Quirky Detectives Around the World

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

In my experience, mystery fans are voracious readers who are always looking for something new to read.  The library has many new mysteries available, often featuring unique detectives working in interesting places around the world.

Murder in an English Village is the first in a new series, the Beryl and Edwina mysteries. Author Jessica Ellicott has written previously under the pen names Jessie Crockett and Jessica Estevao.  Beryl is a famous American adventuress who is looking for some peace and quiet (and a reprieve from Prohibition) when she goes to stay with her prim and proper friend Edwina in 1920.  But, as English villages in cozy mysteries often do, this town has a dark side.  These two ladies of a certain age set up shop as “private inquiry agents.”  This a good choice if you like your mysteries light and fun.

The Punishment She Deserves is the twentieth Inspector Lynley novel by Elizabeth George.  This one is also set in a perfect English village full of dark secrets, but it’s not a cozy mystery.  Full of complexity and nuance, but still a page-turner, this installment features Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers investigating the death of a respected deacon while he was in police custody.  Although it appears to be a suicide, Havers digs deeper.  Reviewers are saying this is one of George’s best.

Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions is the first in the Tante Poldi series by Mario Giordano.  Giordano is a German author and screenwriter; this is his first book to be translated into English.  He loosely based the Auntie Poldi character on one of his aunts and the narrator on himself, with other Sicilian relatives among the supporting characters.  Bold, funny, and glamorous Poldi has retired to Sicily to drink herself to death with a sea view, but when her young hired man is murdered, she decides to find his killer.  Book reviewers love this charming new detective, expected to appeal to fans of Inspector Montalbano, Precious Ramotswe, and Jessica Fletcher.

Dying to Live is the newest Detective Kubu mystery by Michael Stanley, the sixth in the series.  The humble and likeable David “Kubu” Bengu is an assistant superintendent in the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department.  The body of an elderly Bushman is found near a game reserve, and when an autopsy is done, his organs appear surprisingly young.  Then the body is stolen from the morgue.  This is also recommended for fans of Alexander McCall Smith’s mysteries.

The Temptation of Forgiveness is the 27^th Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery by Donna Leon.  These novels include both the charming and the seedy sides of Venice.  A friend of Brunetti’s wife comes to him, hoping he can intervene with her son, who she believes is doing drugs.  Then her husband is found seriously injured at the foot of a bridge, which draws Brunetti into an investigation into the connection between the two situations.  Leon’s mysteries appeal to those who want complex characters with their suspense.

Other mystery novels recently added to the library collection include The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Green Sun by Kent Anderson, The Throne of Caesar by Steven Saylor, and The Gate Keeper by Charles Todd.  Travel the world and investigate a new detective by checking out a mystery at the library!