Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
General Topics => Books => Topic started by: Colwyn on February 27, 2018, 15:47:35 PM
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I am addicted to reading novels featuring detectives firmly located in their own milieu. I long ago exhausted the supply of Sherlock Holmes (London) and Philip Marlowe (Los Angeles) books. The more recent Kurt Wallander (Ystaad, Sweden) are also done. I am down to the last few of the huge catalogue of Jules Maigret (Paris + trips) and have only one Cetin Ikmen (Istanbul) left. I am getting a little tired of John Rebus (Edinburgh) and I can't be reading Salvo Montalbano (Vigata, Sicily) one after the other - splendid fun though they are.
So my appeal is for some new input in similar vein to those above. Neither Shetland (Jimmy Perez, guess where) nor Hinterland (Tom Mathias, Aberystwyth) seem to have been in novels before going on to the TV screen - and I don't want to be reading book-of-the-programme stuff! And I don't want shoot-em-up American trash. Fussy, ain't I? Anyway, anybody got suggestions for some other detective novels that are well-written and worth reading?
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Michael Connelly has a character called Harry Bosch and the novels are set in L.A. you may like these
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Thanks Steve. Actually I've read quite a few of the Bosch stories and just finished an early one - The Concrete Blonde. I'm never quite certain how much I like Connelly's writing. The best stuff is Bosch in his house on stilts on the hillside musing things over as he surveys the city but it sometimes slips into crash, bang, wallop style. I'll try another couple of books though to make up my mind.
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Harry Hole a detective in the Oslo police force in the Jo Nesbo books.
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Hole, eh? I'll look into it.
Sorry yabanci I just couldn't resist the obvious. Seriously, I'll not heard of these novels and I'll certainly give them a go.
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Here's a Hole link for you to look into Colwyn. ;D
https://crimefictionlover.com/2013/03/a-guide-to-harry-hole/
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianrico_Carofiglio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvo_Montalbano
JF
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianrico_Carofiglio (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianrico_Carofiglio)
Thanks for this one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvo_Montalbano (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvo_Montalbano)
As I said "I can't be reading Salvo Montalbano (Vigata, Sicily) one after the other - splendid fun though they are".
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In a completely different direction, just to show I don't just take intravenous detective fixes, but reflecting a Spanish influence, I've downloaded Cervantes' "Don Quixote". How have manged to live to this advanced age without reading this classic? It is available to download for Kindle @ £0.00 - so if you want to give it a go, you won't be lashing out much, or indeed anything at all.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianrico_Carofiglio (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianrico_Carofiglio)
Thanks for this one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvo_Montalbano (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvo_Montalbano)
As I said "I can't be reading Salvo Montalbano (Vigata, Sicily) one after the other - splendid fun though they are".
Sorry, missed that. Try this one then:
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Giuttari
JF
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Martin Cruz Smith ,Arkady Renko novels set in Moscow
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I second Jo Nesbo books, I just wish I had read them in the proper order.
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Some of the best ever detective drama's, from around the world, that I have seen (sub titles) are Walter Presents on Ch 4. Not sure where he gets the content from, but google might know. :) Hope this link works https://g.co/kgs/m4mJPY
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I second Jo Nesbo books, I just wish I had read them in the proper order.
Oddly I read a review that advised the opposite. That reader thought thought the first book, set in Australia, was both uncharacteristic and the most poorly written. He/she reckoned if they had started with that one they might not have bothered with reading any more. I was thinking of beginning with The Oslo Trilogy but your comment is making me rethink.
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The reviewer was correct, the book based in Australia is poorly written and his work definitely improved. It does however give an insight into his character and his reasons for doing things and personally I prefer to know these kind of things when reading about a character.
Whichever way you read them I’m sure you will enjoy them, I think the Snowman has just been made into a film which will be interesting to see. Please let us have a review when you read them. Suzyq.
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Your right Suzyq, The Snowman was released last October with Michael Fassbender playing Harry Hole.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/oct/12/the-snowman-review-michael-fassbender-tomas-alfredson-jo-nesbo
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Martin Cruz Smith ,Arkady Renko novels set in Moscow
I wondered where I had come across Arkady Renko. Then I found out: it was many decades ago in the film Gorky Park with William Hurt. So that's a definite plus.
