George Bracke Thriller #1 – Botero

Book George Bracke Thriller #1 – Botero

 A murderer is turning children into works of art — and his masterpiece is not yet complete.

Six-year-old Kevin Hulselmans has been missing for weeks when his body is discovered on the rain-soaked outskirts of Ghent. Chief Inspector George Bracke hopes the discovery may finally provide answers to a grieving family.

Then another six-year-old boy is found in a city park.

His body has been carefully arranged as part of a disturbing tableau. Flowers, candles and other meticulously chosen details make it clear that nothing at the crime scene is accidental. Soon another carefully staged murder follows, and Bracke begins to realise that the killer is working towards something larger.

The investigation takes Bracke and his colleagues through Ghent, from specialist shops and forgotten paintings to football grounds, historic squares and the darker edges of the railway district. At the heart of the case lies an obsession with art, beauty and immortality.

George Bracke is no conventional action hero. He is stubborn, sceptical, curious and equipped with a dry sense of humour that does not always please his superiors. Behind his sometimes gruff exterior, however, is a detective who refuses to see victims merely as names in a police file.

Botero combines the atmosphere of European crime fiction with psychological suspense and a strong sense of place. Ghent is more than a backdrop: its streets, parks, cafés and changing moods become part of the investigation itself.

This is the first of ten George Bracke thrillers. Each novel contains a complete investigation and can be read independently, while George Bracke, his family and his colleagues continue to develop throughout the series.

Short description

The first George Bracke thriller. A series of meticulously staged murders leads Chief Inspector George Bracke through the streets of Ghent and into a disturbing world of art, obsession and a killer determined to complete his masterpiece.

 Stefaan Van Laere is a Belgian author, journalist and publisher who has been writing professionally since 1988. Over more than three decades, he has published fiction and non-fiction across a wide range of genres, including crime, historical fiction, biography, sport, social commentary, food and drink, and technology.

He is the founder and publisher of Partizaan and previously worked as editor-in-chief of Seniorennet.be. He is also a contributor to Boomager, a Belgian platform aimed at readers who approach later life with curiosity, independence and humour.

His books have appeared in Dutch and in translations including English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and Italian.

The ten George Bracke thrillers combine police investigation, psychological tension and dry humour with the personal lives of characters who continue to evolve throughout the series.