Belgian writer wows critics with first US release

Belgian crime writer Pieter Aspe has had his first novel published in the United States – 18 years after its original release. The Square of Revenge is published by Pegasus Crime – an achievement in itself, considering that less than 3% of all books sold in the US are translations of foreign authors – and has been receiving positive reviews. “A welcome addition (…)  Set in the splendid medieval city of Bruges, it stars Inspector Pieter Van In, a brusque cop with every bad habit you can think of (…) Van In’s intuitive and often impulsive detection style can be disorienting, but his powers of observation are sharp and his insider’s view of this ancient and grandly aloof city are priceless”, writes the New York Times, while Publishers Weekly is of the opinion that “Van In and his eccentric cast of colleagues will be welcome companions for many readers, who will probably find comparisons to Simenon’s Maigret”.