Pieter Aspe (real name: Pierre Aspeslag) died on May 1, 2021. The last book published by him during his lifetime was ‘Van In Episode 4’. Afterwards, a number of his works were published posthumously.
Was supposed to be released in 2016
But all this time a book had remained on the shelf. Today his publishing house is publishing the work under the title ‘Exit’. “The book was originally intended to be published in 2016,” explains Marianne De Baere of Standaard Uitgeverij. “But Pierre was finishing the story when his then wife Bernadette became ill. She died unexpectedly quickly. Pierre at that time did not feel like doing a promotion and standing at the book fair.” In the spring of 2017, the author already started work on his next thriller in the series about commissioner Pieter Van In and his colleague Guido Versavel and so ‘Exit’ remained in the drawer.
Until today. “Because the story was announced in 2016, it was regularly asked about it in recent years,” says De Baere. “Because Pierre had immediately started work on a new book, there was a gap in the series.” On his deathbed, the author therefore asked his wife Tamara (whom he married in 2018, ed.) not to do anything with ‘Exit’ until five years after his death.
Tribute to the reader
“Pierre had a bit of a morbid sense of humor, but also an immense respect for his readers,” said De Baere. “You can therefore see ‘Exit’ as a kind of final greeting or an ultimate tribute to them.”
Of course, the publisher cannot say too much about the content of the story yet. However, the book is “sharp and contemporary” and contains “sharp dialogues, humor and eroticism,” says Manteau. As usual, the story takes place in Bruges. For De Baere, what is particularly striking is the close bond between main characters Van In and Versavel, which is even “warmer than usual, probably because of the personal circumstances in which the book was written at the time”.
Really last book
Will there be another book by Pieter Aspe after ‘Exit’? “No,” De Baere is adamant. “This is really Pierre’s very last self-written work.” Fans who cannot get enough of his stories can still contact writer Jonas Boets, who received permission from the surviving relatives after the death of Pieter Aspe to continue his series of stories.
