On the first day of Boektopia in Kortrijk, Wouter Dehairs won the 28th Hercule Poirot Prize for his Flemish thriller "Harde regen."
The Hercule Poirot Prize is awarded annually by the magazine Knack to the best crime novel from Flanders. Dehairs, who debuted in 2017 with "Lockdown," impressed the jury with his latest book.
The author had already won the prize in 2021 for "Nachtstad," a rarity according to the jury. His new work once again features Keller Brik, a headstrong private detective, and his equally strong-willed assistant Gwen Van Meer. The jury praised the gripping plot and the vivid portrayal of Brussels as a backdrop for crime stories.
Dehairs received €5,000 and an exclusive Montblanc Classic Fountain Pen as part of the award.
Meanwhile, the Knack.be Audience Award went to "Ze kwam terug" by Barbara De Smedt. Merho, creator of the comic series Kiekeboe, won the Fred Braeckman Award for the best debut with his thriller "Looklucht."
