Just before Anne is moving from Amsterdam to live with her great love Sara in Montreal, her publisher criticizes the manuscript for her first novel. What exactly is the story she's trying to tell? Does she even have something to say at all? Anne is forced to search for what she wants in life, because it is not only the main character in her novel who seems to be a little lost.
More than 30 years after the dramatic ending of a train hijack five people involved meet each other on a television show. Starting point is the death of the only female hijacker: Noor. One by one the five enter the studio. Each with their own expectations or hidden agenda.
Twenty years after his teenage crush on a football-mad schoolgirl, Gregory is back at his old school, teaching English. When two of his pupils uncover evil practices at a local factory they want their teacher to help them expose the wrong-doer, who happens to be Greg's old schoolfriend.
When ex-colleague Peter de Beer is killed, detective De Cock is facing the ultimate challenge. Peter’s daughter Michaelle, a witness of the murder, is in shock and cannot help De Cock. But, does the killer also know this? Out of precaution De Cock takes the little crown witness under his wings. To his regrets he concludes that his past pursues him. The trail is leading to a couple of old-India travelers. These old but very tough men already prevented him to solve a murder case years ago. Also this time they try whatever is in their power to keep the murder covered up.
Somewhere in the near future, exists The Arena. Here men with an 'agression gene' with which they want to live no longer, are being admitted to fulfil their wish to die. Through fights to the death, televised by the commercial sportschannel, lives are being ended before one's time. Temmink, one of the gladiators, wins his first fight, finds a friend in a colleague and falls in love with one of the prostitutes. He becomes a national hero and loses his will to die. But, once admitted to the The Arena, there is no return...
Johan Ten Berghe joins the Dutch army when the Dutch East Indies unilaterally declare independence as Indonesia. He initiates his naive driver Twan in life in the East, having grown up there as son of colonial official Hendrik, now missing. Their adventures intertwine with Johan's childhood memories, especially concerning his native best friend, Oeroeg, who joined the rebellion, as well as their nanny and later de facto stepmother. Conflicting loyalties become tangible in extreme situations