| 1) - South Africa - Tromp Kramer and Mickey Zondi by James McClure: Set in Apartheid riddled South Africa, the eight book series featuring the White ("Boer") Tromp and his African partner Mickey make for both intriguing and enjoyable reading. The Steam Pig (1971) is the first book in the series. The last, The Song Dog (1991) reads as a prequel. It's the only book you might read out of order. Procedurals first, and then commentary on Apartheid, McClure's cops are both aware that they are working cases that might not have happened if the government were different. Smart, tough, humorous the two men partner up well. The cases are great because the writing is very well done. | |
| 2) - Holland - Grijpstra & de Gier - by Jan Willem Van der Wetering. Starting in 1975 with The Outsider in Amsterdam, Van der Wetering has created two of the most esoteric cops the mystery scene can boast of. Gripstra, older, wiser, heavier plays the drums. He's the more reflective. de Gier plays the flute, is a skirt chaser and more impulsive. Between the two of them and their boss they've developed an attitude toward crime, criminals and society that's unlike those in a typical police procedural. It's this difference and the first rate writing that make ongoing series a must read. |  |
| 3) - India - Inspector Ganesh Ghote - by H.R.F. Keating Henpecked by his wife, nagged and not respected by those working with him, nevertheless, inspector Ghote muddles on with a dignity and humility atypical of most police detectives. From the reading and writing standpoint, Ghote is nearing retirement (the 22nd book is rumored to be the last in the series) but that shouldn't prevent you from picking up the first; 1964's The Perfect Murder and like the inspector himself, persevering to a successful conclusion. Keating has written numerous non series books as well but his most memorable character and the one who gained him wide readership is Ghote. | |
| 4) - Sweden - Martin Beck - by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo Tough, gritty, realistic Martin Beck and his fellow detectives are the lens through which the authors view 1970's Swedish society. Seamless in style the series characters get more fatalistic as increasing bureaucracy begins to overwhelm them. If you saw the movie The Laughing Policeman you're already familiar with Martin Beck. Aside from name changes and moving the story to San Francisco, the movie stayed true enough to the book of the same name to be a good introduction to this fine police series. As good as the movie is the books are better. Read them in order starting with 1967's Roseanne. If you'd like to try a current series based in Sweden check out Henning Mankell. |  |
| 5) - Australia - Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte - by Arthur Upfield. "Bony," as he urges everyone to call him, is a college educated, half caste Aborigine. His tracking skills are unparalleled. This allows Upfield to send his character on the coldest of trails and cases and lets us get a sense of the size and beauty of Australia. Bony is a thinker, happily married and justifiably proud that none of his cases have gone unsolved. Technologically dated (the first story was written in late 1920's the last in 1964) nevertheless they hold up extremely well. Perhaps because Bony's skill as a tracker substitute for today's science. Two current Australian cops to check out are both female. Jennifer Rowe's Tessa Lance and Clair Mcnabs Carol Asher. | |
| 6) - Ireland - Peter McGarr - by Bartholomew Gill Books with Peter McGarr and his squad of detectives are some of my all time favorite reads. Starting with (1977) McGarr and the Politicians Wife the series lead goes from the head of a squad of detectives to head of the whole murder division. Gill takes us all over Ireland. His characters are fully realized. An example is McGarr’s wife Noreen; who is often called on to give advise as she's well connected in Irish high society. Both on and off the job Gill’s men and women have good points and bad, make mistakes and triumph and prove that good characters are coequal to good plotting. |  |
| 7) - Russia - Arkady Renko - by Martin Cruz Smith. This four book series, starting with Gorky Park and then Polar Star, Red Square and Havana Bay, is so well done that it too is a must read. Arkady Renko is a good detective. In Gorky Park his solution to the murders doesn't sit well with the higher ups and he ends up punished for his success. Polar Star is the result. Red Square is a fairly straight forward mystery whose end result leads us to Havana Bay and one of the best books I've read in some time. |  |
| 8) - Russia - Porfiry Rostnikov - by Stuart Kaminsky. Where Arkady Renko is a lone wolf, Porfiry Rostnikov is the head of a team of detectives. Rostnikov is an open admirer of Ed Mcbain's 87th Precinct novels and the series is done as a homage to the master of the procedural. Rostnikov's team work a heavy case load allowing each of the characters to grow and develop over the series. It pays to read them in order starting with (1981) Death of a Dissident. |  |
| 9) - Scotland - Jack Laidlaw - by William McIlvanney You thought I was going to say Ian Rankin and I will but before him I'd like to mention Glasgow's Laidlaw. Introspective, intellectual and hard to get along with, so a loner, Laidlaw appears in three books the first is Laidlaw (1977), followed by The Papers of Tony Veitch and then Strange Loyalties. All well done, all looking to solve the why of a mystery as much as the who. Ian Rankin's books are similar in the depiction of Scotland and Mr. Rebus is just as moody but for those looking for more action, a better bet. | |
| 10) - Canada - Charlie Salter - by Eric Wright. Charlie is nearing retirement age in The Last Hand. His first appearance is in The Night the Gods Smiled (1988). Charlie is assigned to cover the out of the ordinary cases, those with ramifications beyond the usual homicides. As such, he's something of a loner ( he's the only inspector on the squad) but he and his boss and his borrowed staffers have, if nothing else, a decent working relationship. Charlie's homelife has gone through some swings as well. The cases are intriguing, the writing well done, the violence at a minimum. Charlie could be the detective next door. |
Bonus series:
11) France - St. Cyr and Kohler - J. Robert Janes
12) Brazil - Captain Jose Da Silva - Robert L Fish
13) Italy - Aurelio Zen - Michael Dibdin
14) Germany - Bernard Gunther - Philip Kerr