List of 15 authors like Donna Leon

If you're looking for authors whose work is similar to Donna Leon's atmospheric and character-driven crime novels set in beautiful locales, you might enjoy the work of the following writers:

1. 1
   Andrea Camilleri - Creator of the Inspector Montalbano series set in Sicily, featuring a charming, food-loving detective.
2. 2
   Michael Dibdin - Author of the Aurelio Zen series, detective novels set in various parts of Italy.
3. 3
   Henning Mankell - A Swedish author known for the Wallander series, with a strong sense of place and societal themes.
4. 4
   Ian Rankin - Creator of the Inspector Rebus series, these novels have a sense of history and social commentary and are set in Edinburgh.
5. 5
   Ann Cleeves - Writes the Shetland series, with stories steeped in local color and featuring Inspector Jimmy Perez.
6. 6
   Louise Penny - Author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, set in the small, picturesque village of Three Pines in Quebec.
7. 7
   Håkan Nesser - Creator of the Inspector Van Veeteren series, which has a European small-town atmosphere.
8. 8
   Camilla Läckberg - Writes crime novels set in a small Swedish town, with a strong emphasis on character development and local culture.
9. 9
   Arnaldur Indriðason - Icelandic writer known for the Detective Erlendur series, blending personal stories with local Icelandic color.
10. 10
    Leonardo Padura - Cuban author of the Mario Conde novels, which are rich in Cuban locale and social issues.
11. 11
    Martin Walker - Author of the Bruno, Chief of Police series, which is set in the Dordogne region of France and mixes food, culture, and crime.
12. 12
    Jane Harper - Writes mystery novels with a deep sense of the Australian outback, including “The Dry.”
13. 13
    Gianrico Carofiglio - Italian author who writes legal thrillers featuring Guido Guerrieri, a defense lawyer in Bari, Italy.
14. 14
    Alessandro Perissinotto - Another Italian writer, known for his Albergo Italia series which follows investigator Anna Pavesi.
15. 15
    Petros Markaris - A Greek author writing detective novels starring Costas Haritos, with a strong Athens backdrop and social commentary.

This list includes authors from different parts of the world, but all share the commonality of writing crime fiction series that are deeply rooted in their settings, provide extensive character exploration, and often address various societal issues.