When the Crime Writers’ Association announced their longlist Dagger Award contenders, I decided I would read them all ahead of the May 29th shortlist announcement, figuring a mere 12 books was eminently doable.

However, I soon realized that the 12 books I had set out to read represented only ONE of multiple Dagger Award categories. So, what I at first assumed would be a 12-book goal turned out to be closer to an 80+ herculean endeavor.

Now this may seem like a lot and, I can assure you, it is. But I had plenty of free time on my hands and I do like a challenge. And, to be fair, I didn’t end up reading all of them. I was unable to track down nine titles (Emma Disappeared, D is for Death, The Bell Tower, A Curtain Twitcher’s Book of Murder, All Us Sinners, Dr. Spilsbury and the Cursed Bride, The Three Deaths of Justice Godfrey, Murder in Harrogate, and Midsummer Mysteries). Hoping I can rectify that between now and year’s end.

Out of every six books I started, I DNF’d (Did Not Finish) two (for varied reasons). Three of every six books failed to win me over. But one in every six read did impress, and these particular books are worthy of an enthusiastic recommendation – which is ultimately why I set out on this literary journey: to bring some attention to these exceptional books and authors.

I checked out 80+ crime novels released in 2024 across various sub-genres and, in the coming days, I will run down my recommended favorites starting with The Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Award for Crime Fiction in Translation longlist titles.

My favorites…

The Silver Bone by Andrey Kurkov (translated by Boris Dralyuk)

In post-WWI crime-ridden Kyiv, young Samson Kolechko is drafted into the fledgling police force and tasked with investigating a double murder. An unusual tailored suit and a silver-cast femur are two of the clues that will lead him on a wild and winding pursuit.

Loved the characters and the touches of humor that really bring them to life, especially Kolechko who, after having his ear severed by a sword-wielding cossack, acquires surprisingly sharpened listening skills. The 1919 West-European setting is a character in itself, an evocatively atmospheric backdrop to an engaging mystery.

Dogs & Wolves by Hervé Le Corre (translated by Howard Curtis)

After his release from prison, an ex-con looks up his brother only to be told he is away on business. Cooling his heels at a rundown cottage owned his brother’s volatile girlfriend and her loopy parents, he is gradually drawn into a turf war where he’ll be hard-pressed to differentiate between friend and foe.

This French noir gets off to a slow start but picks up the pace in its back half, delivering a grimly compelling crime story.

Going to the Dogs by Pierre Lemaitre (translated by Sophie Lewis)

63-year-old Mathilde is a widow, a mother, and a contract killer whose slowly progressing dementia begins to complicate her profession.

This one is deliciously dark in its humor and would have been my favorite in this category if it weren’t for its instances of animal violence played for laughs. It’s a pity because, aside from those off-putting moments, I really loved this book.

The Simple Act of Killing a Woman by Patrícia Melo (translated by Sophie Lewis)

A young lawyer escapes her abusive partner for an Amazonian border town where she joins a local prosecutor in investigating the rampant attacks on women in the area.

Unrelentingly devastating, this one is a difficult but provocative read about domestic abuse and femicide.

The rest…

The Lover of No Fixed Abode by Carlo Fritter & Franco Lucentini (translated by Gregory Dowling): Interesting characters, mystery, and romantic entanglement against a rich Venetian backdrop, but I found the ambiguous ending underwhelming.

Clean by Alia Trabucco Zerán (translated by Sophie Hughes): Those going in expecting something along the lines of Leila Slimani’s The Perfect Nanny are in for a disappointment. Clean is less a mystery than it is a slow burn study of class stratification. And if you’re expecting an answer to the central mystery, prepare for another disappointment.

Butter by Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton): This one felt like a bit of a bait-and-switch as well, setting up as a Japanese Silence of the Lambs but ultimately ending up as a rumination on food and feminism. It does, however, do a great job in its gustatory accounts. I’ve been dying to try Échiré butter on steamed rice since reading this book.

The Clues in the Fjord by Satu Rämö (translated by Kristian London): I love a good Nordic thriller but this one felt a little too simplistic, particularly in its description of its Icelandic setting and cultural traditions.

Artifice by Claire Berest (translated by Sophie Lewis): Of all the books on this list, this was the one I was most looking forward to reading given its description as “an astonishing French thriller with a jaw-dropping twist”. I found it less so.

DNF: The Night of Baba Yaga, Hotel Lucky Seven, Ruthless
I don’t know if it was the translations or an honest reflection of authorial form but I found these three too awkward in tone and style. It’s a pity because I hear Ruthless has a killer twist ending.

Tomorrow, we move on to twelve more books in the Whodunit category!