On the international detective front

The Christian Science Monitor wonders what’s happening outside the confines of the US and UK when it comes to mystery fiction — and to their surprise (though not mine) there’s lots going on:

Why the interest in worldly detectives? Some observers say readers are tired of poor products by assembly-line American writers. The Botswana novels and 9/11 also get credit for boosting interest in international detectives. Otto Penzler, owner of New York City’s Mysterious Bookshop, has another theory: "If I had to pick a reason, I would say that the writers from foreign countries have simply gotten better."

No longer are Japanese and Swedish authors, for example, simply copying the style of Raymond Chandler or Agatha Christie, Mr. Penzler says. "Rather than trying to sound like Americans or Brits, they’re trying to sound like who they are."

Reflecting the issues facing the nations in which they take place, many international detective novels are more than simple whodunits. Scandinavian authors tend to be on the dark side and bemoan the decline of the welfare state, while Italians often examine their country’s pervading corruption. The Japanese, meanwhile, frequently explore their country’s changing social mores.

So what’s the next hot region for internationally set novels? The going rate seems to be Asia and Africa, though I take issue with this:

It’s hard to predict the next hot region for mystery novels, but some observers expect to see more detectives from Asia and Africa. And booksellers are still waiting for South America and Germany to produce mystery fiction.

If they do, they’ll tap into a deep human fascination with crime and justice, says Huang of the Indiana bookstore. "That’s the main thing about mysteries: You want questions answered and the bad guys brought to justice. That’s something that any mystery reader can relate to, regardless of where the book is set."

South America? Luis Alfredo Garcia-Roza (Brazil) comes to mind. Germany? Fredrich Glauser from the old days, as published by Bitter Lemon Press. Bernard Schlink’s 1980s mysteries are starting to be available in trade paperback from Vintage. And I’m sure there are a ton of fabulous authors just waiting to be translated..