Popular Asian Thriller Books
Find thriller books written by authors from Asia for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (65)
31.
JapanDescription:
"Wonderfully innovative. . . . Delightfully macabre and fiendishly clever. Seemingly unconnected stories tie themselves into a complicated knot, which Uketsu masterfully unravels."--G. T. Karber, author of the national bestseller Murdle "Uketsu is a disrupter, the master of quiet horror."--Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal The spine-tingling mystery horror bestseller that has taken Japan by storm--an eerie fresh take on horror for fans of Hidden Pictures and Junji Ito, in which a series of seemingly innocent pictures draws you into a disturbing web of unsolved my... continue
32.
Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse by Otsuichi EN
Description:
A coming of age story, right after death. L to R (Western Style). Two short novels, including the title story and Black Fairy Tale, plus a bonus short story. Summer is a simple story of a nine-year-old girl who dies while on summer vacation. While her youthful killers try to hide the her body, she tells us the story—from the POV of her dead body—of the boys' attempt to get away murder. Black Fairy Tale is classic J-horror: a young girl loses an eye in an accident, but receives a transplant. Now she can see again, but what she sees out of her new left eye is the experiences and memories of its ... continue
33.
Tezcatlipoca by Kiwamu Sato EN
Description:
THE HEART OF YOUR SACRIFICE MUST BEAT. Ousted by a rival cartel, a brutal drug lord flees Mexico to the distant East. An unwanted child commits a terrible deed and is locked away for years. A Japanese heart surgeon is shunned by the medical community and turns to working as an illegal organ broker. Three lives become entangled in threads of flesh and are plunged deep into a world of blood and bone. Together, they carve out a new criminal empire, but how long can a dynasty last? Destiny is not for mortals to decide. It is cast by the Night and Wind. It is cast by Tezcatlipoca.
35.
ChinaDescription:
From award-winning Hong Kong writer Chan Ho-kei, The Borrowed tells the story of Kwan Chun-dok, a Hong Kong detective who rises from constable to senior inspector over the span of several decades, from the 1960s to the present day, and becomes a legend in the force, nicknamed "the Eye of Heaven" by his amazed colleagues. Divided into six sections told in reverse chronological order -- each of which covers an important case in Kwan's career and takes place at a pivotal moment in Hong Kong history -- the novel follows Kwan from his experiences during the Leftist Riot in 1967, when a bombing plot... continue
36.
The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi EN
PakistanDescription:
In this bracing speculative debut, a London-based Pakistani translator furthers her stalled career by attending a mysterious language school that boasts near-instant fluency--but at a secret, sinister cost. Anisa Ellahi dreams of being a translator of "great works of literature," but mostly spends her days subtitling Bollywood movies and living off her parents' generous allowance. Adding to her growing sense of inadequacy, her mediocre white boyfriend, Adam, has successfully leveraged his savant-level aptitude for languages into an enviable career. But when Adam learns to speak Urdu practicall... continue
37.
The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji EN
Description:
"Ayatsuji's brilliant and richly atmospheric puzzle will appeal to fans of golden age whodunits... Every word counts, leading up to a jaw-dropping but logical reveal" — Publishers Weekly A hugely enjoyable, page-turning murder mystery sure to appeal to fans of Elly Griffiths, Anthony Horowitz, and Agatha Christie, with one of the best and most-satisfying conclusions you'll ever read. A classic in Japan, available in English for the first time. From The New York Times Book Review: "Read Yukito Ayatsuji’s landmark mystery, The Decagon House Murders, and discover a real depth of feeling beneath t... continue
38.
The Devil's Disciple by Shirō Hamao EN
Description:
Two stories originally published in Japanese in 1929 in issues of Shinseinen.
39.
The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-Eun EN
Country: Asia / 
South Korea
South Korea
Description:
This stunning “dystopian feminist eco-thriller” from an award-winning South Korean author “takes on climate change, sexual assault, greed, and dark tourism” (Ms. Magazine). Welcome to the desert island of Mui, where a paid vacation to paradise is nothing short of a disaster in this “mordantly witty novel [that] reads like a highly literary, ultra–incisive thriller” (Refinery29). Jungle is a cutting–edge travel agency specializing in tourism to destinations devastated by disaster and climate change. And until she found herself at the mercy of a predatory colleague, Yona was one of their top rep... continue
40.
The Hole : A Novel by Hye-young Pyun EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
Winner of the 2017 Shirley Jackson Award Named One of the Top 10 Thrillers to Read This Summer by Time Magazine. In this tense, gripping novel by a rising star of Korean literature, Oghi has woken from a coma after causing a devastating car accident that took his wife's life and left him paralyzed and badly disfigured. His caretaker is his mother-in-law, a widow grieving the loss of her only child. Oghi is neglected and left alone in his bed. His world shrinks to the room he lies in and his memories of his troubled relationship with his wife, a sensitive, intelligent woman who found all of her... continue