Is there a German equivalent of Simenon (Maigret)?

[GameofPhones]

That is, novels that are easy to read because the language is simple, and the vocabulary restricted - plus, of course, entertaining?

I don’t know but I’d like to find out, so bumping

Thanks for the bump. Maybe the only alternative is to read children's books (fairy tales etc).

I quite liked die Inselkommisarin by Anna Johannsen. Set on one of the islands in the North Sea. Quite a long series, but it's a fairly easy read.

Yes I have thought of that. There are some books specifically for learners. If I remember I’ll post

Great, thankyou. Amazon reviewers recommend her books for just this purpose. Not expensive on Kindle, either.

I'm learning Spanish. Reading Spanish translations of Indridason's Erlendur series (Iceland) has really helped, even better with the dictionary function on Kindle.

Great! Let us know what you think if you do decide to read it.

I have bought it and started to read. The author makes you want to know what's coming next, right from the beginning. So I am launched into it. Most of the unfamiliar words can be guessed as to their meaning from context
(though I guessed wrongly that 'erstickt' meant stabbed - in fact it means suffocated - good thing I checked!). Thanks again for this recommendation.

Bit disappointed that a romance angle comes in early (guy who brings in Luise's coffee). I'm hoping it won't be too prominent (in fact hope it disappears entirely). Btw I'm reading Die Alte Dame am Meer.

Thanks for this OP. Not sure I have the concentration to read this in German. But I see a couple of them are available in English. Can recommend visiting Sylt. Very trendy with the Germans.

I used to read German translations of Agatha Christie mysteries. Some of the dialogue is very old-fashioned "old chap" etc but stories were interesting enough and the language not too complex.

Good idea! especially if you already know the plot.

I'm learning lots of new words painlessly via context. Will I remember them though? Too many to write them all down. Sure I'll remember 'der Hexenschuss' for 'lumbago' though - literally 'witch-shot' 😁

Another memorable one - Durch die Blume sprechen (speak through the flowers) for 'speak indirectly'.

Well I've just finished Anna Johannsen's 'Die Alte Dame am Meer'. It was perfect for my purposes - a way to get some fluency in reading German, while being entertained at the same time (the German equivalent of the French Maigret novels), So thank you for the recommendation tadjennyp, I shall be reading more of her novels.

Johannsen has a series of 'Krimis' about a woman detective in and around the North Friesian Islands off Germany. She is Lena Lorenzen, die Inselkommissarin. The writing is spare, direct and concrete. Scenes and actions are cinematically described, so the meanings of words are easily guessed from context. There is a background love interest in this novel, but a realistic one that does not overshadow the main narrative.