Overview of Course

Do you like to read mysteries? This course on contemporary crime fiction will introduce you to the genre’s newest and most exciting detectives! Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis of Greece investigates the shooting of a demonstrator, while trying to navigate the country’s ongoing political and economic crises. In India, Inspector Ashwin Chopra, in his last case before retirement, struggles to solve a murder that no one wants solved. An Oakland cop searches for his missing Vietnamese wife, a journey which takes him through the places of the Vietnamese diaspora both during and after the war. Lastly, in North Korea, Inspector O fights against political forces to solve a murder in a prominent park while wishing he could calm his mind with his beloved polished pieces of wood. Written by authors who have lived in the countries portrayed, we will explore how these mysteries add to the Noir genre by providing a fascinating social critique of these contemporary societies.