Crime-series set in Amsterdam

Britta Böhler also writes crime fiction, together with the English author Rodney Bolt, under the pseudonym Britta Bolt.

The internationally successful Posthumus-series is set in Amsterdam, the city where both authors live. Pieter Posthumus works for a very special department of the city council, called Lonely Funeral. He organizes funerals for those without families, or those who die anonymously. (And yes, such a department really exists in Amsterdam!) Posthumus loves to cook (just like Rodney), is a bit obsessed with keeping things neat  (like Britta), and he also solves murder cases…

The Posthumus-series has been published in English, German and Dutch.

Lonely Gaves (Hodder & Stoughton 2014)

A suicide. A drowned man. A sudden death.
For some people, it's just another day's work.

Pieter Posthumus hasn't been working for the Lonely Funeral long, but he's determined to do his job well. He finds that he cares deeply about the people whose files land on his desk.

So when something doesn't seem quite right about a Moroccan immigrant's 'accidental' drowning, Posthumus starts digging. His quest for justice will lead him down unforseen paths, and into conflict with some very dangerous men...

Lives Lost (Hodder & Stoughton 2015)

A minute can make all the difference...

Pieter Posthumus is enjoying a quiet drink in his favourite bar when the screaming starts. A minute later, the owner of the guesthouse next door rushes in: one of her tenants has been murdered. Marloes, the guesthouse owner, is an odd but kind soul. Posthumus cannot believe it when she is arrested - for both her tenant Zig's murder and another death years before.

As Pieter's investigation progresses, he comes to see that a few minutes can mean all the difference in the world. And that sometimes asking questions leads to a truth that's hard to bear.

Deadly Secrets (Hodder & Stoughton 2016)

Some secrets are more dangerous than others...

Pieter Posthumus wouldn't live anywhere but Amsterdam, even though the big Earth 2050 conference, with its crowds of delegates and protestors, has left him feeling somewhat under siege. Then one of the delegates is left for dead under a bypass. Ever curious, Posthumus agrees to look into the case.

Forced to contend with family secrets, political machinations and international conspiracies, Posthumus finds himself in ever deeper, darker waters as he tries to uncover what really happened, and why.

The Posthumus-series in German and Dutch

The German Posthumus

(translated by Heike Schlatterer and Britta Böhler, published by Hoffmann und Campe)

Das Büro der einsamen Toten (2015)

Das Haus der verlorenen Seelen (2016)

Der Tote im fremden Mantel (2017)

The books are also available in paperback (Heyne Verlag).

The Dutch Posthumus

(translated by Edwin Krijgsman, published by Arbeiderspers):

Heldhaftig (2012)

Vastberaden (2014)

Barmhartig (2016)