Crime in the Casbah

We’ve written before that crime novels set in foreign countries can be an enlightening alternative to travel narratives for those looking for vicarious travel thrills. NPR agrees: Its wonderful “Crime in the City” series allows listeners to tag along as crime writers introduce the cities they’ve chosen as settings for murder and intrigue.

Four new installments, broadcast last week, deliver the sounds of Vientiane, Istanbul, Nablus and Glasgow. Writer Jason Goodwin is charming as he cooks up an Ottoman eggplant dish in his Turkish kitchen, but my favorite is Matt Rees’ tour of Nablus, in which he winds through the city’s casbah as the call to prayer reverberates in the distance.

Related on World Hum:
* Crime Fiction Where You Least Expect It

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