The Diver

At the request of his German publisher, Mare, Mathijs Deen – known for his books on the Wadden Sea and the Rhine – wrote his successful thriller 'The Dutchman'. Now there is a second book about Dutch-German border region detective, Inspector Liewe Cupido. Like 'The Dutchman', 'The Diver' is largely set at sea, with divers who loot shipwrecks playing a major role.

Fiction
Author
Mathijs Deen
Original title
De duiker

When the wreck of the Hanne, a small freighter that went down in a south­westerly storm in 1950, is discovered by chance, as well as a million euros worth of copper it is also found to contain the remains of a diver – hands folded, wrists handcuffed and the keys hung just beyond his reach. Inspector Cupido’s investigation leads to a diving club on Terschelling island, a burglary in a house on the German island of Föhr in the Wadden Sea and a family drama in Wilhelms­haven. The closer he comes to the perpetrator, the deeper he finds himself entangled in a confronting case involving fathers and sons who do everything to protect each other. It stirs up memories of his own childhood, blighted by a frequently absent father who worked on a fishing boat and died at sea.

Deen once again combines a riveting story with his detailed knowledge of the Wadden Sea, impressing the reader with stunning descriptions of the water and true-to-life characters. Many will have a hard time saying goodbye to Inspector Cupido when they reach the end. Luckily, we know the third book in the series is on its way. Also, Lieuwe Cupido’s adventures are being made into a TV show, a joint production between the Netherlands and Germany.

‘[Mathijs Deen] manages to conjure up the sounds, smells and images of the wind and the waves as you’re reading.’

NDR 1 Welle Nord

‘Atmospheric, gripping and pervaded by an underlying sense of threat.’

Die Presse am Sonntag
Mathijs Deen
Mathijs Deen (b. 1962) writes non-fiction, short stories and novels. In 2013, his book 'The Wadden Islands' was published to critical acclaim and sold over 30,000 copies. In 2018 he published a collection of travel stories called 'Down Old Roads: A Journey Through Europe’s History', which was nominated for the Bob den Uyl Prize and received the Halewijn Prize. 'The Lightship' (2020) was longlisted for the Libris Literature Award. His work has been translated into English, German, Italian and Korean. The German translation of 'The Diver' (2023) debuted at number 26 on Der Spiegel’s bestseller list and went into its second print run within the first week. The book was rewarded with the Gouden Strop, the prize for the best thriller in the Dutch language.
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