World Mysteries and Thrillers discussion
Hot topics
>
What are you reading now?
I just finished a terrific thriller: Operation Napoleon by Icelandic author Arnaldur Indridason. This is a stand-alone novel outside the Detective Erlendur police procedural series. The story is a bit far-fetched (or tries to be) but the writing is pacy and the characters are very interesting. It was an interesting hypothetical on the Secret Service activities at the end of World War II.Now I'm down in the other hemisphere just starting to read Malla Nunn's Let the Dead Lie, set in 1950's South Africa during the Apartheid. This is the second book about Detective Inspector Emmanuel Cooper, who is a very humane character in a very inhumane environment. How he manages to maintain his sanity is as much a part of the action as his solving of the mystery.
I've almost finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and then I'll be moving straight onto Redbrest by Jo Nesbo. I've heard a lot of good things about his series of Harry Hole novels and I'm looking forward to an exhilarating read with twists-galore.
Well after reading the Dragon Trilogy, I powered my way throught the superb Wallander series, and all of Jo Nesbos books too! So I am now reading 'The Hidden Child' by Camilla Lackberg, and at the moment it's not grabbing me to be honest.I loved Nesbos series, dark but more fast paced and modern than Wallander, but both excellent in their different ways.
I also tried Echoes from the Dead and Borkmann's Point, but again, I didn't get pulled into them like with Larsson, Nesbo and Mankell
Mod
My Nesbo books are still on the TBR pile. Perhaps I should read at least one of those next, finally. A friend of mine, who usually doesn't do thrillers or mysteries (but who loves the Larsson series) was just wondering a few days ago whether they were any good.
Maybe it's odd but I do get a certain frustration if I've been subject to too many meh or mediocre books recently, or haven't had time to read anything I'd particularly fancy. So now it's kind of that itch again. Last week I finished The Rattle-Rat - Grijpstra & De Gier, The Amsterdam Cops by Janwillem Van De Wetering. I do remember some of his other books when I was a kid (yes, I moved to the detectives and thrillers in adults section when I was 10-11 or so), in the late 1980s. Now... I don't understand how I could have liked that series. Odd and flaky... could perhaps work as TV movies. So that + a few other books that feel like a chore instead of a pleasure would all contribute to that itch. Definitely next back to a Wallander or a Nesbo.
If you haven't started reading any of Jo Nesbo's series I recommend that you read them in the order they were written rather than the order they were translated to English. (Unfortunately the first 2 haven't been translated yet.)- The Redbreast (3)
- Nemesis (4)
- The Devil's Star (5)
These 3 make up "The Oslo Trilogy". I read The Devil's Star first which made the previous books read rather strangely when they came out in English later, but I got over it. I read an interview with Nesbo on the Detectives Beyond Borders blog saying that The Batman(1) and The Cockroaches(2) will be coming out in English translations eventually, but they aren't essential to the story sequence. (I'll enjoy reading the first one because it is set in Australia, where I live - an unusual way to introduce a Norwegian crime fiction series.)
This is one of the most thrilling series to come out of Scandinavia and Nesbo balances the elements of plot, psychology, procedure, suspense and action extremely well. Be sure to give yourself enough space and time for them. They will take over your life!
Nesbo is the most gripping of the lot. Every time I read his books I am lost for days. Book in one and trying to to chores with the other whilst still reading!
I just finished reading The Laughing Policeman by Maj Sjowall.I really enjoy reading Jo Nesbo and was surprised that his books weren't translated in order. I've read The Devil's Star and the Snowman. I have his other books on my to read list.
Mod
So the big question is: should I read The Devil's Star, which I already have, next, OR try to find Nemesis first?
Anna wrote: "Ok, I finished The Redbreast, and I liked it a lot. So the big question is: should I read The Devil's Star, which I already have, next, OR try to find Nemesis first?"
I read Devil's Star without having read the previous books. It was easy enough to follow the series without having read them in order. Hopefully you can find Nemesis easily too.
just getting ready to start The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson. I have never read anything by this Swedish author before but this book seems to have gotten some good reviews.
Mod
I'm reading 'at home' right now - Garry Disher's latest thriller/police procedural "Whispering Death", set on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne. There's a serial rapist dressed as a policeman making life doubly tough for the Waterloo Police - is he one of theirs? The Hal Challis/Ellen Destry series is one of my Top 5 as all the characters are so well developed that they are like old friends - well, maybe not the perpetrators! The reflections on lives and lifestyles in this part of the world is so insightful that keeping pace with this series is almost an addiction.
I am new to this group. Recently started Jo Nesbo's Snowman and LOVE it. Before that I finished the Stieg Larsson trilogy, which I really enjoyed. Read some reviews of Snowman and thought I would check it out. So searching out fellow Nesbo fans! Glad to see some good posts here and look forward to joining your discussions and sharing recommendations.
