Category Archives: World Literature

**Books translated from the original language to English**

Sleepless Night – Margriet de Moor (Translated from the Dutch by David Doherty)

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The love, the hatred, the fascination with everything he had or had not done, fascination that spiraled into fervid curiosity. Into obsession. Into madness.” A teacher combats her insomnia by baking cakes in the middle of … Continue reading

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Amsterdam Noir (Akashic Noir Series) -René Appel and Josh Pachter (Editors), Josh Pachter (Translator)

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “It wasn’t until he’d come to see me a dozen times that he told me he wanted to concentrate on women who looked like the victims who’d escaped from him his first time around.” This man … Continue reading

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Broken Humanity – Karine Vivier (Author), Kirsty Catriona Olivant (Translator)

(Reviewed by Heidi A. Swan) Reader beware: this story is about people involved in child kidnapping and child deaths. Wanting to turn away from such a topic, I was lured inside, like a child promised treats which can only be … Continue reading

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Marrakech Noir (Akashic Noir Series) – Yassin Adnan (Editor)

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Morocco has no tradition of noir literature.” “Marrakechis are willing to read every type of story about the city—except those that are garbed in black.” Yassin Adnan, the editor of Marrakech Noir had a difficult time … Continue reading

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House of Beauty- Melba Escobar (Author), Elizabeth Bryer (Translator)

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I also hate the ladies of Bogotá among whom I count myself, though I do all I can to stand apart. I hate their habit of using the term “Indians” to refer to people they consider … Continue reading

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Death in Shangri-La (A Dotan Naor Thriller Book 1) – Yigal Zur (translated from Hebrew by Sara Kitai

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Would I have taken the bet if I’d known that as a result Israelis would be murdered, innocent people would die, the popular Israeli image would be shattered, India and Pakistan would be on the verge … Continue reading

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Sydney Noir (Akashic Noir Series)- John Dale (Editor)

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Noir is as much a part of Sydney’s character as frangipanis and cockroaches, rusted iron lace and sandstone terraces, torrential rain and potholed roads.” “Crime and Sydney have always been inseparable: a deep vein of corruption … Continue reading

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Baby Blue (Stratos Gazis Series) – Pol Koutsakis (Author), Anne-Marie Stanton-Ife (Translator)

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The kind of work I do defines who I am. Who I am defines the kind of work that I do. I am my work. It gives my life meaning. I clear the world of filth … Continue reading

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Poso Wells- Gabriela Alemán (Translated from the Spanish by Dick Cluster)

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Something crouches in the streets of Poso Wells, and it attaches the nerves like a persistent drumbeat. Whatever it is haunts the dreams of the residents, panting I their faces, slobbering them with noxious saliva and … Continue reading

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Absinthe: A Thriller – Guido Eekhaut

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “His methods are unconventional at best and border on illegal at times. And his opinion of women, well, I won’t go into that topic.” This is what AIVD Chief inspector Alexandra Dewaal has to deal with … Continue reading

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