International Mystery Books

I don't know about you, but my quarantine time was largely spent catching up on my ever-growing reading list. Since travel was so limited, I found that the perfect books to read were the ones that allowed me to experience a new location and "travel" in the mind's eye.

Check Out This List of
​ Mystery Novels Set Around the World.

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If you've been following my blog, you know that I love crime fiction, detective series, and psychological thrillers. I loved reading these mystery novels, both for the thrill of the story and for the descriptions of the locations and settings in which they take place.

1. A Death in Vienna

The year is 1902. A famous medium has been murdered and it's up to Detective Rheinhardt and his friend, psychologist Dr. Liebermann, to solve the case. Frank Tallis weaves a gripping tale set in Vienna. Though descriptions of the city itself are lacking, Tallis intertwines both the now-classical music of 19th-century Vienna and names of various coffee beverages for which Vienna is notorious as he tells his tale of psychology and science, imposters and fools, murder and the occult.

2. Rivers of London

This one gripped me from page one. Ben Aaronovitch's protagonist, Peter Grant, is a London police officer just starting his career and currently nearing the end of his probationary period. The problem is, he's not all that great of a police officer. He's on the road to a desk job mainly consisting of writing reports and data entry - that is, until he interviews a ghost as a material witness to a recent homicide. This detective fiction novel will have you running through the streets of London, often at night, along with Grant.

3. Buried in a Bog

Take a trip to a small town in County Cork, Ireland, as Maura discovers her roots. Sheila Connolly tells a well-written story about a young woman's search for identity while weaving in details about Ireland and the discovery of a body in a nearby bog. Was the dead man a missing person from the town or a passing traveler? Is the recent murder of a townsman connected?

4. Murder on the Champ de Mars

Cara Black's murder mysteries feature Aimée Leduc, a scooter-driving private detective and new mom. Leduc is as lovable as she is brilliant and resourceful. After reading Murder on the Champ de Mars, I look forward to unraveling more mysteries with Aimée in the future.

5. Natchez Burning

"Growing up in the rural Southern hamlet of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned everything he knows about honor and duty from his father, Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor is accused of murdering Viola Turner, the beautiful nurse with whom he worked in the early 1960s. A fighter who has always stood for justice, Penn is determined to save his father.

The quest for answers sends Penn deep into the past—into the heart of a conspiracy of greed and murder involving the Double Eagles, a vicious KKK crew headed by one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the state. Now Penn must follow a bloody trail that stretches back forty years, to one undeniable fact: no one—black or white, young or old, brave or not—is ever truly safe." - GoodReads.com

6. The Shape of Water

Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series takes place in Italy, with most of the action centered in Vigata on the island of Sicily. Camilleri's risqué writing style may not be for everyone, but his descriptions of the towns, the streets, the countryside, and the Mediterranean gets this series on my list.

7. The Marseille Caper

This fun mystery novel by Peter Mayle tells the story of one sleuth's determination to carry off the successful acquisition of a real-estate grab in the South of France. The descriptions of both Marseille and the surrounding areas and the food eaten there left my mind wandering and my mouth watering. Waterfront views and seafood comestibles await!

8. A Death in the Dales

"A murder most foul
When the landlord of a Yorkshire tavern is killed in plain sight, Freda Simonson, the only witness to the crime, becomes plagued with guilt, believing the wrong man has been convicted. Following her death, it seems that the truth will never be uncovered in the peaceful village of Langcliffe.
A village of secrets
But it just so happens that Freda's nephew is courting the renowned amateur sleuth Kate Shackleton, who decides to holiday in Langcliffe with her indomitable teenage niece, Harriet. When Harriet strikes up a friendship with a local girl whose young brother is missing, the search leads Kate to uncover another suspicious death, not to mention an illicit affair.
The case of a lifetime
As the present mysteries merge with the past's mistakes, Kate is thrust into the secrets that Freda left behind and realises that this courageous woman has entrusted her with solving a murder from beyond the grave. It soon becomes clear to her that nothing in Langcliffe is quite as it appears, and with a murderer on the loose and an ever-growing roster of suspects, this isn't the holiday Kate was expecting." - Goodreads.com

Francis Brody's style is fun and upbeat, and she transported me to the village of Langcliffe with her descriptions of the town and surrounding countryside.

9. Murder in Piccadilly

Murder in Piccadilly by Charles Kingston takes place in early-1900s London. When young Bobbie Cheldon falls in love with a dancer who dreams of better things - at any cost - and subsequently falls in with other less-than-savory characters, the result is murder in the heart of Piccadilly.

10. Murder at Deviation Junction

Andrew Martin spins a gripping tale of multiple homicides and cover-ups. If you like trains or you fancy a virtual trip to early-1900s Britain and you fancy a murder mystery, you'll love Murder at Deviation Junction! Railway detective Jim Stringer chases one lead after another in search of the members of a clandestine train club. Soon though, he himself becomes the prey, and finds himself in grave danger in the Scottish Highlands. 

11. Death on the Nile

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan, and Death on the Nile is one of my favorites. Join Hercule Poirot, the Doyles, and others on a glamorous, though a bit hazardous, cruise down the Nile!

12. The Adventures of SHerlock Holmes

Explore London as you read Arthur Conan Doyle's collection of stories featuring the great detective Sherlock Holmes.

13. Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series

Explore Sweden, from the capital city of Stockholm to the college town of Uppsala and north to the small coastal towns as you read the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson. Join Michael Blomkvist, journalist and amateur detective, as he solves the mystery of the missing niece, and don't trust anyone! Though a bit intense, these crime novels have been some of my absolute favorites!

14. The GIrl on the Train

Ride the rails in New York City with Rachel Watson in The Girl on the Train, psychological thriller by Paula Hawkins.

15. No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series

Visit the country of Botswana as you read the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books by British author Alexander McCall Smith. This detective novel series features Mma Ramotswe, owner of the detective agency, who seeks justice for victims of foul play.

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Happy virtual travels, fellow bibliophiles! I hope you enjoy these mystery books and the locations where they take place.

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