Shirley and I both like to read or watch detective stories. Sherlock Holmes (in all versions, classic or modern), all of Agatha Christie’s characters (although the Belgian Hercule Poirot has a special place) and many other detectives make for fun and educative reading. We do not mind what the setting is. We have read Brother Cadfael mysteries set in the 13th century, Inspector Monk mysteries set in London of the 19th century, or Inspector Pitt mysteries set a bit later in the same city.
On our last Home Assignment, David Cron took us downtown Los Angeles and mentioned a series with Detective Bosch which is set in LA (and we visited a building from one of the books). It was interesting to me that detective Bosch’s first name is Hieronymus. He is named after Jheronimus of Aken or Hieronymus Bosch, who was a Dutch painter from Brabant in the 15th century. The detective is not a painter, but the painter’s works are rather grotesque - which types of scenes detective Bosch often has to deal with.
Last year I read a whole series about Owen Archer who is - can you guess - an archer who becomes a detective of sorts (or spy or apothecary) in the 14th century. It is wonderful how books can take you anywhere at all. The Foundation series from Isaac Asimov will even take you into outer space in the future. It’s science fiction, but it is basically a detective story.
And these books have taken me to Canterbury, York and London. They have taken me to Shrewsbury and over the border into Wales. I have traveled with Maigret to Paris of the past or with Bosch to Los Angeles. Ray Bradbury has even taken me to Mars. Truly wild, wonderful destinations, all from the comfort of a nice, dry couch on any wet, dreary Belgian day.
Where have you traveled in your reading? What do you like to read?
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