Botero - A Killer’s Unfinished Masterpiece in Ghent: George Bracke Thrillers, #1

A six-year-old boy has been missing for four weeks when his body is discovered on the outskirts of Ghent. Chief Inspector George Bracke believes the investigation may finally be reaching its conclusion. Then another child is found.

The second crime scene is disturbingly precise: a white sheet, one hundred flowers, a silk scarf and six candles. Every detail appears to have been carefully chosen. Soon Bracke and his team realise that they are not dealing with an isolated murder, but with a killer who is turning death into a macabre form of art.

The investigation takes Bracke through the streets, parks and railway district of Ghent, where another child may already have been selected. To stop the killer, he must understand the meaning behind the carefully staged scenes before the final work is completed.

George Bracke is stubborn, observant and deeply human, with a dry sense of humour and little patience for easy answers. His private life, his marriage to Annemie and his fascination with art give another dimension to a detective who never forgets the people behind the case.

Botero is the first book in the George Bracke Thrillers. Each novel tells a complete story, while Bracke's personal and professional life continues throughout the series.

Stefaan Van Laere is a Belgian author, journalist and publisher who has been publishing books since 1988. His work has appeared in Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and Italian. He is the founder of Partizaan Publishers and has written both fiction and nonfiction during a career spanning more than three decades.