Volume 1 Issue 5 I’m always on the lookout for crime novels by authors living and writing in cities around the world. And in this issue, I’d like to share with you two authors whose books are skillfully written, solidly plotted, and steeped in the culture of their novel’s location.
Frankfurt, Germany Nele Neuhaus writes a series of novels about detectives Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver Van Bodenstein. Her work is widely read in Germany and around the world. Fortunately, three of her novels in this series have been translated into English. In Neuhaus’s The Ice Queen, the detectives are called in to solve the execution-style killing of a Holocaust survivor. Soon they are faced with similar murders, which lead them to uncover long-concealed secrets from the dying days of the Third Reich. The plot is compelling, the twists keep coming, and the writing is top-notch, resulting in a page-turner impossible to put down. I’m hooked on the series and plan to read the two other of Neuhaus’s novels available in English. They are Snow White Must Die and Bad Wolf.
Havana, Cuba Author Leonardo Padura writes a series of crime novels featuring Police Lieutenant Mario Conde that reveal the grim realities of life in Castro’s Cuba. I read two of his books, forming the Havana Quartet. The first in the series, Havana Red, has Conde investigating the brutal murder of a transvestite amid the scorching heat of a Havana summer. The writing is graphic yet frequently lyrical, as Conde hunts the killer while sharing his perceptive on crime, sex, and friendship. In Havana Black, Conte hunts the killer of Miguel Forcade, who returned to Cuba after years in exile in the U.S. His body is discovered on a beach, his head smashed, and his body mutilated. Conte’s investigation leads him to examine a shameful period in Cuba’s past when the government seized the properties of wealthy families fleeing the revolution.
FYI I also read the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman, which I mentioned in my last newsletter. Cindy Levine, a newsletter subscriber, emailed me to share her praise for Osman’s novel. I found The Man Who Died Twice a compelling sequel with an intriguing plot, fully realized characters, and bright touches of wit found in the first novel.
Free Short Story Download My short story, Best Laid Plans, is available free to download on the Amazon Kindle app between November 12 and November 16. You can find a link to the short story on my website, chrisquarembo.com, or directly at Amazon. You don’t need to own a Kindle Reader because the app can also be downloaded free to your computer, tablet, or mobile phone.
Patronize Independent Book Stores Whenever you buy books, please consider purchasing from independent booksellers who remain passionate about books, love to share their knowledge, and provide a vital link between readers and authors.
You can reach out to me via my email, chrisquarembo@gmail.com, and share your comments about the newsletter, books you’re reading, and books you’d like to recommend to readers of this newsletter. Watch for my next newsletter in January 2022
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