Hamburg na middernacht

Inhoud

Om een geslagde levering van wapens aan de vrijheidsstrijders in Algerije te vieren, organiseert de wapenhandelaar Nissim Cordanu een diner bij hem thuis, voor tien personen. Hij kan echter niet vermoeden dat het toeval een man uit zijn reeds lang vergeten gewaande verleden op zijn pad zal voeren - de elfde gast. Die avond valt er een dode. Is het moord?

Bespreking

Mediocre ending ruins great setting

To celebrate the successful transaction of weapons for the Algerian freedom fighters, the criminal mind Nissim Cordanu is going to organise a dinner for ten people at his house. Walter Reyder, head of the Hamburg police research force, does not know what happens when he is almost struck by the car of Nissim. Nissim immediately recognises his old friend, although it is already twenty-five years since they both met. Nissim invites his old friend for dinner, but is clealy not aware that by doing this he invites the law as the eleventh guest to his party. When it is announced that a very special hypnosis act will be performed at the party, Reyder feels that it is not yet time to reveal his true identity.
This book was written in 1960 by the German detective writer Frank Arnau. The first part of the book in which Arnau plays with the hidden identity of Reyder is a nice example of good plotting and building up suspense. But the final part of the book is turning out to be a bit messy. The momentum given at the start is completely broken by the boring interrogations of the so called suspects, when it has already been given as a fact that the murderer is known. A strange ending, indeed.
Note: I read the Dutch translation: "Hamburg na middernacht".