2024 has been a year of exceptional crime fiction in translation, but then again, hasn’t every year? With four of my five favourite books originally written in Italian, Norwegian, Japanese and Spanish, it’s been a truly cosmopolitan reading year. Reading fiction from around the world in English is a great privilege (thank you, translators!) It not only allows us to escape to new destinations but also provides a glimpse into the social and political issues faced by people like us. Ultimately, the setting may differ, but we all grapple with similar challenges. And isn’t that the very reason we read?
5 – Daughter of Ashes by Ilaria Tuti
A sense of sadness and melancholy pervades Ilaria Tuti’s final book in the Teresa Battaglia trilogy. Not only is this the last we’ll see of this tenacious Italian detective, but it also confronts the universal dread of ageing and decline. Teresa, now in her mid-60s, is beginning to exhibit signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Those familiar with the previous books will recall Teresa’s journey of overcoming domestic abuse and striving for recognition in her profession.
As if she doesn’t have enough to deal with, the past comes back to haunt her in the form of Giacomo Mainardi, the serial killer she had locked up 27 years ago. Tuti is excellent at crafting a well-paced and intricate plot, but she also writes sentences so beautifully that you’ll want to slow down the novel’s pace just to savour them. The only negative aspect of Daughter of Ashes is that the trilogy ends here. Read our full review here.
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4 – Blood Ties by Jo Nesbo
They might not have Harry Hole, but Jo Nesbo’s two novels about brothers Roy and Carl Opgard are soaked in dread and persistent suspense. Blood Ties picks up where we left the two brothers in The Kingdom. Roy is still cleaning up the bodies behind his little brother, but it’s getting tougher to do so with Kurt Olsen, the local sheriff, breathing down their necks. The dust has settled after Shannon, Carl’s wife and Roy’s lover, died. Carl’s hotel is doing well and Roy has aspirations to open a theme park with the world’s highest roller-coaster in remote, rural Norway where not only is the weather unpredictable, life is too. A generous dollop of unease permeates the story, leaving us perpetually dangling above the abyss, constantly expecting things to go awry – which they mostly do. Read our full review here.
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3 – Bonehead by Mo Hayder
If you’re not familiar with Mo Hayder, now would be a good time to delve into her back catalogue. Hayder, who passed away in 2021, wrote Bonehead as her last published novel. There’s a good reason she was considered a great talent, and Bonehead reinforces that fact.
Police officer Alex Mullins returns to her home town of Eastonbirt, Gloucestershire, three years after a tragic bus accident that claimed the lives of a group of students. To Alex, the events of that night are a blur, but she does remember seeing a woman standing by the road just before the crash. She’s back to figure out what really happened that night.
Mo Hayder is known for her original way of fusing crime with the macabre, and Bonehead is no different. It’s a slow burn of the sinister, a creeping horror that waits beneath the surface. She deftly uses atmosphere, suspense and psychology to instil unease in her readers. She doesn’t depict the bogeyman as a creature lurking in the dark but depicts the dark side of humanity – and that’s more terrifying. Read our full review here.
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2 – The Night of Baba Yaga by Akira Otani
Don’t we all love a strong female protagonist? Akira Otani creates a hard-as-nails, gender-defying female character in Yoriko Shindo. Yoriko is recruited by a yakuza organisation to work as bodyguard for the gang leader’s daughter. Genzi Naiki’s 18-year-old daughter, Shoko, is a spoiled brat, but her difficult personality is merely a facade to protect herself from the world.
The Night of Baba Yaga is an offbeat depiction of an unconventional relationship that explores societal issues in Japan. However, it’s also a cool revenge thriller, packed with violence and action into a mere 216 pages. Think Kill Bill meets Thelma and Louise. Read our full review here.
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1 – Black Wolf by Juan Gómez-Jurado
Discovering Spanish writer Juan Gómez-Jurado’s trilogy featuring the brilliant but troubled Antonia Scott and the unlikely police detective Jon Gutiérrez is undoubtedly one of the highlights of my 2024. Black Wolf follows Red Queen, which has been adapted for an Amazon Prime series.
The duo’s case involves the disappearance of a Russian gangster’s pregnant wife on the Costa del Sol. They’re not the only ones on her trail. Black Wolf, a female assassin, has been hired to kill her. The storyline is packed with shoot-outs and chases, but the two main characters’ banter and the dark, wry humour are what make Black Wolf stand out. It’s a whole lot of fun, and I do hope more of Jurado’s work will be translated in the future. Read our full review here.
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