Stieg Larsson’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy sparked a Scandinavian mystery invasion and changed the appetite of mystery readers worldwide. No longer are we content with granny’s cozy mysteries, we now crave richly detailed, dense atmospheric novels with unsettling violence and glimpses of an underworld rarely seen on our vacation travels to distant shores. The international mystery has become an exotic cocktail for those who want fantasy locales and vicarious danger.

The twenty titles here represent a smorgasbord of mysteries from around the globe, from the ice and rock of the Arctic tundra to the heat of Nairobi. The offerings are comprised of stand alone titles and series, police procedurals and taut psychological dramas. The protagonists protecting us from the ills of society range from women with families to a former Buddhist monk. All have the conviction and fortitude to get to the bottom of the injustices and vices apparently lurking around every corner.

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When you are twentysomething it's a great time to start a book group. We've assembled 20 books that would be perfect for discussions. Something to note as you contemplate a book group selection: while many books are wonderful to read; not all are enable great book discussion. You want a book that you can talk about, argue about, agree with, disagree with, like enough to finish, but not necessarily all agree on so a  good discussion ensues.

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