooftop, the dead man's hands blowtorched, his head removed. 
 
 The man tasked with tracking down the killer is Amsterdam Inspector Jaap Rykel. But as he searches the headless body for clues Rykel finds something which makes his blood run cold - a picture of himself on the victim's phone 
. 
 And then a message from the killer reveals the location of a second mutilated corpse. It's another day in Western Europe's murder capital . . .

Jake Woodhouse

Unflinching but also surprisingly funny, you keep turning the pages to find out what is the bigger threat to Rykel: the murderer or his own inner demons

Terrifying and twisty, Jake Woodhouse's gripping, effortlessly vivid prose makes this intelligent, brilliantly plotted thriller one you will not be able to put down

Sam Blake, Irish Times No.1 Bestselling Author of Little Bones

This might be Jake Woodhouse's best yet. His Jaap Rykel series good from strength to strength and The Copycat embodies everything that's good about the Rykel books. Yes, it's a gripping page-turner but it also has a lot to say on important social messages, brilliantly managing to do so without slowing the pace for a second. Highly recommended.

Twisting, stylish and breathlessly paced. I struggled to put it down for a second

Chris Whitaker, CWA Dagger-winning author of Tall Oaks

Utterly enthralling . . . looks set to be one of the key sequences in modern crime fiction

A strong sense of place is matched by a capacity for storytelling that keeps the plot accelerating

This gripping detective novel will thrill fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and bears comparison to Fatherland ... Utterly unputdownable

The gripping crime thriller you won’t be able to put down

Jaap Rykel is on the brink, his dark past driving him to breaking point - and ending his police career. 
 
Visiting the station one last time, he stumbles across an investigation into a particularly violent murder. A murder where the details exactly match a case he solved years earlier. 
 
But that killer was caught - and is still in prison. 
 
Is there a copycat killer on the loose, playing games with Rykel's fragile mind? Or did he get it wrong, and send an innocent man to prison? 
 
Is this his last chance to make things right? Or is it the blow that finally takes him over the edge . . .

Jake Woodhouse

Books by Jake Woodhouse

Series by Jake Woodhouse

Amsterdam Quartet with Inspector Jaap Rykel

Articles featuring Jake Woodhouse

Best police procedural books to add to your reading list

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