Bjorn Van den Eynde shows the winning book. — © Chris Van Rompaey
Bjorn Van den Eynde from Kessel (Nijlen) wins with his thriller debut The Angelicide the MAX Bronze Bat 2023 for Best Thriller Debut in the Netherlands. In Flanders he was nominated for the Flemish Knack Hercule Poirot Prize in the ‘Best Debut’ category.
© Pelckmans
The story of The Angelicide begins when eighteen-year-old Julie Dumoulin’s throat is cut with a piece of vinyl record. Not much later, her boyfriend is also found murdered. “The horror is immediately reminiscent of a series of unsolved murders in the late 1990s, when similar crimes plagued the entire country. So the serial killer from back then is back. The young and inexperienced detective Marjolein De Vriese also realizes this,” says Bjorn Van den Eynde.
The jury report of the MAX Bronze Bat honors the winning book with the following words: “A great one. Definitely bat-worthy. What a thriller! There is so much depth to the story, with a good structure, and it completely sucks you in from the first page. The tension throughout the book is of a high level. There is a dark mystery surrounding the characters and you actually continue to feel this after the last point.”
Author Bjorn Van den Eynde, best known for his children’s books, is very happy with the prize. “I’m very grateful for something The Angelicide releases in the Netherlands and Belgium. The words of praise from the jury and the enthusiastic responses from the readers touched me.”
The Angelicide, published by Pelckmans, has 488 pages. The paperback costs 22 euros and can be purchased at bookstores and online bookstores.
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