Nicolas Freeling

Nicolas Freeling (born Nicolas Davidson; March 3, 1927 – July 20, 2003) was a British crime novelist best known for his Van der Valk series featuring the Dutch inspector Piet van der Valk and the Henri Castang series. His notable works include Love in Amsterdam (1962), Because of the Cats (1963), and The King of the Rainy Country (1965), which won the 1967 Edgar Award for Best Novel; he also received France's Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for Gun Before Butter.