The best books that transport readers to a place and time

I’ve always been drawn to writers who capture such a vivid setting I can actually picture myself right in the pages of the book. I think Kent Kreuger does this better than any author, and readers can select any entry in his Cork O’Connor series and find themselves transported into a mesmerizing scene, but this 21st entry in the series really grabbed me. His word paintings of a field, a blueberry patch and the ancient Indian, Henry Miloux’s cabin is so real I could almost feel, see and smell the scene.

Kreuger has the rare skill to use such colorful and powerful language in his prose; some passages border on the poetic. Not to mention, the story about two missing girls—one white, one Native— is truly gripping, too. 

When I heard this book was about the building of a medieval cathedral, I almost yawned. But others promoted it, so I picked it up, and boy, was I wrong. Follett recreates the little-known time in history—at least to me—with such clarity I thought I was right there, climbing the rafters of the cathedral along with his characters.

When I read this, I wanted to tell my old history teachers that history does NOT have to be boring. Follett is so skillful at transporting readers into this unusual time and place that they (I) cried for more, and there are now four more entries in the Kingsbridge series. Not to mention, this is the bestselling historical fiction of all time.

I have never been to the untamed lands of Wyoming and Montana but after reading this and other books by C J Box, this region certainly moved to the top of my travel list. This author is so adept at transporting readers into his scenes, I felt the biting cold of the wind off the Bighorn Mountains, experienced the chafing of riding my horse up and down the valleys and mountains, heard bullets sing through the air and tasted the bile in my own throat at seeing an animal mutilated.

This is the first entry in this bestselling mystery/adventure series, now at 25. Even in this first book, I loved that the story involved the whole Pickett family, Game Warden Joe, his wife MaryBeth, and his daughters, Lucy and Sheridan.

I have to confess I love both mysteries and historical fiction, and when I discovered Benn’s series, I fell in love. This is the twelveth entry in his “Billy Boyle” series. Like Follett, Benn has the ability to transport me to a different time and place, in this case, 1945 “neutral” Switzerland.

Billy is there to investigate—before the war, he was a detective from Boston—money laundering by the Swiss. Billy narrowly escapes death, his plane being shot down, and, through Benn’s skillful writing, I experienced it all. But when Billy Boyle stumbles upon a train carrying Jews to a concentration camp, Benn captured the poignant scene so vividly that I found myself weeping for the victims, screaming for help inside the cattle cars as they passed.

I love listening to Evanovich’s hilarious tales of Stephanie Plum’s misadventures as a wannabe bail/bondsman. These books are my wife’s and my favorite distraction on long road trips. While her mysteries may be thin, her characters are so real and her stories so crazy, I didn’t miss the whodunit. I included her in this August list because she captures the seedy side of Trenton, New Jersey, with amazing clarity, even while laughing at the place.

I picture myself riding in one of her cars—which she destroys regularly—along with her friend, the former ho, LuLu, hair flowing in the stinky wind blowing off deserted warehouses, sleezy girl joints and questionable car repair shops. This is the first in a series that is now at 31.