“Amsterdam is like the rings of a tree: It gets older as you get closer to the center.”
Amsterdam is the biggest, most populated and capital city of the Netherlands. Originally a small fishing village settled in the 12th century, the city grew massively during the Dutch Golden Age during the 17th century, becoming one of the most significant trading and commerce hubs in Europe. With its UNESCO World Heritage canals sprawling across the entire city, Amsterdam has come to be known as the ‘Venice of the North’. Couple this with the city’s long history of openness, tolerance and liberalism, and it’s no surprise why it has inspired so many writers and been the setting of so many classic pieces of literature over the years. If you’re looking to fuel your wanderlust and capture the spirit of the Netherlands, join us at What We Reading as we run you through some of our favourite books set in Amsterdam!
The Miniaturist (The Miniaturist #1) – Jessie Burton
First up on our list of books set in Amsterdam is Jessie Burton’s acclaimed historical fiction series, The Miniaturist. On a brisk day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. Yet, whilst her new home is splendorous, it isn’t welcoming. Johannes is distant, often locked away in his study, leaving Nella alone with his sharp-tongued sister, Marin.
Johannes gives Nella an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of her home. To furnish it, she enlists the services of an elusive miniaturist, an artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie ways. The gift helps mend the hole in Nella’s heart. But, as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand – and fear – the rising sense of danger enveloping them all.
The Apothecary’s House – Adrian Mathews
When an old woman storms into the Rijksmuseum demanding her painting be returned to her, archivist Ruth Braams is unable to quell her curiosity. Ruth delves into the history of the piece of looted Nazi art and unearths a picture with a disturbing wartime provenance. It also appears that the elderly woman named Lydia is not the only claimant for it. Despite this, Ruth vows to help strengthen her case.
Just days later, Ruth begins to receive sinister threats from anonymous senders, warning her to keep away from Lydia and the painter. As the threats escalate, Ruth realises there must be more to the painting’s popularity and embarks on a series of lethal adventures into its secret symbolism. Adrian Mathews’ The Apothecary’s House combines brilliantly crafted characters with Amsterdam’s dazzling history for a fast-paced and thrilling mystery.
Outsider In Amsterdam (Amsterdam Cops Mysteries #1) – Janwillem van de Wetering
On a quiet street in downtown Amsterdam, the founder of a new religious commune – that calls itself ‘Hindist’ and mixes elements of various ‘Eastern’ traditions – is found dead. The body is discovered hanging from a ceiling beam. Detective-Adjutant Grpstra and Sergeant de Gier of the Amsterdam Police are sent to investigate the death. What opens as a simple suicide soon takes a darker turn as the pair become increasingly suspicious of the circumstances surrounding it.
First published back in 1975, Janwillem van de Wetering introduces the adventures of Amsterdam’s most iconic cop duo in Outsider in Amsterdam. Wonderfully depicting the legacy of Dutch colonialism and the darker sides of the city’s drug-free culture, it is undoubtedly one of the best crime thrillers set in Amsterdam.
The Coffee Trader – David Liss
Another one of the best historical fiction books set in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age, David Liss whisks readers back to 1659 and through the eyes of Miguel Lienzo in The Coffee Trader. Once the enigmatic traders in the city, Miguel lost everything after a sudden shift in the sugar markets. Impoverished, humiliated, and living off of the charity of his brother, he looks for a way of restoring his wealth and reputation.
An opportunity arises through a seductive Dutchwoman and a new commodity known as ‘coffee’. To succeed, Miguel must risk everything he has left on him, make use of all the trading skills he has acquired and face down competition from those who will stop at nothing to ensure he fails. He will soon discover that in a city driven by wealth and greed, betrayal is nestled everywhere and even his closest friends hide secret agendas. One of the best Amsterdam books for capturing the full feel of the city, The Coffee Trader is full of humour, imagination and mystery.
A Place To Hide – Ronald H. Balson
Theodore ‘Teddy’ Hartigan is shipped from the State Department in Washington to the US Consulate in Amsterdam as the staff flee from Adolf Hitler’s inexorable rise. His job is to process visa applications and, by 1939, refugees from everything from Poland to Austria look to him for passage to the United States. The demand only grows as the German war machine sweeps through Europe.
When Teddy and his girlfriend Sara are introduced to a young girl named Katy, who had been abandoned on the grounds of a nursery, they agree to adopt her. Teddy soon comes to realise that he holds the keys to save lives. Be it five, fifty or five hundred, Ronald H. Balson’s 2024 book A Place to Hide follows Teddy’s journey as he uses his position at the Consulate to rescue those with no other means of escape.
Tulip Fever – Deborah Moggach
In 1630s Amsterdam, tulipomania has taken over the population. But for wealthy merchant Cornelius Sandvoort, it is his young and beautiful wife Sophia who really demands his obsession. She is the prize he desires, the woman he hopes will bring the joy that even his vast fortunes cannot give him.
Cornelius is desperate for an heir but, so far, all of he and his wife’s efforts have failed. To preserve a slice of immortality, they enlist the services of a talented young artist named Jan van Loos to paint a portrait of the two of them. But, as van Loos captures Sophia’s likeness on canvas, a slow passion begins to burn between the beautiful young wife and the artist. In Deborah Moggach’s Tulip Fever, a slow dance plays out amongst the house’s inhabitants where ambitions, desires and dreams give way to a thrilling and tragic final climax.
Girl In The Blue Coat – Monica Hesse
Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering in-demand black-market goods to paying customers. She attempts to hide the true nature of her work from her parents, whilst spending every other waking moment mourning her boyfriend who was killed on the frontlines when the Germans invaded. She likes to see her work as a small act of rebellion against the city’s occupying forces.
On a routine delivery, a client asks Hanneke for help. Expecting that Mrs Janssen will simply want some extra meat, Hanneke is shocked to hear the elderly woman ask her to find a missing Jewish teenager that she had been hiding in her secret room. Whilst she initially wants nothing to do with such dangerous work, Hanneke is slowly drawn into a complex web of mysteries that lead her into the heart of the resistance and the horrors of the Nazi war machine. Girl in the Blue Coat is a bestselling YA book set in Amsterdam that is beautifully told and meticulously researched, perfect for anyone looking for a story in the city during the Second World War.
The Good Thief’s Guide To Amsterdam (Good Thief’s Guide #1) – Chris Ewan
Charlie Howard treks the world writing suspense novels about a burglar called Faulks. But, to help bolster his income, he also has a side business stealing for a very discreet clientele. When a mysterious American offers to pay him a considerable sum for two monkey figurines that match the one he already has, Charlie is suspicious. Whilst the burglary goes off without a hitch, when he goes to deliver the monkeys, he finds his employer beaten to near death and the final figurine missing.
Back in London, his long-suffering agent Victoria attempts to talk him through the problems in both his latest manuscript and real life. But Charlie soon finds himself pulled into a thrilling adventure of safe deposit boxes, menacing characters and, naturally, a beautiful damsel in distress in Chris Ewan’s The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
