In the process, he becomes involved in a bizarre murder mystery in a haunted residential building, and spends lots of time thinking about the meaning of language and desire. Okay, so, this book was written in English, but technically it still belongs on here as a modern classic of travel writing wrapped in what one reviewer calls a “social-realist ghost story.” Building 46 follows a gay Jewish Arab from LA who moves to Beijing to find himself and explore the language. Perfect for those who enjoy dark fantasy, queer fiction, and communal living. Camila Sosa Villada has written a beautiful, queer, magical tale of trans sex workers who find a baby and decide to raise the child together under the advice of their nearly 200-year-old leader.
Like Fiona Mosley’s Hot Stew, Bad Girls is more of a book about found family and societal othering than a book about sex workers (because sex workers are people and have all the complexities of ordinary lives, ok). From sex workers in Brazil, to language students in Beijing, from the working class districts of Casablanca to the vineyards of South Africa, let May’s best international crime novels show you a different version of the world than the ones in travel brochures.
This month’s international titles are sultry, atmospheric, and thrilling.