Johnny Black thought he’d left his wild side—well, at least his wildest side—behind. Then she Skyped back into his life. Erika was an old flame in the Amsterdam who now runs a gentleman’s service, asks for his help because a serial killer has taken the lives of a couple of her friends. Johnny is a former priest who has turned private investigator after a run in the tight but sinister world of international diplomacy. Now he uses his knowledge of the dark side of human nature into solving cases that other private eyes wouldn’t take and couldn’t solve. While the money for the job is not the best, Johnny agrees to do it to help an old friend and reconnect with his past.
But this ain’t your daddy’s Amsterdam. Corruption is ultimately much deeper and more widespread than he could ever assume. He enlists the aid of and old acquaintance named Ben from Johnny’s diplomatic days who helps him with the case ever assume, and it will continue to claim lives if these murders go unsolved. An outsider to the current seedy scene in the Amsterdam, he constantly faces danger from both it as well as his own inner temptations, which almost get the better of him.
It does not take Johnny long to finger one Rolf Tulp, a pimp and dealer with a mean violent streak as someone directly involved in trafficking and capable of murdering to protect his investment. He also knows how to protect himself with plenty of goons and guns. Johnny has to break through that shield and get close to the sleaze and to the world of crime that must be the source and sanctuary of the murderer or murderers.
Standing in the way are not other criminals trying to shut down the case and let their good times roll but a hard-nosed sergeant and a corrupt mayor. Dirk Bicker is a cop who’s almost as hard-nosed as Johnny, who will not rest until he finds an answer. The mayor, known by the nickname the Worm, is also of no help. In fact, he uses his power and influence to try to get Johnny kicked out of town and the whole country. What is the mayor hiding? Who are he and the sergeant protecting?
Finally deciding to leave past and present temptations and issues behind, Johnny Black takes on not only the violent human trafficker Rolf Tulp but a corrupt mayor and police force to solve the case. In the process, he briefly reignites the passion between himself and Erika as well permanently reignites his passion for justice.
The King of Amsterdam is for readers who enjoy hard-hitting detective stories and would love to travel to Amsterdam, or maybe they have been there many times. Either way, they can sit back and travel and investigate with Johnny Black in this and in his future cases: Honolulu Maybe, Roman Hellfire, and Washington Capital.