During the pandemic, I traveled far and wide, with no ill effects. The secret? Virtual travel, of course.
I’m not referring to documentaries and travelogues. I escape by listening to my subconscious invent stories, or by reading other authors’ work. Here are a few of the writers who kept me from feeling isolated.
Donna Leon’s twenty-nine book Commissario Brunetti series carries us to Venice. Murder, intrigue, and a thoroughly admirable police detective in the modern world, surrounded by a historic setting. Thought-provoking, stirring adventures.
Anne Hillerman has continued her father Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee mystery novels set in the Navajo Nation. She also developed Bernie Manuelito, Chee’s love interest and now wife, into a prime viewpoint character.
James Scott Bell’s Mike Romeo Thrillers introduce us to a former cage fighter who has studied plenty of philosophy and knows how to apply it, along with a little muscle. Most of the action takes place around Los Angeles, with a few trips into the desert.
Peter Grainger takes us to Norfolk, England, in each of his DC Smith Investigations. A great cast of characters, tough murder investigations, and a look at present-day Britain keep the reader highly involved.
Bruce Beckham’s Detective Inspector Skelgill Investigates series is set in England’s Lake District. Skelgill would rather be fishing, but he and his team solve the crimes, regardless.
Viveca Sten’s Sandhamn Murders series is set in Stockholm and the nearby islands. A police inspector and a prosecutor, friends from childhood, work together to bring the killers to justice.
So that’s a sample of where I’ve been during lockdown. I hope you traveled as far as I did
J. LEVESQUE 