Template:Short description Nicolas Freeling (born Nicolas Davidson; 3 March 1927 – 20 July 2003), was a British crime novelist, best known as the author of the "Van der Valk" series of detective novels. A television series based on the character, Van der Valk, was produced for the British ITV network by Thames Television during the 1970s and was revived in 1991–92; a remake with new cast, characters, and storylines was launched in 2020 as Van der Valk.

BiographyEdit

Freeling was born in London, but travelled widely, and ended his life at his long-standing home at Grandfontaine to the west of Strasbourg. He had followed a variety of occupations, including the armed services and the catering profession. He began writing during a three-week prison sentence, after being convicted of taking home some veal from a restaurant where he worked, though that was common practice in the restaurant trade.<ref>"Nicolas Freeling" Obituaries, Daily Telegraph 22 July 2003</ref>

Freeling got bored with writing about his Amsterdam detective Van der Valk and killed him off in 1972, when the character was shot while following up a rather unpromising lead. Freeling refused to bring the detective back to life and wrote two novels in which his widow Arlette is the detective. Then he started his second detective series, about a French police inspector, Henri Castang<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> to revive his failing income. He eventually revived Van der Valk with Sand Castles (1989).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Freeling's The King of the Rainy Country received a 1967 Edgar Award, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Best Novel.

His novel Gun Before Butter won France's Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and was a runner-up for the UK Crime Writers' Association's 1963 Gold Dagger Award.

In 1968 Freeling's novel Love in Amsterdam was adapted as the film Amsterdam Affair directed by Gerry O'Hara and starring Wolfgang Kieling as Van der Valk.

A radio drama of his Henri Castang novel The Night Lords adapted by Michael Bakewell was made in 1990 starring Keith Barron, Richard Vernon, and Edita Brychta as part of the BBC Radio 4 Saturday Night Theatre series.

WorksEdit

NovelsEdit

Van der Valk seriesEdit

AdaptationsEdit
TelevisionEdit

Created by Freeling, the British television crime drama Van der Valk (1972 TV series) is an adaptation of the novels. It premiered on ITV and ran from 1972 to 1992. Van der Valk (2020 TV series), also produced for ITV, is a remake of the original programme.

FilmEdit
  • Amsterdam Affair (1968), a lesser-known British film, with German actor Wolfgang Kieling in the title role.
  • Pas de frontières pour l'inspecteur (Van der Valk), three French-West German co-produced TV films, starring Frank Finlay in the title role:
    • Van der Valk und das Mädchen (Le milieu n'est pas tendre) (1972), based on the novel Gun Before Butter, directed by Peter Zadek.
    • Template:Interlanguage link multi (Discrétion absolue) (1973), based on the novel The King of the Rainy Country, directed by Wolfgang Petersen.
    • Van der Valk und die Toten (Le bouc émissaire) (1975), based on the novel Double-Barrel, directed by Marcel Cravenne.
  • Because of the Cats (1973), a Dutch/Belgian co-production, starring British actor Bryan Marshall in the title role.
RadioEdit

Adapted for BBC Radio:

Featuring Arlette Van der ValkEdit

Henri Castang seriesEdit

In 1990 Not as Far as Velma was adapted as a six-part BBC Radio serial starring Keith Barron as Castang.

Other novelsEdit

Non-fictionEdit

  • The Kitchen (1970)
  • Cook Book (1972)
  • Criminal Convictions (1994)
  • The Village Book (2001)<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
  • The Kitchen and the Cook (2002)<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

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