Popular Asian Thriller Books
Find thriller books written by authors from Asia for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (65)
51.
The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura EN
JapanDescription:
The Thief is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in a tailored suit, he weaves through Tokyo crowds smoothly stealing wallets from nameless, faceless strangers. He has no family, friends or connections, but his past catches up with him when his old partner offers him a job he can't refuse. Tie up an old rich man and steal the contents of his safe. Only afterwards does he learn the man was a prominent politician, who was brutally murdered after the robbery. This tangle might be too difficult for even the Thief to escape.
52.
The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shimada EN
Description:
One of The Guardian’s “Top 10 Locked Room Mysteries” An amateur detective races to solve a decades-old murder mystery in this “bloody and bizarre” Japanese crime novel with a twist hailed as “one of the most original” (Daily Mail). Astrologer, fortune teller, and self-styled detective Kiyoshi Mitarai must solve a macabre murder mystery that has baffled Japan for 40 years—in just one week. With the help of his freelance illustrator friend, Kiyoshi sets out to answer the questions that have haunted the country ever since: Who murdered the artist Umezawa, raped and killed his daughter, and then c... continue
53.
The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin (Grigori Chkhartishvili) EN
GeorgiaDescription:
THE FIRST BOOK IN THE MULTI-MILLION COPY, INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING ERAST FANDORIN MYSTERIES SERIES 'A sparkling romp of a story' TLS 'In Russia Boris Akunin is roughly the counterpart of John Grisham' TIME 'Think Tolstoy writing James Bond with the logical rigour of Sherlock Holmes' GUARDIAN Moscow 1876. A young law student commits suicide in broad daylight in Moscow's Alexander Gardens. But this is no ordinary death, for the young man was the son of an influential industrialist and has left a considerable fortune. Erast Fandorin, a hotheaded new recruit to the Criminal Investigation Depart... continue
54.
The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe EN
Description:
The Woman in the Dunes, by celebrated writer and thinker Kobo Abe, combines the essence of myth, suspense and the existential novel. After missing the last bus home following a day trip to the seashore, an amateur entomologist is offered lodging for the night at the bottom of a vast sand pit. But when he attempts to leave the next morning, he quickly discovers that the locals have other plans. Held captive with seemingly no chance of escape, he is tasked with shoveling back the ever-advancing sand dunes that threaten to destroy the village. His only companion is an odd young woman. Together th... continue
55.
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill EN
Sri LankaDescription:
In every person's story, there is something to hide... The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet until a woman's terrified scream shatters the tranquility. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers sitting at the same table, pass the time in conversation, and friendships are struck. Each has reasons for being in the reading room that morning—it just happens that one is a murderer. Award-winning author Sulari Gentill delivers a sharply thrill... continue
56.
The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura EN
Description:
The Woman in the Purple Skirt is being watched. Someone is following her, always perched just out of sight, monitoring which buses she takes; what she eats; whom she speaks to. But this invisible observer isn't a stalker - it's much more complicated than that.
57.
Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin (Grigori Chkhartishvili) EN
Description:
The Russo-Turkish war is at a critical juncture, and Erast Fandorin, broken-hearted and disillusioned, has gone to the front in an attempt to forget his sorrows. But Fandorin's efforts to steer clear of trouble are thwarted when he comes to the aid of Varvara Suvorova - a 'progressive' Russian woman trying to make her way to the Russian headquarters to join her fiancé. Within days, Varvara's fiancé has been accused of treason, a Turkish victory looms on the horizon, and there are rumours of a Turkish spy hiding within their own camp. Our reluctant gentleman sleuth will need to resurrect all of... continue
58.
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto EN
IndonesiaDescription:
A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties. Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady—ah, lady of a certain age—who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to. Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing—a dead man in ... continue
59.
Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, Sondra Silverston EN
IsraelDescription:
A neurosurgeon runs an illegal immigrant over in his car. There are no witnesses, and the man will die in any case-so why endanger his career and report the accident? But the next day, the victim's wife knocks on the doctor's door and makes him an offer which will completely derail his well-ordered life. How would we have acted in the same situation? This question hovers over this compelling and timely novel by an award-winning author, which masterfully explores the boundary between love and hate, guilt and forgiveness, good and evil.
60.
Wolves of the Crescent Moon by Yousef Al-mohaimeed EN
Country: Asia / 
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
“The first great Saudi novel.” —The New York Sun Banned in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this provocative, fast-paced debut novel confirms what The Washington Post reported about its award-winning author: "Yousef Al-Mohaimeed is taking on some of the most divisive subjects in the Arab world . . . in a lush style that evokes Gabriel García Márquez." In a Riyadh bus station, a man comes across a file containing official reports about an abandoned baby. As he pieces together the shattered life documented within, a larger picture emerges of three outsiders—a Bedouin, an orphan, and a eunuch-linked ... continue