International Mystery & Suspense To Read While Stuck at Home
No one is ready to jet off for an international vacation just yet, but if you’re feeling eager to get out of your own home for a while, why not turn to a great mystery or suspense novel set in a different country? We have six great international suspense books that will take you from Nigeria to New Zealand, with high-stakes mysteries and twisting turns in every direction to make you forget that you’re stuck at home.
Travel to Nigeria with Lightseekers, a mystery starring Dr. Philip Taiwo, a criminal psychologist who doesn't solve crimes but investigates the why once a perpetrator has been identified. But when a powerful politician asks him to investigate a curious case of the torture and murder of three students in a far-away town, he doesn't feel as though he can say no. Once Philip arrives in the town, he has to depend on his savvy driver to help him navigate unfamiliar territory and uncover the truth about a troubling crime.
Travel to Wales where a man is found dead in the river, having apparently fallen from an aqueduct. Local investigators suspect suicide, but when they're unable to identify the man, they must call in Inspector Ian Rutledge from London to unravel the mystery. Rutledge has few clues to work with, but as he slowly peels back the case, he discovers a tangled web of crime and lies...but no motive for murder.
Travel to New Zealand with Quiet in Her Bones, a story about a man named Aarav whose mother disappeared ten years ago from their wealthy, privileged gated community. All he remembers from that night is hearing a chilling scream before his mother was gone, along with a giant sum of money. Everyone assumes that she merely ran off and started a new life, but when her bones are found in the woods outside of thigh neighborhood, Aarav becomes determined to uncover the truth about what really happened.
Take a trip to Beirut, Lebanon with teenage Graham and his family, who move to the city in 1974 when his father gets a new job with the State Department. As Graham acclimates to a very different life in Lebanon, he begins to suspect that his father's job is more than it seems, especially as unrest ripples throughout the city. And when Graham is exposed to murder and espionage up close, he finds that nothing is as it seems.
Jump back in time to Sweden during WWII, where the country's ability to remain neutral in the international war is growing more and more tenuous. Laura is the right-hand to Sweden's chief negotiator with Germany and she is horrified when her best friend from university, Britta, is murdered. As Laura begins probing into her death, she discovers that Britta sent a troubling report to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, one that the man has no idea how to interpret. They team up to discover what really happened to Britta, and uncover a chilling conspiracy that could have devastating consequences for Sweden.
Related: Historical Crime Fiction Perfect For The History Buff
Take off for the woods of Holland in You'll Thank Me For This, a book that takes its inspiration from a common Dutch tradition of dropping kids and teens in the wilderness with the tools they need to navigate back to civilization. Anna, an American woman, isn't keen on the idea of her daughter Karin participating, but she agrees to let her go. When Karin takes off her blindfold in the woods, she's with three other teens. A disagreement sees them separated and Karin alone, trying to navigate her way home while growing increasingly paranoid about being hunted. Meanwhile, Anna becomes more frantic when her daughter doesn't return, and becomes determined to find her.
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