I keep seeing beach reading posts in national newspapers, but thought how nice it would be to share international titles amongst readers of this blog.
So do write in and tell us about your favourites, whether they be crime, legal or others, in their original language or in translation. For those in Australia and similar climes, please read fireside for beach!
I’ll start the ball rolling with a couple of collections of short stories from the Italian publisher Sellerio (whose catalogue includes many of the Montalbano books).
First, published this year – Vacanze in giallo.
“Sei intrighi estivi per gli investigatori di casa Sellerio. Ma non è solo l’estate che lega assieme i racconti di questo volume. Ognuno di essi dosa umorismo, rapidità e tensione con una plastica aderenza alla realtà del nostro tempo, comprendendola con un brivido allusivo.”
.
Second, published last year – Ferragosto in giallo.
“Abbandonati sciarpe e cappotti, lontani dalle atmosfere alcoliche e un po’ deprimenti delle feste di fine anno, gli investigatori di casa Sellerio, professionisti o dilettanti che siano, a Ferragosto vanno (o non vanno?) in vacanza.
Nel giorno che segna il culmine del caldo, il giorno d’estate per eccellenza, finalmente si rilassano. Ma è una illusione di breve durata, perché l’imprevisto è dietro l’angolo e non possono proprio fare a meno di occuparsi del caso che capita loro improvvisamente.”
.
You might also like this post on legal fiction from last year.
From Words to Deeds: translation & the law 
For fans of true crime, I can suggest Traverser l’enfer et croire encore au paradis by Michelle Knight. Translated into French. Michelle was one of the three young women who were kidnapped and held for 10 years in Cleveland, escaping in 2013. I bought the book last week in Paris and I couldn’t put it down. N.B. it’s not light reading, but it is a very interesting look into the mind of the kidnapper and the courage of the three women.
In terms of fiction, I love Arnaldur Indriðason’s “Erlendur” series. Set in Iceland, the detective Erlendur goes about trying to solve crime (of course!), with missing persons a particular interest. The books delve into his own past as well, and how it affects his present. An intriguing series. The next/final one is due out in English next week. I shall be queuing at the bookshop!
I’m currently reading “Legal Language” by Peter Tiersma and I love it! Might not seem like a “book for the beach”, but I only manage to read this kind of books when I’m on holiday, which is a shame, really, because it’s entertaining, passionate, charming and funny! (Besides being very interesting, of course). As for fiction, at the moment I’d go for “Les Marins Perdus”, by Jean-Claude Izzo.
I so agree with you about the Tiersma book.