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Mysteries in translation

GERBAM

New Member
Per wahloo and georges simenon are not the only wonderful crime writers in translation. To miss these people is to miss a major element of mystery/thriller/suspense novels.

Try:
henning mankell
peter hoeg
andrea camillieri
luis alfredo garcia-roza
steig larsson
arnaulder indridason
seicho matsumoto
miyuki miyabi​

you are in store for a great reading experience.
 
Saliotthomas ...
Seems as though you and i are the only ones reading 'in translation'
have you tried: Ivan klimas
liza marklund
yrsa sigurdardottir
?

Who else do you recommend?
 
Bg
lol lol lol
i take it liza marklund is not at the top of your tbr list
i enjoyed the book i read: 'studio sex'
 
i take it liza marklund is not at the top of your tbr list

TBR? I've read her. And OK, she's not the single worst mystery writer out there, that's a position that a lot of writers are fighting for. (Former Swedish minister of justice, Thomas Bodström, recently wrote two "mysteries" that made my brain want to crawl down the optical nerve and kick my eyes out rather than read another page.) But she's still... awful. I always figured that the reason why the publisher keeps putting her photo on the cover, rather than anything related to the plot, is because they're not sure that all people buying her books are actually literate.
 
They do that with Amelie Nothomb too.She on the cover of all her books.

No Gerbam i have not read the ones you mentioned but will if i come across(expect the Marklunb woman thanks BG).
Actualy the three French crime writers i did not read in translation but in French so it does no really count,does it?Akunine was a translation.
Another good French one is JP Manchette for crime linky- Jean-Patrick Manchette
and of course Leo malet
Léo Malet
 
Literate or not literate that is the question? Not!

tbr?
To be read


i always figured that the reason why the publisher keeps putting her photo on the cover, rather than anything related to the plot, is because they're not sure that all people buying her books are actually literate.

ouch!! Lol lol lol
 
I also enjoy reading Henning Mankell and Fred Vargas in translation. I am looking forward to reading Steig Larsson, but I want to wait until all three titles are available in English. I like Boris Akunin's Fandorin series, but gave up on the Sister Pelagia series when I was bored stiff halfway through SISTER PELAGIA AND THE WHITE BULLDOG.

I recently read Jo Nesbo's THE REDBREAST and NEMESIS and am looking forward to the next in the series, DEVIL'S STAR. Nesbo's protagonist is the unfortunately named Harry Hole, an Oslo police detective. Like any good Scandinavian detective, Hole is a bit of a loner who has difficult relationships in his professional and personal lives. The plots of these books are dense and intricate, with interesting and complex characters.

This is my first post on this forum. I've been looking for a good mystery discussion group and this one looks like it is fairly lively and varied.
 
There are 4 writers in the original list that I haven't tried but will now; listing Per Waloo & Maj Sjowal in the opening sentence assures me I will not go wrong.

Thanks,
Mats
 
I have read 5 of Arnuldur Indridason's Inspector Erlandur novel and think they are fantastic. I have been interested in Icelandic history and culture for many years so it is great to find detective novels that are set there.

I have just finished reading Karin Fossum's Calling Out for You (printed under the title "The Indian Bride' in the USA). I am looking forward to reading more of her Inspector Sejer novels. Going on only this one book I would recommend her to others.

I have just bought a second-hand copy of Henning Mankell's The Fifth Woman and it about third in line on my To Read list.
 
Miss Chicken

I have read all of the books you mentioned in your post and agree that they are all excellent. Since you especially like Icelandic settings you might want to read LAST RITUALS by Yrsa Sigurdardottir and her newer one. I've only found 2 of hers.

And if memory serves me Peter Hoeg's SMILLA'S SENSE OF SNOW takes place in Iceland

THe world is so fortunate that all of these wonderful writers are being translated into English (for me) and other languages.
 
I'm reading The man who went up in smoke by Sjowall/Wahloo,very good so far.
I'm complitly sure it's a translation,the authors,husband and wife, are Swedes but they might have written in English.It would go in cerebral mystery then.
 
I'm reading The man who went up in smoke by Sjowall/Wahloo,very good so far.
I'm complitly sure it's a translation,the authors,husband and wife, are Swedes but they might have written in English.It would go in cerebral mystery then.

They wrote in Swedish - in fact, they pretty much invented the modern Swedish crime novel template that people like Mankell, Larsson and that lot have been following since. The complete series:
1. Roseanna (Roseanna, 1965)
2. The Man Who Went Up in Smoke (Mannen som gick upp i rök, 1966)
3. The Man on the Balcony (Mannen på balkongen, 1967)
4. The Laughing Policeman (Den skrattande polisen, 1968)
5. The Fire Engine That Disappeared (Brandbilen som försvann, 1969)
6. Murder at the Savoy (Polis, polis, potatismos!, 1970)
7. The Abominable Man (Den vedervärdige mannen från Säffle, 1971)
8. The Locked Room (Det slutna rummet, 1972)
9. Cop Killer (Polismördaren, 1974)
10. The Terrorists (Terroristerna, 1975)

Pretty damn good novels, as I recall. Also turned into a bunch of movies, some of which are great (The Man On The Roof) and many of which are utter crap.

Sjöwall and Wahlöö - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
TBR? I've read her. And OK, she's not the single worst mystery writer out there, that's a position that a lot of writers are fighting for. (Former Swedish minister of justice, Thomas Bodström, recently wrote two "mysteries" that made my brain want to crawl down the optical nerve and kick my eyes out rather than read another page.) But she's still... awful. I always figured that the reason why the publisher keeps putting her photo on the cover, rather than anything related to the plot, is because they're not sure that all people buying her books are actually literate.

:D

That was good. You have a way with words.
 
A big YES to Arnuldur Indridason and Yrsa Sigurdadottir.

I recently emailed a website about contemporary Icelandic literature, asking for information about the next English translations of Yrsa's books and here is an excerpt from the reply:

I asked Yrsa's publisher here in Iceland and he told me that Ashes to Dust should be published in the fall of 2010 (or at the latest at the start of 2011) and Veins of Ice the following year.

I hope this information is useful. :)
 
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