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Chris Carter books, set in Los Angeles, Robert Hunter is the detective.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Stuart MacBride and the Logan McCrae series. Can be very gory like Rebus but some of the characters can be very funny.
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Have you tried PD James? Excellent stories, beautifully written.
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Peter James 'dead'series are very good, all based in Brighton, also Peter Loversey, also based down south. We like Peter Robinson 'Banks' books, based in Yorkshire, and have read all of Michael connelly, s books, if you don't like bosh go for the Mickey Haller ones, also good.
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Stuart MacBride and the Logan McCrae series.
I too would recommend the Logan McRae novels set in and around The Granite City.
If you would like something set nearer to home Colwyn try Mo Hayder's D.I. Jack Caffery novels. Although the first 2 books in the series are set in London, the 3rd book sees Caffery seconded to the Major Crime Investigation Unit in Bristol.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/52206-jack-caffery
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Trawl through the many Scandinavian writers. Yrsa sigurtson and Arnaldur Indriasion. Are the two best that spring to mind. Some brilliant plot twists but sometimes a hard read. Could b a translation issue though. Have also read Harry Hole series. First few are good with edge of the seat stuff. Later the books seem to have a predictable formula. Still readable.
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Peter James (as said above) writes about a DS Roy Grace, all based near me in Sussex, very well written & if you know the area almost factual. If you do have a punt at them make sure you read them in order, without giving anything away that's important.
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How about Commissario Guido Brunetti the stories are set in Venice? The author is Donna Leon.
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There is the Ben Hope series by Scott Mariani.
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Well there's huge number of detectives from which for me to pick. I have decided to start with Harry Hole by Jo Nesbo. I'll let you know how I get on. But first, something completely different. I've been reading Cervantes, and Don Quixote has already left home, been dubbed a knight and had two "chivalrous adventures" (= disasters). I have also learned a new word - "caitliffs" - which I am sure will turn out to be very handy.
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I wonder how many people have been brave enough to tackle that book!!!!Quite mind bending.
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I wonder how many people have been brave enough to tackle that book!!!!Quite mind bending.
Fear not fair Daffodil, for this ancient tome, though revered of old, is naught but words from which unctuous thoughts doth flow to raise the moral tone of one's disposition, and requiring no bravery at all of the kind manifested by the valiant knights-errant of yore, of whose travails we ..........
Oops! I think it may be getting to me.
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All that and no mention of caitliffs.
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Forsooth dear Colwyn,thou efforts to raise one's moral disposition inspires!! :)
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Detectives on TV & Film
How come Sherlock Holmes is nearly always shown wearing the deerstalker hat that he doesn't have in the novels whereas Maigret is seen without the bowler that he is never on duty without in the books?
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Artistic License !!
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I did say I would report back on how I got on with Harry Hole the Norwegen detective in novels by Jo Nesbo. I was torn between starting with the first book Nesbo wrote or going to the Oslo Trilogy which a lot of people said was much better. In the end I went with the first book and wasn't really impressed with Harry's exploits in Australia. However, I haven't let that put me off and have now started on the Oslo Trilogy.
On the other matter I am still struggling with Don Quixote and not quite 40% of my way through. My word that Cervantes doesn't half use up a mountain of words! I think I have found out why most people identify Don Quixote as the bloke who tilted at windmills - that tale is in the first few pages! Hundreds of pages later - at least it felt like that - I discovered that Cervantes also inspired the use of the term "Lothario" for an unscrupulous seducer of women which derives from his tale of The Two Friends, Anselmo and Lothario. Perhaps I'll find more such legacies as I plough on.
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If you put Lothario into Google Translate for Welsh --> English it comes up as Sheep Enthusiast. ;)
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I have a couple of book recommendations for Colwyn if he pops in for a browse...
Sharon Bolton - Dead Woman Walking
and
Reginald Hill - The Woodcutter which is nothing like the Dalziel and Pascoe novels he is perhaps most famous for.
He died in 2012 I have just read on the internet :(