What German crime thrillers am I missing?

I follow a few detective series, including: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles-based thrillers; Dennis Lehane's Boston-based Kenzie-Gennaro series; those of James Lee Burke, many of which are set in my home state of Louisiana.

Two of my favorites are Ian Rankin's "John Rebus" series set in Scotland (call them "Tartan Noir") and, set in England, the "Charlie Resnick" series by John Harvey.

I've even read some of the Henning Mankell's "Kurt Wallender" mysteries ("Swedish Noir"), now very popular in translation in America.

But I have no clue who might be the German (or Spanish or Italian or Japanese) counterparts of Rankin, Harvey, Connelly, and Mankell.

So, starting with the Germans, I'll do a little detective work of my own, snoop around, and report back soon.

Who is the premier writer of German police procedurals and crime thrillers?

Got any leads? Email me.

--Marshal Zeringue