Van Emlandt's work "Treacherous Ice" belongs to the genre of a police novel. And this is not surprising - the author served for many years in the police. The tireless Van Houtem in “Treacherous Ice” is not a private detective, not an eccentric or a snob, engaged in solving criminal “puzzles” out of curiosity or for fun, like the heroes of Poe or Conan Doyle , but a humble policeman, fighting evil day after day for a small salary. Van Houtem does not perform any miracles of dexterity and insight, except, of course, for the miracle of honest, systematic and tireless work in searching for criminals. Reasonable, calm and balanced Van Houtem is, according to the author, a typical Dutchman, a bearer of traditional national qualities such as calmness, hard work, sober thinking, and the ability to work together.