As per usual, veteran detective Simon Piet Van Der Valk, (played convincingly by Barry Foster), gets the view from the bottom of Amsterdam's underbelly as his job continually primes him for the most horrific crimes committed in the Dutch capital city. His escape route from the routinely dirty work includes a great deal of exchanging shots of whiskey and beer with his partner Johnny Kroon, played to perfection by Michael Latimer, while Susan Travers fits in quite nicely as Van Der Valk's beautiful wife.