Books set in The Hague

Death on a Tiny Scale – Julie Broussely

Julie Broussely’s The Shamrock Detective Agency series starts with London office worker Toby Solano inheriting a failing detective agency in The Hague. Intending to shut it down, he is roped into a local mystery instead due to a suspicious death at Madurodam. Navigating his way through the local language and customs, a very blunt Dutch sidekick, and an insistent stray cat, Toby’s life takes one strange turn after another. Death on a Tiny Scale is a really fun cozy mystery, and it’s obvious the author is locally-based from all the details! Part two in the series, A Party to Death, recently came out, featuring a murder mystery party going decidedly wrong…

The Mechanical – Ian Tregillis

This first part of the Alchemy Wars trilogy starts right on the Binnenhof, and takes an intense tour of central The Hague immediately after. Set in an alternate universe, at the beginning of the 20th century, where the Dutch won the 70 Years War against the French and then spread out across the world to set up a rather evil empire. It’s a rollicking, steampunk-y tale that takes Jax, its automaton main character, from The Hague to North America, all the while battling/hiding his directive. There is a wonderful philosophical side to this story, as well, mainly on the topic of free will. There’s also a harrowing scene involving brain surgery; truly not for the faint-of-heart. I remember feeling physically queasy!

Intimacies – Katie Kitamura

This sparse novel is set entirely in The Hague, with the International Criminal Court taking central stage. An interpreter gets drawn into the case against a former president accused of war crimes, while she also has to deal with her relationship with a still-married man, and a random act of violence on her friend. It is a dreamlike story that doesn’t exactly highlight the pretty parts of this city. It will leave you wondering a fair few things, as some threads are resolved and others left dangling.

Testimony – Scott Turow

This thriller is mostly set in The Hague, again at the International Criminal Court. The story also takes you to the former Yugoslavia, as main character Bill ten Boom (not Dutch but American) is tasked with investigating the disappearance of a camp of Gypsies after the Bosnian War, when all he wanted really was to escape his messy divorce in the U.S. The plot is twisty, its characters murky, and the politics of the ICC ever-present. It’s the tenth book in the Kindle County series by Turow.

Quicksilver – Neal Stephenson

Part 1 of The Baroque Cycle, an action-packed, chaotic dash around Europe in the Baroque era. It’s partially set in The Hague, where main characters Jack and Eliza try to find a bit of rest but instead meet (actual) Dutch historical figures and become embroiled in court intrigue. You’ll laugh aloud and learn an immense amount about that time period, as well as most of western Europe in that time. But I’m not lying when I say it’s chaotic and action-packed!

Caliban’s War – James Corey

This second part of the Expanse series is partially set in a future The Hague, as the United Nations headquarters are there. (In the TV series The Hague, sadly, was not featured). And I’m very happy that The Hague is the place where you get to meet Chrisjen Avarasala, as she’s one of the best characters in the entire series. This whole series is a fantastic space opera, in any case, and highly recommended if you want high-octane action, alien incursions, and humanity split between Earth, Mars, and the asteroid belt.

The Love Hypothesis – Ali Hazelwood

Bonus The Hague mention! No, this beloved romance is not set in The Hague, unfortunately. But broody, adorable main character Adam was born there, so we’re keeping it in this list!