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Janwillem van de Wetering (middle name: Lincoln), born 12 February 1931, is the author of a number of works in English and Dutch. He is particularly noted for his detective fiction, his most popular creations being Grijpstra and de Gier, a pair of Amsterdam police officers who figure in a lengthy series of novels and short stories. The mysteries are rich with images from Amsterdam, where they take place; some also feature a cat named Oliver. He has also written stories for children and nonfiction works. He usually writes in Dutch and then in English; the two versions often differ considerably. Van de Wetering was born and raised in Rotterdam, but in later years he lived in South Africa, Japan, London, Colombia, Peru, Australia, Amsterdam and most recently in Maine, the setting of two of his Grijpstra and de Gier novels and his children's series about the porcupine Hugh Pine. He currently lives in Maine. His many travels and his experiences in a Zen Buddhist monastery and as a member of the Amsterdam Special Constabulary ("being a policeman in one's spare time" as he phrased it in his introduction to Outsider in Amsterdam) lend authenticity to his works of fiction and nonfiction.
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