George Bracke Thriller #3 – Cold Fire

Book George Bracke Thriller #3 – Cold Fire

A rising politician is killed by a crossbow bolt during a private dinner attended by more than twenty witnesses. The murder is deliberate, spectacular and politically explosive.

With elections approaching, Ghent is already tense. When further attacks target political headquarters across the city, George Bracke and his team are drawn into a world of ambition, corruption, secret agreements and scandals that powerful people would rather keep buried.

The victim, Raymond Deweert, had no shortage of enemies. Behind the polished public image of a successful politician lies a complicated private life filled with affairs, manipulation and old conflicts. The investigation leads Bracke through political circles, business networks and personal connections, while a stolen crossbow and several seemingly insignificant details gradually begin to narrow the field.

At the same time, George is dealing with a deeply personal loss. Still recovering from the events of Tango Mortale, he watches his father’s life draw to an end while trying to remain focused on one of the most politically sensitive cases of his career.

What initially appears to be a politically motivated killing ultimately leads somewhere much more intimate. Old loyalties, betrayal and a family secret prove every bit as dangerous as political ambition.

Cold Fire is the third George Bracke thriller, following Botero and Tango Mortale. Set in and around Ghent, the novel combines a murder investigation with political intrigue, psychological tension and the continuing personal story of George Bracke and the people around him.

Each novel in the ten-book series contains a complete investigation and can be read independently, while characters and consequences continue from one book to the next.

Short description

The third George Bracke thriller. The crossbow murder of a prominent politician draws George Bracke into a dangerous web of political ambition, corruption, betrayal and long-buried family secrets.

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.