The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

We have a challenge for you this month! The nominated book must be set in a country other than the United States, Great Britain, or Scandinavia. It’s a big world and mysteries happen everywhere!


General rules for Group Reads

If your nomination wins - you will be the moderator.

One nomination per person from any mystery genre. Authors, please no self-nominations.

Nominations will be open until Thursday, February 3, 2011, with voting until February 10, 2011.

For your post, use Title, Author and Link (use the "add book/author" link at top of comment box) please.

Since we are a rather international group check to make sure the book is readily available. Is it available in paperback? Used? Your local library? The last thing we want is to nominate a great book that no one can get!

Finally, a word about series - the joy or bane of a mystery reader’s life! Please consider whether the book you are nominating would be best read by someone who has read all the previous books in the series or can be enjoyed by someone new to the series too.

Thanks for your cooperation!

I nominate Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith. Set in Russia.

What about Ratking by Michael Dibdin, set in Italy

a re-nomination for The Name of the Rose, Italy again

I'll nominate Wife of the Gods: A Novel by Kwei Quartey. Set in Ghana.

I want to nominate The Sherlockian by Graham Moore. I am almost finished with it and think it is a great mystery that links the past and present. This is set in London, and I have found several copies available at my local library.

Chris wrote: "I want to nominate The Sherlockian by Graham Moore. I am almost finished with it and think it is a great mystery that links the past and present. This is set in ..."

Hi Chris, I've heard The Sherlockian is a terrific book but this month we have the challenge to have a book that is *not* set in the US, UK, or Scandinavia. Would you like to nominate something else and save this for next month?

Oh sorry I thought it was just not in the US. Well I will keep thinking on this one then.

I would like to nominate City of Veilsby Zoe Ferraris. It's a murder mystery set in Saudi Arabia and has great reviews.

I would like to put forth The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch , it is set in Germany

Carte Blanche by Carlo Lucarelli. It's the first in the Commissario De Luca series. It takes place in Italy at the end of WWII. (Too many Italy nominations... if I find another one I will nominate it.)

A SMALL DEATH IN LISBON
Robert Wilson's masterpiece set in Portugal during WW2

Katrina wrote: "I would like to put forth The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch , it is set in Germany

"

I just bought this one on Kindle and would love a good excuse to go ahead and read it. Ha, ha.

Kathy wrote: "Katrina wrote: "I would like to put forth The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch , it is set in Germany

"

I just bought..."
Me too, I had been pondering it for a few days now and this topic chose bullied me into buying it.

Chris wrote: "I want to nominate The Sherlockian by Graham Moore. I am almost finished with it and think it is a great mystery that links the past and present. This is set in ..."

Moderator wrote: "Hi Chris, I've heard The Sherlockian is a terrific book but this month we have the challenge to have a book that is *not* set in the US, UK, or Scandinavia. Would you like to nominate something else and save this for next month? "

Just wanted to let you know that I would LOVE to read this book for next month! :)

I nominate Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.

I nominate The Jade del Cameron series by Suzanne Arruda.

I found the series by accident and I could't put it down It is set in Kenya.

Paul wrote: "a re-nomination for The Name of the Rose, Italy again"


Mine is sitting on the end table, waiting to be remembered after losing the last poll.

Alone (Detective D.D. Warren, #1)
by Lisa Gardner

Clayton wrote: "I nominate Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco."

there's a danger of splitting the Eco fanbase...

Pamela wrote: "I nominate The Jade del Cameron series by Suzanne Arruda."

Hi Pamela, Which book in this series would you like to nominate?

Jessica wrote: "Alone (Detective D.D. Warren, #1)
by Lisa Gardner"

Hi Jessica, This month there is a challenge to find a book set outside the US, UK, and Scandinavia (we were in a bit of a rut) so would you like to nominate another book? Alone sounds terrific so please nominate it again next month.

I nominate Murder in Mykonos by Jeffrey Siger, set in Greece.

Great to see that the challenge is trying to broaden our group's reading habits. Having taken part in the 2010 Global Reading Challenge (where you had to read 21 books from 21 different countries/7 continents to attain expert level, 6 from 6 different countries and continents for first level), I've had my eyes opened to good and great crime fiction from all around the world.

Good to see some African nominations here already. In an effort to provide another non-Euro alternative, I will once again put forward Paul Cleave's excellent recent thriller Blood Men: A Thriller - his first book to be released in the USA (so it should be easier for many on the forums to get hold of than some other Kiwi crime fiction).

