Popular Asian Mystery Books
Find mystery books written by authors from Asia for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (48)
31.
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino EN
JapanDescription:
Yasuko Hanaoka is a divorced, single mother who thought she had finally escaped her abusive ex-husband Togashi. When he shows up one day to extort money from her, threatening both her and her teenaged daughter Misato, the situation quickly escalates into violence and Togashi ends up dead on her apartment floor. Overhearing the commotion, Yasuko’s next door neighbor, middle-aged high school mathematics teacher Ishigami, offers his help, disposing not only of the body but plotting the cover-up step-by-step. When the body turns up and is identified, Detective Kusanagi draws the case and Yasuko co... continue
32.
The Fisherman King by Kathrina Mohd Daud EN
BruneiDescription:
Eight years ago, Lisan the fisherman, who has always believed he was descended from royalty, left his wife and the Water Village. Now he’s back, and he says he can prove it. Six hundred years ago, a forbidden relationship between the royal children of Brunei set into motion a chain of events that will end with the death of a king...or the death of a god. As the story of Lisan’s true intentions – and what he was really doing in those years away – unravels, the story of those doomed royal children also spins to its inevitable conclusion.
33.
The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu EN
SingaporeDescription:
First in a delightfully charming crime series set in 1930s Singapore, introducing amateur sleuth SuLin, a local girl stepping in as governess for the Acting Governor of Singapore. 1936 in the Crown Colony of Singapore, and the British abdication crisis and rising Japanese threat seem very far away. When the Irish nanny looking after Acting Governor Palin's daughter dies suddenly - and in mysterious circumstances - mission school-educated local girl SuLin - an aspiring journalist trying to escape an arranged marriage - is invited to take her place. But then another murder at the residence occur... continue
34.
The Ginza Ghost by Keikichi Ōsaka EN
Description:
The Japanese form of Golden Age detective fiction was re-launched in the early 1980s as shin honkaku by Soji Shimada and Yukito Ayatsuji, but the original honkaku dates from the 1930s and one of its pioneers was Keikichi Osaka. The Ginza Ghost is a collection of twelve of his best stories, almost all impossible crimes. Although the solutions are strictly fair-play, there is an unreal, almost hallucinatory quality to them. Osaka, who died tragically young, was an early pioneer and master of the genre, whose work is only now starting to be re-discovered. Readers of LRI's The Decagon house Murder... continue
35.
The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo EN
Description:
One of Japan's greatest classic murder mysteries, introducing their best loved detective, translated into English for the first time In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumour - it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions around the village. Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi household are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music. Death has come to Okamura, leav... continue
36.
The Leftover Woman : A Novel by Jean Kwok EN
ChinaDescription:
"At once a hugely atmospheric and suspenseful mystery and a compelling exploration of motherhood and belonging that packs a profound emotional punch. I couldn't stop thinking about this book." -- Lucy Foley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Apartment An evocative family drama and a riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood for two very different women--from the New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee and Girl in Translation. Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a contro... continue
37.
The Majesties : A Novel by Tiffany Tsao EN
IndonesiaDescription:
In this “bold and dramatic portrayal of characters on the cusp of an impossible choice” (Publishers Weekly), two sisters from a wealthy Chinese-Indonesian family grapple with secrets and betrayal after one of them poisons their entire family. Gwendolyn and Estella have always been as close as sisters can be. Growing up in a wealthy, eminent, and sometimes deceitful family, they’ve relied on each other for support and confidence. But now Gwendolyn is lying in a coma, the sole survivor of Estella’s poisoning of their whole clan. As Gwendolyn struggles to regain consciousness, she desperately ret... continue
38.
The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-Mo EN
Country: Asia / 
South Korea
South Korea
Description:
The kinetic story of a sixty-five-year-old female assassin who faces an unexpected threat in the twilight of her career--this is an international bestseller and the English language debut from an award-winning South Korean author At sixty-five, Hornclaw is beginning to slow down. She lives modestly in a small apartment, with only her aging dog, a rescue named Deadweight, to keep her company. There are expectations for people her age--that she'll retire and live out the rest of her days quietly. But Hornclaw is not like other people. She is an assassin. Double-crossers, corporate enemies, cheat... continue
39.
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
A dark, funny, deliciously different literary thriller about a jaded hitman, set in the criminal underworld of Seoul 'Kill Bill meets Murakami' D. B. John, author of Star of the North'A work of literary genius' Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of Home'I loved it!' M. W. Craven, author of The Puppet Show'You'll be laughing out loud every five minutes' You-jeong Jeong, author of The Good Son'A mash-up of Tarantino and Camus set in contemporary Seoul' Louisa Luna, author of Two Girls Down'An incredible cast of characters' Le monde'Smart but lightning fast' Brian Evenson, author of... continue
40.
The Quiet Ones by Glenn Diaz EN
Country: Asia / 
Philippines
Philippines
Description:
During a regular shift at the call center, Alvin Estrada discovers a way to embezzle money from the American telecom giant for which he mans the phones. Soon a couple of friends join in, and the operation proceeds smoothly up until they quit, vowing to take the secret to their graves. A month later, a phone call at 4 in the morning tells Alvin that the police are on their way. At once a workplace novel and a meditation on history and globalization, The Quiet Ones is a grimly humorous take on a soul-sapping, multi-billion-dollar industry. In interlocking narratives, it explores lives rendered m... continue