Monday Mystery- Place- Does it Matter?

Does the place/setting make a difference to you when reading mysteries? A setting doesn't make or break a mystery for me but if the setting gives more to the story than just where the story takes place it makes the story more fulfilling for me.

The Miss Marple stories by Agatha Christie used a small community in England. The community was as much a part of the stories as the characters. There have been other books I've read like the Lilian Jackson Braun "Cat Who" mysteries. The cats rarely left James Qwilleran's house in Moose County, making it in a way another character in the story.

I also like reading mystery or adventure books set in other countries. I recently read and enjoyed Alison Bruce's Deadly Legacy which is set in Canada in the not too distant future(which I was thankful for because I could visualize the futuristic elements).I enjoyed learning about a country I've only passed through.

The reason I enjoyed the Gothic Romances of the 70's was because they were set in other countries, England, Egypt, Scotland. I enjoyed learning about other countries in an entertaining way.

That's why my soon-to-be-released action adventure takes place in Guatemala. I wanted to learn about a country and use it in my book. And I wanted to give readers a hopefully new-to-them setting.

What is the last book you read set in a country you don't live in?

What is your favorite book set in another country?