Crimes of the Scene: A Guide to Mystery Novels Set in the Countries You'll Visit

Armchair travelers and globetrotters alike will find "Crimes of the Scene" the ideal map to their overseas destinations. Washington Post book editor Nina King and her collaboraters have ransacked memories, libraries and references to compile this extensive list of mysteries set in foreign parts. Here, you can find the best book to read on a canel step in front of the Zanipolo in Venice (Donna Leon's "Death at La Fenice"); the best one about Fiji (Frank Arthur's "Who Killed Netta Maul?") and that Michael Dibdin's "Cabal" is ideal when seeking to roam around Rome, although avoid Ngaio Marsh's "When in Rome," whose "attempts at druggy hipness are merely embarassing." "Crimes of the Scene" is full of laurels and barbs like these, and these clear-eyed critical notes save the book from becoming a dry reference work suitable only for brief consultations.