Cleave is a truly terrific author - and has been praised extremely highly by the likes of Mark Billingham, John Connolly, and Tess Gerritsen, amongst others.

He's very popular in continental Europe, but the US/UK market hasn't quite caught on to him yet.

the Last Kashmiri Rose - set in India

I do not know if a book that takes place in Ireland would be considered for this but if so I recommend In the Woods, The Likeness and Faithful Place by Tana French.

Craig wrote: "Great to see that the challenge is trying to broaden our group's reading habits. Having taken part in the 2010 Global Reading Challenge (where you had to read 21 books from 21 different countries/7..."

"Blood Men" was quite good. My only read by Cleave but I would definitely try another.

Clayton wrote: "I do not know if a book that takes place in Ireland would be considered for this but if so I recommend In the Woods, The Likeness and Faithful Place by Tana French."

Hi Clayton, Tana French's books are terrific but would you mind terribly if we saved your nomination until next month?

The list so far

Russia - Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith
Italy - Ratking - Michael Dibdin
Italy - Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco
Ghana - Wife of the Gods - Kwei Quartey
Saudia Arabia - City of Veils - Zoe Ferraria
Germany - The Hangman's Daughter - Oliver Potzsch
Portgual - A Small Death in Lisbon - Robert Wilson
Italy - Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco
Greece - Murder in Mykonos - Jeffrey Sieger
New Zealand - Blood Men - Paul Cleve
India - The Last Kashmiri Rose - Beverely Cleverly
Italy - Shape of Water - Andrea Camilleri

South America anyone??

Hmm, maybe next time we try this, Italy should be an excluded country as well. If I find time to participate in the next read, I'd be only too happy with either of the Eco's.

So sorry to nominate another book set in Italy, but I love this series.
Wilful Behaviour by Donna DeLeon looks great. It is set in Venice with a great group of characters which includes the inspector, his smart and reliable secretary; his warm and intelligent wife and many everyday Venetians. I love the peek into everyday life in Venice (food, tourists, transportation) along with a good mystery.

By the way, I love these monthly nominations. Whether my nomination wins or not, I fill my "to read" shelf with titles that others nominate. I love clicking on the ones I don't know about and deciding on whether to add them.
Thanks for keeping my shelf healthy, folks!

I'd like to nominate December Heat by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza, which is the second Inspector Espinosa mystery set in Rio de Janeiro.

Mark of the lion but suzanne arruda

I would like to read The Hangman's Daughter

Rebecca wrote: "I'd like to nominate December Heat by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza, which is the second Inspector Espinosa mystery set in Rio de Janeiro."

I read Southwesterly Wind last year for the Global Reading Challenge, and quite enjoyed it (it was more atmospheric than intriguing)...

I nominate Out by Natsuo Kirino. It is set in Japan.

Doreen wrote: "I nominate Out by Natsuo Kirino. It is set in Japan."

I have that here somewhere. I read about half of it before something came up and I just never got back to it. Pretty gritty stuff.

Kathy wrote: "Katrina wrote: "I would like to put forth The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch , it is set in Germany

"

I just bought..."

I was able to snag it as a free Kindle book and would love to read it as well.

I would like to nominate The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith set in Gaborone, Botswana.

Some great nominations coming in. For me personally, even if my nomination of the excellent Blood Men: A Thriller by Paul Cleave fails to gain sufficient support, if we are to be truly global in our reading, it would be great to see some non US and UK/Europe authors also being read - with apologies to those that have nominated UK/US authors setting books in exotic places

I confess that I accidentally purchased The Hangman's Daughter from my Kindle. I intended only to read the description. My bumbling was so complete that I even tripped past the "Did you purchase this book in error?" message.

I'm quite glad that I did.

I just couldn't 123 say a title.... but why looking far if it is near (and now I hope my nomination is ok):

Maigret Has Scruplesby Georges Simenon
Belgian writer but the story is situated in France

K.B. wrote: "Hmm, maybe next time we try this, Italy should be an excluded country as well. If I find time to participate in the next read, I'd be only too happy with either of the Eco's."

hahahaha, I was thinking the contrary, only Italy!

That would be fun, too, Jeane.

Sharonm wrote: "I nominate Murder in Mykonos by Jeffrey Siger, set in Greece."

Sounds goood!

maybe we should do a continental rotation each month (kinda like FIFA tried for a while)? And each time we go back to a Europe/North America continent, try a different country/state etc? That would get us reading a lot more widely...

This sounds like a good plan to me.

I think that would be a lot of fun, Craig.