HET TRANSPORT (The Cargo) is my latest novel, set on the Wadden Sea and elsewhere in the Netherlands, and in Kaliningrad (Russia). It is actually my first manuscript, which was put on hold last year in favour of my successful novel DE BATAVIER (The Batavian).
Het Transport is a very different book from De Batavier, a crime novel rather than an adventure story. The core theme is women trafficking by ship from Kaliningrad to the Wadden Sea. Sinister figures in Russia play a background role.
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| and then there were two! |
Similar to what I noticed with De Batavier, I now regularly find pieces of news in the media that bear on the theme of my book. For example, on Saturday, October 2, a review appeared in the Dutch paper NRC of the book Putin's People, in which investigative journalist Catherine Belton tells about the dark dealings of Russian President Putin and his former KGB friends, who apparently have funneled large sums of money to Western bank accounts for years.
Het Transport tells of another a sinister plot involving former KGB operatives. I won't tell you too much about it (I’d rather see you read the book, which I'd love to publish in English!), but once more it appears that reality surpasses even my wildest fantasy. I will certainly order Putin's People.
To give you an idea, here is the English video trailer I made:
The core theme in Het Transport however, is the personal drama of ordinary people, who not just become entangled in a criminal network, but also become the victim of a heartless government that will not reach out to right a wrong.
This is not a fabrication - official arbitrariness in combating human trafficking has been under fire from humanitarian organizations for years, as is also evidenced by the reports of a Dutch Governmental agency reporting on human trafficking. Politicians remain deaf and thus unwittingly contribute to maintaining a despicable earning model.
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| cover of the new book |
The Dutch language version of HET TRANSPORT (ISBN 978 94 930 5941 2) can be ordered through bookshops or from Palmslag publishers.
An English translation of the manuscript is available for eventual publication in the English language domain.