Horizons

[Dieter Paul Rudolph]

Let's get curious: As a German writer / reader / editor I was highly influenced by that good american crime stuff. That's nature's law, I guess. And the other way round? Do you, american writers / readers, know and read any crime fiction from abroad (no, not Mrs. Christie or Mr. Doyle), from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia?

[Sandra Ruttan]

I'm not American.

But I have Peter Temple, Tonino Benacquista, Karin Fossum and others in the queue. I just read and reviewed Alain Mabanckou's AFRICAN PSYCHO.

I have always been heavily influenced by British crime fiction and I'd love to read more international stuff. I met Shane Maloney at Harrogate last summer and plan to read his books. I've also got a book here by another Australian author... Felicity Young.

[Charlie Williams]

It's impossible to speak highly enough of Jean-Patrick Manchette.

[Patricia Abbott]

Love Arnaldur Indridason, Fossum, Freeling, Sjowall and Wahloo, Mankel, Patricia Carlson, Zafon and many more. Too many in the British Isles to name. Kirsten Ekman's Blackwater really stands out.

[Dianne Day]

I read crime fiction in translation as it becomes available and as I hear about it; I no longer read any of the European languages well enough to do it in the original. Lately I've read two Swedish thrillers, and several Spanish mysteries and thrillers. Also one Icelandic. Oh, and a couple of Italians. In the English language I read just about everything that comes over here from Scotland, and a lot of the Brits also, and a few from Ireland. I've enjoyed them all and would read more if I knew they were there. -- Dianne Day

[Barbara Fister]

Speaking from about 8 hours south of Winnepeg, south of the border to Sandra, I'm delighted our publishers are beginning to realize it isn't true that all US readers are totally uninterested in the rest of the world. There has been a boom in British imports, Scandinavian translations (what a thriving crime fiction culture, there!) and even some long-needed Australian incursions (e.g. Peter Temple's The Broken Shore to be released here this summer).

I must say I'd love to read more translations from German. Do you have writers you recommend, translated or not?

By the way, if you'd like to get more ideas, check out Karen Meeks' Eurocrime.

[Dieter Paul Rudolph]

Thank you so far, very interesting! I didn't expect any German writers on your lists, although there are a few worth to be read, just to mention Pieke Biermann, Astrid Paprotta, Norbert Horst, D.B. Blettenberg...the problem is: their books aren't available in English yet, except Piekes "Violetta" (Serpent's Tail, 1996), as far as I know. But things will be better...

[Karen from AustCrime]

I'm not American - but I'm going to stick my oar in anyway :)

I read the stories in the voices that most appeal to me, so that tends to mean that I read a considerable number of Scandinavian, European, Australian (probably no surprise there :) ), and "other cultures" books in preference to anything else.

Doing reviews means I do get the occasional new American writer to read, and I have in the past read American authors, but mostly these days I'm drawn more firmly to Europe, Scandinavia etc.

Having just finished Jan Costin Wagner's Ice Moon I'm really annoyed with myself because all I've got is limited menu German so I'll be waiting impatiently for more translations.

[Dieter Paul Rudolph]

Wagner's "Schattentag" (Day of the Shadow) was quite impressing: playing with the rules, breaking the rules of crime fiction. By the way,Peter Temples "Broken Shore" (in German "Kalter August", don't ask me why) is now No. 1 German critic's choice. But seems to be translated into a poor German.

[Vince Keenan]

I'll pick up any crime novel published by Europa Editions. They're bringing some extraordinary titles to American shores, like Jean-Claude Izzo's Marseilles trilogy (TOTAL CHAOS, CHOURMO, and the upcoming SOLEA) and books by Massimo Carlotto among others.