I’ve read lots of detective books set in the US, UK and Scandinavia. I’d love to find more (in English, preferably by a native and translated) set elsewhere. Anything from Spain or Latin America? Africa?
The Ladies No1 Detective Agency is set in Botswana. It’s not written by a native, but by someone who lived in Botswana for several years.
AlamutJones on
The Adamsberg series by Fred Vargas are French
BenjYoYo on
Agatha Christie is actually a great example of how crime fiction can double as a quiet tour of the world. Several of her stories are set outside England, and through the mysteries you’re naturally exposed to different countries, cultures, and social dynamics.
For example, she has stories connected to Spain, such as The Girdle of Hyppolita (a Hercule Poirot short story set in Majorca). Beyond that, Christie famously takes readers across many other parts of the world:
Death on the Nile (Egypt)
Appointment with Death (the Middle East, including Petra)
Murder on the Orient Express (multiple European countries)
Triangle at Rhodes (Greece)
The Man in the Brown Suit (South Africa and southern Africa)
What makes these books work so well is that the travel and cultural context never feels like a guidebook—it’s woven directly into the plot and characters. You’re solving a mystery, but at the same time you’re moving through different places and ways of life.
I put together a personal top 15 of Mystery & Thriller novels after reading a lot in this genre. If anyone’s curious, here’s the list:
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The Ladies No1 Detective Agency is set in Botswana. It’s not written by a native, but by someone who lived in Botswana for several years.
The Adamsberg series by Fred Vargas are French
Agatha Christie is actually a great example of how crime fiction can double as a quiet tour of the world. Several of her stories are set outside England, and through the mysteries you’re naturally exposed to different countries, cultures, and social dynamics.
For example, she has stories connected to Spain, such as The Girdle of Hyppolita (a Hercule Poirot short story set in Majorca). Beyond that, Christie famously takes readers across many other parts of the world:
Death on the Nile (Egypt)
Appointment with Death (the Middle East, including Petra)
Murder on the Orient Express (multiple European countries)
Triangle at Rhodes (Greece)
The Man in the Brown Suit (South Africa and southern Africa)
What makes these books work so well is that the travel and cultural context never feels like a guidebook—it’s woven directly into the plot and characters. You’re solving a mystery, but at the same time you’re moving through different places and ways of life.
I put together a personal top 15 of Mystery & Thriller novels after reading a lot in this genre. If anyone’s curious, here’s the list:
https://bookshop.org/lists/top-15-mystery-thriller-crime-books-of-all-time
The Bernie Gunther novels are by a scottish author but follow a German detective. Usually set in Germany before, during, and after WW2.