NIGEL BEALE NOTA BENE BOOKS

I dropped in on Mary Ann Talmadge at Dunbar Old Books in Miami the other day. Turns out she’s an avid mystery fan and, given the breadth of her reading, I’d say an authority on the subject. What’s interesting about her annotated list of best mystery/crime/detective – whatever you want to call them – writers is how thoroughly non-American it is. How completely different it is from this. Which prompts me to want to put Mary Ann in touch with Chad Post at Open Letter.

Here’s the best, most authoritative unconventional mystery reading list you could ever possibly ever wish for…better start buying now for your summer vacation:

Henning Mankell: Sweden’s best cop/mystery writer. The main character in these stories is Kurt Wallander. As he solves horrific crimes he also juggles problems with his father and his daughter. The escapades of his father are worth the price of the books. Read them in order, starting with Faceless Killers.

Ake Edwardson: More horrific crimes, but Erik Winter’s home life is tamer than Wallander’s. The stories are set in and around Gothenburg, with a trip to England here and there. As with Mankell you’re seeing the under belly of Swedish society. Start with Sun and Shadow.

Fred Vargas: From France, a real find. Vargas’ first book was The Three Evangelists. It isn’t her best, but it sets the stage for the commissaire Adamsberg books that follow. The first one of those is Have Mercy on Us All. Learn how the French solve crimes.

Donna Leon: She writes about Guido Brunetti and his efforts to solve crime in Venice, where the police use boats. You’ll love Mrs. Brunetti and get a feel for modern Italian home life.

Magdalena Nabb has written 12 novels about Marshal Guarnaccia of the carabinieri. The stories are set in Florence where it’s drier and sometimes hot. More Italian home life. These Italian crimes aren’t nearly as horrific as the Swedish ones.

Andrea Camilleri: Now we’re in Sicily. Camilleri write fast paced stories that are easy to read. No home life here, not even a cat.

Denise Mina: Stick to the Paddy Meehan stories and learn about the Glashow that you didn’t know existed. You’ll love Paddy, her irreverence and loyalty. Start with The Field of Blood.

Peter Temple: Cop mysteries in Australia. Temple has two story lines: Jack Irish and Cashin. I prefer the Cashin stories, starting with The Broken Shore. Cashin has a soft side with trips into the world of dogs and opera. Jack Irish is trying to be hardboiled.

P. D. James: So much has been said about her writing – but there are two elements that I really like – her description of the English countryside and her minor characters. Tallulah Clutton, from The Murder Room, is my favorite. Ignore her bloodless detective and focus on the other characters.

Margery Allingham: Set in the 1930s her Mr. Campion stories should be on your reading list.

Peter Robinson: Hardboiled, but good writing.

Stieg Larsson: I’ve read the first two books in his trilogy. But I’m not sure what I think of him yet. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo should be read.

V. L. McDermid: Love her books. Not sure where to put her in the pantheon.

Right now I’m reading Boris Akunin. No opinion yet.

And oh yes, I almost forgot Jo Nesbo, from Norway. He’s fantastic.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 6:59 AM and is filed under Authors and Books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.