I just started The Butterfly Cabinet by Bernie McGill. It is based on a true incident that occurred at the end of the 19th century in Ireland. The young daughter of an aristocratic family was found dead and this book gives the perspective of the nanny. The 4 year old's mother went to prison for her death.
For those of you who are new to Scandinavian writers but enjoy psychological mysteries (e.g., P D James, Ruth Rendell, etc.) you would find the following authors worth pursuing:Hakan Nesser - Inspector Van Veeteren series (Sweden),
Jan Costin Wagner - Police detective Kimmo Joentaa (Finland),
Karin Fossum - Inspector Konrad Sejer (Norway),
Kjell Eriksson - Police detective Ann Lindell (Sweden)
Arnaldur Indridason - Inspector Erlendur (Iceland)
These are only the tip of the iceberg, but I have really enjoyed the psychological insights that these authors expose.
A very useful site for keeping track of crime fiction series is Stop! You're Killing Me:
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/ind...
Happy reading!
Mod
(How about swapping the Erikssons? This one is the second on the series)
I've really enjoyed reading Kjell Eriksson's series, though I haven't found that the order is as crucial here. Each of the stories is very bound to the particular crime and are true 'police procedurals'. The back stories for members of the police team are not as delineated as they are in some other series, but I don't think this a fault. Each mystery is facinating. The fourth translation is about to come out in the UK, The Hand That Trembles. I'm looking forward to reading it.
I agree with those who praise Jo Nesbo, The Snowman ranks among my favorite mystery crime novels
I just finished The Return of the Dancing Master by Henning Mankell.
Anna wrote: "Mary, I just finished The Cruel Stars of The Night, and I liked it a lot. Very fascinating characters (even the Bad person.. especially the bad person). Did you like The Princess of Burundi? I thin..."I really enjoyed this book. The characters are all very interesting.
I've been on a Scandanavian murder mystery binge all summer so now I am changing the crime scene. I'm starting Murder in Clichy by Cara Black. It's an Aimee Leduc mystery that takes place in Paris. I've never read this author before.
Mod
I read around the world. Andrea Camilleri in Italy all 12 books so far. I've read a lot of Scandinavian mysteries, being one of the moderators, we've got 242 books on crime (Scandinavian and Nordic Crime Fiction), James Thompson, who wrote Snow Angels and Lucifer's Tears is a member (Finland). All the Frank Tallis books on Vienna (my daughter lives there), several books on Spain like Carlos Ruiz Zafon, he's in LA now. Poland and Germany with Alan Furst even though he's from New York. England with Robert Goddard and Ken Follett. Paris with Cara Black, even if she's lives in San Francisco.. Lookin for something new!
Mod
I'm a nasty American who only learned English and not that well. I have to look for translations. Already read the Ian Fleming books (not in my book count) I do like Spain and Portugal.
Mod
Translated Colombian Garcia Marquez y and Argentinian Jorge Luis Borges are good options for youKenneth wrote: "I'm a nasty American who only learned English and not that well. I have to look for translations. Already read the Ian Fleming books (not in my book count) I do like Spain and Portugal."
Thank you everyone, this is going to be good reading.
Kenneth, another fascinating series that is available in English is by Qiu Xiaolong. Chinese by birth, he is now an academic in English literature in the USA and has written a wonderful crime fiction series about a Shanghai police detective/poet set in the 1990s. The insights into the culture and politics of China are as intriguing as the mysteries in his books.I'm currently reading Ake Edwardson's Death Angels set primarily in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is the first in the Inspector Erik Winter series (1997) but was only translated to English in 2009. I've enjoyed reading other books in this series that were translated to English earlier, but this one introduces the main characters extremely well which helps balance the fact that the murders in this book are very gristly. A series of similar crime scenes in both Gothenburg and London bring Erik Winter and his London counterpart, Steve Macdonald, together to try to unravel the mystery.
I've only read a third of the book so far and I'm really enjoying the character development. Not only the main protagonists but each of the team members is fully realised.
Back to gathering evidence!
If you are a fan of twist-galore I can recommend you an author called Jeffery Deaver, his early books were excellent (Lyncoln Rhymes series), not his late production, I would say ten years to now. Try "The Bone Collector" and "The Empty Chair"D wrote: "I've almost finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and then I'll be moving straight onto Redbrest by Jo Nesbo. I've heard a lot of good things about his series of Harry Hole novels and I'm looki..."
D wrote: "I've almost finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and then I'll be moving straight onto Redbrest by Jo Nesbo. I've heard a lot of good things about his series of Harry Hole novels and I'm looki..."
