THE UNDISCOVERED

Peter at Detectives Beyond Borders has linked to his interesting article about humour in Scandinavian crime fiction at:

http://www.mysteryreaders.org/Issues/Scandinavian.html#rozovsky

It got me thinking yet again about the wealth of crime fiction that has not been translated from Scandinavia, such as Nordic Glass Key winners Stieg Larsson and Matti Ronka, and Swedish best novel winners Inger Frimansson and Leif G.W Persson.

Matti Ronka was the first Finn to win the Glass Key this year, and Larsson's novels are soon to be translated into English.

But having finished The Redbreast I have started to read Garry Disher's Ned Kelly winner Chain of Evidence. The back flap gives information about the author and I find that this is the fourth Detective Inspector Challis and Sergeant Destry book. The first in the series The Dragon Man won the German Crime Fiction Critics Prize for 2001. Chain of Evidence does appear to be very up front and Australian with a lot of comment about Oz society.

In fact Australia seems very much like the UK circa 2007, or are they trying to discourage immigration.

There is obviously an enormous amount of crime fiction even in English that never gets full exposure in the UK. The same authors get publicised over and over again with Ian Rankin dominating the crime fiction scene, even over writers like Val McDermid. Perhaps that was a bad example as Val is able to stand up for herself in any "rough wooing" with Rankin.

But even Ken Bruen is virtually unknown among the general public while Ian Rankin is constantly on television and radio. Therefore it is perhaps not surprising that I have missed the antipodean Garry Disher up to now.

I will keep the quiz about Scene of Crime Preservation going till Monday because I am sure Peter will kick himself if he does not get the solution.