Hello bookish friends and welcome to Saturday on damppebbles. How are your Christmas preparations going  if you celebrate? Less than a week to go until the big day and I FINALLY mention Christmas 😂.

One of the things I love most about #R3COMM3ND3D is getting to meet new bloggers. Today I am delighted to welcome another fairly ‘new to me’ blogger to share their three #R3COMM3ND3D2020 picks with us, it’s Duncan of Exotic Fiction Reader. I’m a huge fan of translated crime fiction and I’ve already found some great recommendations over on Duncan’s blog.

So, what is #R3COMM3ND3D2020? It’s about sharing the book love. It’s a chance for authors, book bloggers and bookstagrammers to shout about three (yes, *only* three) books they love. They can be written by any author, in any genre and published in any way (traditionally, indie press or self-published). But there is a catch. All three books must have been published in 2020. To make things interesting I have added a couple of teeny, tiny rules this year which are; 1) the book must have first been published in 2020 and 2) special editions and reissues do not count. I like to keep you lovely people on your toes. 😉

Here are Duncan’s three #R3COMM3ND3D picks…

The Coral Bride by Roxanne Bouchard
Set in the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, translated from the French by David Warriner, this is a rich and absorbing story of a Mexican detective investigating the disappearance of a fisher woman in a remote and tight-lipped community. Family feuds, misplaced loyalty and fabulous landscapes each play their part in a fabulous read.
Duncan’s Review of The Coral Bride

Summer of Reckoning by Marion Brunet
Translated by Karen Gregory, this is the story of two French sisters living in a small town near Avignon. A place where suspicion jealousy, resentment and racial prejudice lead to tragedy. The novel is so striking as Brunet accurately articulates human thought and interaction in all its inconsistencies in such a powerful and realistic way.
Duncan’s Review of Summer of Reckoning

Like Flies From Afar by K. Ferrari
One day in the life of Argentine mobster Luis Machi who discovers an unknown enemy had left him with a unsuspected problem that he urgently needs to dispose of. The prose, translated by Adrian Nathan West, is fast and unrelenting. It’s like a roller-coaster ride in Machi’s two hundred thousand dollar BMW, just don’t check in the boot!
Duncan’s Review of Like Flies From Afar

Thanks so much, Duncan. Three great picks which are going straight on the terrifying TBR!

If Duncan has managed to tempt you, or if you would like to find out more about the books recommended above, please see the following links:

The Coral Bride by Roxanne Bouchard
Summer of Reckoning by Marion Brunet
Like Flies From Afar by K. Ferrari

About Duncan:
A long term reader of fast paced thrillers, I gradually found myself less enthusiastic for predictable storylines and locations. Then I discovered there is another world out there as started to get my crime fix overseas. I am now a keen reader and reviewer in mainly translated crime and some literary fiction from around the world. The more exotic the location, the better, we can travel further in the literature we read.

Duncan’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| Exotic Fiction Reader | Twitter @ExoticCrimeFict | Facebook Group | Bookshop.org |

If you’re a book blogger, bookstagrammer or an author and you have three books published this year which you want to shout about then please complete the following form (or click this link: https://forms.gle/kHTQeQdiUNZTsW4d6)