19|91
A thrilling detective with a streak of fantasy and Agatha Christie vibes.
Two new friends meet at a summer camp and hear a story about the boy who went missing, without a trace, eleven years ago. Without missing a beat, they agree they’re the only ones who can unravel the mystery. This page-turner follows them as they attempt to solve the puzzle.
Eleven-year-old Basha is dreading going to the summer camp her parents have signed her on to. She’s worried she won’t enjoy herself. After all, none of her friends are going. As she makes her way there, she begins to hear the first hushed rumours of a missing boy and little Tibbe spouts theory after theory about mirror years. She can only guess what’ll happen next.
At the camp, no mention may be made of Pepijn Harding, the boy who disappeared eleven years ago without leaving a trace. Did he drown after walking into the ocean, or did something more sinister happen?
When Basha discovers mysterious carvings in the slats on the bunk above her, she can’t help but join Tibbe’s investigation. Helped by Agatha Christie’s time-tested methods, the pair undertake an adventurous journey full of twists and turns. “This is about believing in what could be or, failing that, explaining the seemingly unexplainable.”
This masterly, nuanced story by Tom Rijpert about two misfits Tibbe and Basha is one of those books you won’t be able to put down.
The most gripping children’s novel of 2025 – winner of the MAX Gouden Junior Vleermuis award
A nuanced book featuring utterly compelling characters
Readership 10+
A thoroughbred detective that is inspired by and honours the great Agatha Christie
In 2023, Tom Rijpert (1982) made the leap from director to writer with his successful duology De Zeven Sleutels: Het pad van de Roverkoning and Voorbij de val. The books achieved critical acclaim, with part 1 included in the Grote Vriendelijke 100, the ranking of the best children’s books of all time in the Netherlands and Flanders. Tom won the MAX Gouden Junior Vleermuis award 2025 with his detective 19/91.