AMSTERDAM--Journalist, author and AFRO Magazine founder Marvin Hokstam Baapoure has released his debut novel, Het Punt., a historical thriller that combines a murder investigation with questions of racism, identity, colonial history and the lasting influence of the past.
The novel was released on Friday, July 31, 2026, by HOX Projects BV, Hokstam Baapoure’s publishing company. It follows the publication earlier this year of his mini-novella, De Belofte.
Het Punt. begins on a cold December morning when the body of a racist politician is discovered hanging from a tree along the Lindengracht in Amsterdam. What initially appears to police to be a case of suicide develops into a far-reaching investigation connected to a family history spanning 300 years and three continents.
The investigation moves beyond Amsterdam and reaches into Ghana and Suriname, connecting present-day events to histories that continue to influence families, institutions and societies. The novel brings together characters with opposing perspectives while examining the effects of racism, inherited trauma, family secrets and colonialism.
Rather than using Amsterdam, Suriname and Ghana only as settings, Het Punt. places their shared history at the centre of the story. Its historical elements are incorporated into the investigation, gradually revealing additional dimensions to the crime and the people connected to it.
The novel has been described as a work that goes beyond the conventions of a traditional thriller by combining suspense with historical depth and social commentary. Early reader responses have highlighted its accessible writing style, visual storytelling and treatment of complex subjects without losing the pace of the central mystery.
Hokstam Baapoure has a longstanding connection to St. Maarten, having worked as a journalist for The Daily Herald during the Caribbean phase of his career. He also worked for De West in Suriname and contributed to Caribbean and international publications and news agencies.
During his years working in the Caribbean, Hokstam Baapoure received five regional journalism awards, including recognition for tourism and health reporting. After relocating to the Netherlands, he founded AFRO Magazine, which focuses on the African diaspora, as well as the Broos Institute for Afrocentric Studies and Research.
Born in the Rangoelam neighbourhood of Suriname on November 1, 1968, Hokstam Baapoure studied journalism in Suriname and England. His experience as a journalist is reflected in the novel’s investigative structure and its examination of history, power and competing versions of the truth.
Het Punt. is dedicated to his mother, Helouise Hokstam-Weegman, who died unexpectedly in July 2026.
The book is available in the Netherlands through the AFRO Magazine online store. It is expected to become available in Suriname through Kasco Boekhandel, located at Heerenstraat 25 in Paramaribo.
Het Punt. is published by HOX Projects BV under ISBN 9789083591100.
Information sourced from waterkrant.net
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