Escapism

The following books might fit in some ways in the same category as “comfort food,” and have been around for awhile, but their authors have some special insights of their own to offer and “spin a good yarn.”

If you like a mystery with appealing detectives, try Tony Hillerman and Donna Leon (and of course, don’t forget Agatha Christie). Works from all of these authors can also be accessed online at Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, etc. and anyone with a love of books, classical music, wine (or beer) and crossword puzzles should not miss spending a few evenings with Inspector Morse.

Hillerman’s work focuses on the sleuthing of Detectives Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal police. The result is an often haunting mystery, an exploration of the beauty and isolation of the mountains, canyons and arroyos of the desert Southwest, and an introduction to the culture and beliefs of the Navajo, the Hopi, the Zuni and their neighbors.

Leon’s Detective Guido Brunetti is a native Venetian with a love of classical literature, a wife who teaches literature at the local university and is in love with Henry James and children who are delightfully recognizable. He is a man trying to do his job while at the same time trying to cope with a political structure in his way.

Also for lovers of mysteries:

Made for TV and charming in their own way are: “No.1 Ladies Detective Agency” from Botswana, “Brokenwood,” from New Zealand, “Rosemary and Thyme” from England, and “Death in Paradise” from the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, the latter with good-natured characters and an introductory musical score that almost guarantees you’ll fall asleep within the first ten minutes so you’ll be able to watch them again and again.