my top 8 books in translation

Lost in translation

    I am generally a big fan of books by foreign authors. It gives me a chance to see the world from a different point of view. Even within genre's i read the most of such as crime there are  nuances that creep of the page and allow stories to be played out in a completely different way. so with out further  a due  her are mine in no particular order. 

                     

   

    Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski - Poland. Although the last in the series it is by far the best of this trilogy. A tale of revenge and brutal murder it kept me on the edge my seat the whole way through. I fearless prosecutor comes up against his most devious adversary yet.  This book is a fitting end to the books and a beautifully written book about limitation and how far we are prepared to go in the hunt for justice. If you haven't read the others i would highly suggest you pick them up and give them a go if only to get to this one.

Alex by Pierre Lemaitre - France. This was everything i was hopping for when it came to a French crime thriller. The book is dark and twisted and has atmosphere that is a think as parisienne fog. A story of a kidnapped women and a killer trying to push our detective to the limit. This book was interesting as it focused a lot of time of the victim and who we don't people as well as we think we do.The author makes good use of locations to draw a vivid picture in your mind. And as so far there are four books in the series there is plenty to get your teeth into.

 

  Five by  Ursula Poznanski - Austria. This was a book that made use of technology and the growing way in which we use it to navigate the environment we live in.  The killer use a game involving  geocaches to lead our detective on a dance of his own rhythm. With plenty of twist and turns it will keep you scrabbling for clues to the killers identity

  The Crow girl by Erik Axl Sund - Sweden. When originally published in Sweden this was three books, But when it came to the  translation we got it in one go. For me this book was masterfully written each little clue played out in a way that allowed me to explore the world the author had created for the two lead characters. In the hunt for a child killer it will take the detective in charge to place they never thought they would go. It is a bleak and nihilistic novel that is so well written that when it finished i wished i had a next book to pick up.

   Ice Queen by Nele Neuhaus - Germany . For me this was the book that set of my love affair with this author. It takes the police procedural novel to a level most others fail to achieve. The books she writes are long but i always feel the fly past to quickly. In the Ice Queen she tackles Germany's past and a Holocaust survive who might not be all that he seems. Much like her other novels this is a story of multiple strands and will give your brain a good work out.

  Death and the Penguin by  Andrey Kurkov - Ukraine. This book is as much a crime novel as it it a comedy. When one of your characters is a penguin i suppose it's hard to tell a straight story. This book also contains one of the most hapless heroes i think i have ever come across. He stubble's from one bad situation to another, only just making it out by the skin of his teeth. Through his work as a living obituary writer he ends up also sharing his life with Sonya a small girl who's parents are no longer around. This is also a thoughtful and emotional look at what happens when a country loses it identity.

  Stalker by Lars Kepler - Sweden.While not the first Kepler book it was defiantly my favourite. They are always well written and give a good mix of procedural and thrills. With stalker the managed to build a level of paranoia into their story that grabs hold of you and questions every strange noise in the dark. The scene that take place from the suspects point of view left me feeling very uncomfortable almost like they are breathing down your neck.  

  The Cleaner by Elisabeth Herrmann - Germany. My final choice brings in the grand conspiracy. Told from the point of view of Judith Kepler a crime scene specialist with a dark secret buried in her past.  this book is very much in the line of le Carré in that it's all very possible. The plot is a complex web that requires the concentration of the reader. Dealing with German politics and the reunification of there country. But over all it's worth the time you will put into it.

     So there it is.I realise that they are all crime fiction books and in the future i hope to be able to add some other genre's to this list. They all hold a special place for me and all resided on my forever bookshelf. I'm sure i have missed a few along the way. So what are some of your favourite authors or books from countries other than yours? Or do you think that some of mine could be moved of this list? i would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations.