I have been reading a lot of late. Mostly mysteries, mostly set in Europe. Throws into rather stark relief differences in style, and how those differences inform my personal reading preferences.

For example: Andrea Camilleri vs Donna Leon. Both write stories set in Italy. Both feature male detectives. Both acknowledge the difficulties of the Italian political milieu as it informs criminality in that country. They depart somewhat in how they use the physical environments in which they are set. Some of that differentiation is down to the environment itself: Camilleri’s works take place in Sicily, a hot, nearly desert island environment; whereas Leon’s works take place mostly in Venice. Camilleri is himself Sicilian, while Leon is from New Jersey, lived for years in Venice, but now resides in Switzerland. Camilleri’s descriptions of the environment and the climate is somewhat sparse, even terse – which might be seen as a reflection of that environment, or might be a result of his familiarity with it. Whereas Leon’s descriptions of Venice are more florid, evocative, playing at a local’s love of place but which might…might…reflect a non-resident’s acknowledgment of the wonder of the place.

Or there’s M.L. Longworth and Jean-Luc Bannalec. Each writes stories set in France, and each features a male detective. But Longworth, a Canadian who moved to Provence in the late ’90s, writes of a small university town in the south of France while Bannalec, a German who spends half his time in Germany and half in Brittany, writes of the towns, islands, and beaches of the extreme northwest of France. Longworth focuses strongly on the human relationships within her stories, and the locale only intrudes as color and light however well-crafted. Bannalec’s locations take on the strength of characters within the stories, informing the actions, opinions, and lives of the actors. Brittany is a palpable sensation within the stories, while Aix-en-Provence is “merely” a well-rendered backdrop.

And then we have M.C. Beaton versus Ian Rankin versus Deborah Crombie – all set in Scotland, but what a different Scotland each produces! Beaton is British, but spent a great deal of her life in Scotland; Rankin is a bona fide Edinburgh-boy; Crombie is from Texas. Beaton’s stories take place in a fictional Highland town on the west coat; Rankin’s mostly in and around a carefully researched and closely studied Edinburgh; Crombie’s seemingly all over Scotland. Beaton and Rankin use location and place in a way that nearly approaches the level of a character in and of itself, but which is more accurately a finely detailed, carefully crafted, and deeply integrated backdrop; Crombie’s Scotland is disappointingly bland – it could be anywhere.

But enough of landscape; let’s talk the talk.
The best of these authors respect the speech patterns of their characters, reflective as they are of their environment. Rankin and Beaton both have their Scottish detectives speak in dialect where appropriate, and make a point of the differences in speech between the locals and the interlopers. It is somewhat more difficult to make the same assessment of Camilleri, his work being presented in translation, but he too makes a conscious declaration of the difficulties even for natives in piercing the various dialects of southern Italy. Leon makes no bones about the impenetrability of the various dialects spoken by her Italians. And both make sure to lace their stories with appropriate linguistic specificity. Likewise Bannalec and Longworth, although I feel Bannalec to be much more successful. Only Crombie disappoints, writing characters with little to no acknowledgement of the environmental effects on speech. Indeed, her characters barely have any differentiation in accent, even though they originate in widely dispersed locales across the British Isles.

And here’s the nub: I love Bannalec’s work – its descriptions of place, of weather, and of food all craft such a satisfying and vivid world for people – not characters, but people – in which to exist, live, and be murdered. Longworth is rather less engaging, even if her human relationships are more detailed, refined, and likely realistic. Camilleri, I feel, needs more inspection; I don’t quite know how to feel about him just yet, but he has a great deal of promise. Leon likewise has promise, but is also missing some little spark. Beaton’s Highland detective is a treasure – but her writing is more a light dessert than a full meal. Rankin is one of those authors that I read and reread in spite of the grimness of the setting, the characters, and the crimes – absolutely gripping and horrifying. And Crombie…I will have to read a second novel to see if she begins to find voices for her characters and her locations; but this first outing? Well-plotted, certainly; but not satisfying – especially in comparison.

And as a writer, what a workshop these authors provide!