Love Harry Hole. I've read a couple of Jo Nesbo's books. Great to find yourself in an environment so far from home. (Australia!)
Love Harry Hole. I've read a couple of Jo Nesbo's books. Great to find yourself in an environment so far from home. (Australia!)
I too have been on a Scandi Mystery binge. Enjoyed Larsson, discovered Nesbo (great), continuing with Indridason, started Eriksson and acquired some Fossum and an Edwardson. Sadly, many Scandi authors are hard to find in Canada.
I use Amazon and usually use the used books section. Although Jo Nesbo is usually pricey.
Mod
And when traveling, sometimes some surprising places end up having decent reads.
Right now about to finish Instruments of Darkness by Robert Wilson (located in West Africa, quite different from the Small Death in Lisbon for sure), and can't make up my mind yet what to read next.
I finished Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino. Can't say I completely enjoyed this book. I liked the way the author presented the story through 4 different points of view, but by the end of the book I was irritated by all of the characters and I didn't really care what happened to any of them. I am taking a break from my world tour, but I have Box 21 by Roslund-Hellstrom on standby. I also purchased The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo, but now that I know that I know there are two other books preceding this book, I will hold off on reading until I read them.
I'm reading Lucifer's Tears by James Thompson, wow, takes me back towhen I was a teenager in Minnesota. All the wood stoked sauna's and jumping in the snow. Shushing, down the hills on moguls. Winter fun. Would kill myself if I did it now. It puts Snow Angles to shame. Way to go James, I like this book better.
Can't wait for Helsinki White.
Hello Everyone,I am very new to the group and I am looking forward to scouring the group's bookshelves and discussing books.
Does anyone know if there are other books that I should read before The Snowman byJo Nesbø?
Hello,I am new to the group and looking forward to scouring the group's bookshelves and discussing books. I have The Snowman by Jo Nesbo on hold at the library to begin my experience.
There are many:1. The Batman ) These two are be translated
2. Cockroaches )
3. The Redbreast
4. Nemesis
5. The Devils Star
6. The Redeemer
7. The Snowman
8. The Leopard
9. Phantom
Kenneth wrote: "There are many:1. The Batman ) These two are be translated
2. Cockroaches )
3. The Redbreast
4. Nemesis
5. The Devils..."
Thank you.
Mod
As soon as I finish Icebreaker, it's time for Snow Angels.
Thanks again. I checked my library and found The Redbreast.
Hi, all! Happy to find this group. I absolutely love the Inspector Rostnikov series by Stuart Kaminsky and am trying to read them in order. Right now waiting for "Red Chameleon" to arrive at my local library. I also enjoyed "Eye of the Red Tsar" by Sam Eastland and "Child 44" by Tom Rob Smith. Also, my favorite author is Alexander McCall Smith and of course I adore Mma Ramotswe! Reading these comments has definitely helped me add to my "to read" list.
I just finished The Trinity Six, by Charles Cumming. I just joined this group and don't know if he's already as popular as he should be and I'm just late to the ball. By finishing The Trinity Six, I've now finished everything he's published back to back to back to back. It's not that I'm mired in a rut for espionage, but this man is a remarkably gifted writer and storyteller. His manner of presentation of the global espionage thriller is far from conventional.
I suggest to everyone that they start with A Spy by Nature and then it's follow-up, The Spanish Game. These books will educate, captivate and entertain in a manner not often found.
I can think of few authors who dominated my attention for that many books in a row. (The third book is called Typhoon).
Mod
I started Snow Angels the other night, and I'm enjoying it a lot. Thompson manages to capture the atmosphere and the Finns very well - I'll add a more detailed review for that once I'm done with it, but so far I dig it a lot.
Mod
It took a 100 pages, I'm reading "Between Summers Longing and Winter's End, in the beginning it kept shifting between characters every paragraph.
World Mysteries and Thrillers
Books mentioned in this topic
Four Aunties and a Wedding (other topics)My Friends (other topics)
Midnight and Blue (other topics)
Robert B. Parker's Buried Secrets (other topics)
Hidden in Smoke (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jesse Q. Sutanto (other topics)Fredrik Backman (other topics)
Ian Rankin (other topics)
Christopher Farnsworth (other topics)
Lee Goldberg (other topics)
More...
I'm currently reading the Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell. I found a few books, got hooked, and was lucky to find the rest of the series in a second hand shop. (So far done The Dogs of Riga, The Man Who Smiled, Sidetracked, and Faceless Killers, and now will continue chronologically).
On the same time, I try to read a few other books too. I have some books of Robert Wilson (The Blind Man of Seville etc), and something by Selçun Altun, Arimasa Osawa etc. Just cannot make up my mind what to read next...