The first novella in a pair collected as “The Inspector Barlach Mysteries,” this piece is incredibly well-crafted. Surprising. And surprisingly engaging.

Written by Friedrich Durrenmatt in 1950, this edition translated by Joel Agee in 2006; published 2006, 90 pages (of 209 total).

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and like poetry, stories that focus on style over substance run the risk of failing to connect.

Spaceman Blues: a love song, by Brian Francis Slattery. 219 pages, published 2007.

Shades of Jane Austen, with regards to the social set and a certain wryness of wit, but set some 100 years later and with a much lighter tone. This is not the first time I have attempted Wodehouse, but it is the first time I have been all-in on the experience.
The Code of the Woosters, by P.G. Wodehouse. 286 pages, originally published 1939.

Published in 2024, this is a collection of stories by an immigrant writer from Brazil now living in the US.
Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil, by Ananda Lima; 179 pages.

Originally published in 2012, translated to English in 2014, Death in Brittany is the first novel of Commissaire Dupin. The author writes these stories pseudonymonously and is said to split his time between Germany and Brittany, but is obviously deeply familiar with Brittany.
Death in Brittany, by “Jean-Luc Bannalec”; 318 pages; published 2012, trans. Sorcha McDonagh 2014
Murder on Brittany Shores; 380 pages; published 2013, trans. Sorcha McDonagh 2016

Jagannath is a collection of short stories by a Swedish writer, drawing on elements of pre-Christian and even pre-Norse mythology to turn modern incidents on their ear.
Jaganath, by Karin Tidbeck; 155 pages, published 2012

A mostly well-written science-fantasy novella featuring a skillful blend of ancient mythology, science, and character study.
The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday, by Saad Z. Hossain; 165 pages, published 2019

Here is another set of short stories in translation. This one features an octogenarian serial killer.
An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good – 171 (small!) pages; published 2013-2018, translated 2018
An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed – 255 (small!) pages; published 2020, translated 2021
Written by Helene Tursten; translated by Marlaine Delargy

I just finished a curious little book. More of a collection of short stories, and rather more fiction than “mystery” as the library has cataloged it. But still…interesting.
Hisashi Kashwai – The Kamogawa Food Detectives
200 pages; US translation published in 2023; original Japanese publication in 2013
A retired detective turned gourmet chef recreates the virtually impossible from the least memory of beloved food experiences.