Münster’s Case: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery

Intendent Münster steps out of the shadow of his old boss, the now fully retired Inspector Van Veeteren, in Nesser’s sterling sixth Inspector Van Veeteren mystery (after 2011’s The Inspector and Silence). Münster has to figure out who stabbed retiree Waldemar Leverkuhn 28 times in his sleep on the night he and three of his friends celebrated winning the lottery. Their shared winnings come out to about 5,000 guilders each, hardly worth murdering for, and Leverkuhn appeared to be a harmless old man without enemies, despite his emotionally frozen family. As Münster and his team investigate, another lottery winner vanishes. The discovery of the body of one of Leverkuhn’s neighbors raises the ante. Gallows humor punctuates the solid plot as Münster’s introspective musings lead to a surprising ending. Münster’s growing self-confidence and his insight show that he can carry the series on his own. Agency: Bonnier Group Agency. (Aug.)