Crime/mystery novels - suggestions, please

[Miss Chicken]

I am specifically looking for non-British/non-American crime novels but need novels that have English translations.

I wouldn't mind novels set in

Turkey
Japan
South America
Africa (I have read some of the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency)
India


I have read most of Colin Cotterill's Dr Siri series set in Laos.

As far as Europe goes. I have read many Scandanavian authors so I am not particularly looking for novel from those countries. So I am looking at novels set in

Italy - except for Donna Leon
Spain and Portugal
Russia etc

 

[stj]

The only foreign mystery writers I know of that are translated and widespread in the US are, first of all, Georges Simenon, France; Paco Ignacio Taibo, Mexico; Arturo Perez-Reverte, Spain; Umberto Eco, Italy. Simenon is a world classic but Perez-Reverte's work has many fantastic elements. Ditto Eco.

The late, great Michael Dibdin had a series detective, the Venetian Aurelio Zen. He was English but for my money still better than Donna Leon.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I read quite a few of Georges Simeon's Maigret novels many years ago (probably more than 30 years ago). I was a little disappointed that none of his books are available on Kindle as I think many of his earlier works are now in the public domain. i think Simeon was Belgian, not French.

I have put a couple of the Dibdin books onto my wishlist. I found I couldn't really get into Donna Leon. My brother really likes her though.

 

[DrMaturin]

I am not sure if you are more interested in the setting and character nationality or the author. You might want to look at:

The Inspector Chen series by Xiaolong Qiu set in Shanghai.

Lieutenant Kramer and Detective Sergeant Mickey Zondi series by James McClure set in South Africa during apartheid.

Sugawara Akitada series by I.J. Parker (not a Japanese writer) set in 11th Century Japan.


Sano Ichiro series by Laura Joh Rowland set in 17th Century Japan.

Commissario Guido Brunetti series by Donna Leon set in Venice.

Also there a ton of what I refer to as Icelandic/Scandinavian Noir writers, just check wikipedia or google. They are all so depressing, they cheer me up by comparison.

 

[stj]

If native English authors in foreign settings are okay, Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko series set in Russia is well known.

For China, Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee books are classic. Eleanor Cooney and Robert Altieri wrote a mystery based on the life of Empress Wu, but I forget the title. Glancing at Amazon, it appears they continued their partnership.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I am not sure if you are more interested in the setting and character nationality or the author. You might want to look at:

The Inspector Chen series by Xiaolong Qiu set in Shanghai.

Lieutenant Kramer and Detective Sergeant Mickey Zondi series by James McClure set in South Africa during apartheid.

Sugawara Akitada series by I.J. Parker (not a Japanese writer) set in 11th Century Japan.


Sano Ichiro series by Laura Joh Rowland set in 17th Century Japan.

Commissario Guido Brunetti series by Donna Leon set in Venice.

Also there a ton of what I refer to as Icelandic/Scandinavian Noir writers, just check wikipedia or google. They are all so depressing, they cheer me up by comparison.

Thanks. I have added some Xiaolong Qiu, I.J. Parker, Laura Joh Rowland, and James McClure to my wishlist. I will probably get the books that are available on Kindle first as I find my Kindle/iPad easier to read than a paperback because of my eyesight.

I wanted to enjoy the Guido Brunetti books when I started to read a couple of them a few years ago but I guess I didn't like Guido all the much. I watched a few episodes of the TV show as well.

I have read quite a few books by Scandanavian authors. These authors include

Iceland - Arnaldur Indridason, Yrsa Sigurdsdottir, Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson

Norway - Karin Fossum, Anne Holt

Sweden - Mari Jungstedt, Karin Alvtegen, Johan Theorin

If native English authors in foreign settings are okay, Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko series set in Russia is well known.

Yes, books by native English speakers are fine which is why I listed Colin Cotterill (Dr Siri) and Alexander McCall Smith (No 1 Ladies Detective Agency) among authors I have already read.

Thanks for your suggestion. I will chck up on them on Amazon later.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Natsuo Kirino might be a good stop for Japan - though only three of her books have been translated so far (Out, Grotesque, and Real World)