May is AAPI Heritage Month, which makes it a great time to highlight some must read Mysteries and Thrillers by Asian and AAPI authors. Check out my list which includes everything from cozy mysteries to psychological thrillers to historical fiction. Updated as of May 2026, and includes over 80 books!
Mysteries and Thrillers by Asian and AAPI Authors
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month here in the United States so I am celebrating Mysteries, Suspense Novels and Thrillers by Asian, Asian-American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Authors. Some Pacific Islanders prefer the term “Pasifika.”
It’s a long list, so first I’ll highlight new AAPI books for 2025 and 2026 and my Top Picks:
As an Amazon Affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases.
New Mystery and Thriller Books by Asian and AAPI Authors in 2025 and 2026
New in 2026
- Whidbey by T. Kira Madden
- Read Between the Lies by Jesse Q. Sutanto
- Crown City (Japantown series) by Naomi Hirahara
- A Pretenders Murder by Christopher Huang
- The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera
- Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu
- A Killer in the Family by Amin Ahmad – My Readers Guide is here!
- Ms. Mebel Goes to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto
- Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh
- You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya
New in 2025
- Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping by Jesse Q. Sutanto – check out my Readers Guide
- Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang (dark comedy) – check out my Readers Guide
- Kaua’i Storm by Tori Eldridge (family drama)
- Death and Dinuguan by Mia P. Manansala (cozy)
- Star Crossed Egg Tarts by Jennifer Chow (cozy)
New Mystery and Thriller Books by Asian and AAPI Authors in 2024
- Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala (cozy series)
- The Good, the Bad and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (cozy series)
- You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen (psychological thriller)
- Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita (procedural series)
- The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan (historical WWII spy thriller)
- You’ll Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto (psychological suspense)
- The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean (dark suspense/procedural)
- Ill Fated Fortune by Jennifer Chow (cozy)
My Top Picks of Mysteries and Thrillers by Asian and AAPI Authors:
- For cozy and classic mystery fans: the Dial A for Aunties series It’s laugh out loud funny!
- Love an amateur detective? Check out the Midnight Taxi!
- If you love food and animals, check out Jennifer Chow’s series below!
- For a police procedural, who can resist a locked room mystery? Malice by Keigo Higashino is a classic!
- For Psychological Thriller, White Ivy by Susie Yang
- If you’re up for horror, You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen
- From Native Hawaiian authors: Naomi Hirahara’s mystery series OR Kaua’i Storm by Tori Eldridge
Table of Contents and links:
Cozy and Classic Mysteries by Asian and AAPI Authors
Police Procedurals and Detective Stories by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors
Psychological Thrillers and Suspense by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors
Historical Mysteries and Thrillers by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors
Young Adult Mysteries and Thrillers by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors.
Why is MAY AAPI Heritage Month?
This post features mysteries and thrillers written by Asian, Asian-American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander authors who can trace their family history to the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Hawaiian islands, Polynesia, Micronesia, or Melanesia.
Because it marks the arrival of Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843, and also is the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.
I’m sure I have missed some authors, so please leave me suggestions in the comments!
Cozy or Classic Mysteries by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors
The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera
I really loved this amateur dectective story featuring a female taxi driver in NYC!
Whidbey by T. Kira Madden
This literary mystery is a haunting must-read. Three woman connected by a convicted sexual abuser narrate their experiences when he is murdered.
Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai (2022)
This rom com with suspense was described as Indian Matchmaker meets Date Night!
An accountant and English professor, both Southeast Asian, are dating, to the delight of their families. But getting embroiled in a mystery really spices up their dating life!
City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita (2023)
You can read my complete review of City Under One Roof here!
Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita (2024)
This series is technically a procedural mystery but reads a bit like a cozy mystery, with a small town filled with quirky characters. It’s also published by Berkley, which usually sticks to cozies. It’s a bit of a hybrid, but still, a look at a very unique Alaskan community.
Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series) by Mia P. Manansal
After a brutal break-up, Lila moves back home and offers to help out in her Tita Rosie’s restaurant.
But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves into an Agatha Christie case.
Other books in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series:
- Homicide and Halo-Halo (2022)
- Blackmail and Bibingka (2022)
- Murder and Mamon (2023)
- Guilt and Ginataan (2024)
Aunty Lee’s Delights (Singaporean Mystery series) by Ovidia You
After the death of her husband, Rosie Lee decides to build a culinary empire centered around spicy Singaporean home cooking. But when one of her guests dies, Rosie sets out to work her contacts and find out what happened, exasperating the investigator assigned to the case.
Other books in the Singaporean Mystery Series:
- Aunty Lee’s Deadly Specials (2014)
- Aunty Lee’s Chilled Revenge (2016)
- Meddling and Murder (2017)
Death by Bubble Tea (LA Night Market series) by Jennifer J. Chow
Yale Yee’s father thinks it’s a wonderful idea for her to bond with her influencer cousin Celine by running a food stall together at the Night Market. They’re quite shocked when one of their customers turns up dead.
Other books in the L.A. Night Market Series:
Hot Pot Murder (2023)
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
While I thought this book lacked plot, I did love Vera and the TEA. My My review of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is here!
Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. It’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to catch a killer!
Check out my Readers Guide to book two, Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man
Also by Jesse Q. Sutanto: the Dial A for Aunties (Aunties series) Jesse Q. Sutanto
A madcap comic mystery about a woman who accidentally kills her blind date and her meddling family of wedding planners who help her conceal her crime.
I loved this one – it was laugh-out-loud funny. Read my review of Dial A for Aunties and join the Dial A for Aunties Spoiler Discussion!
Other books in the Aunties Series:
- Four Aunties and a Wedding (2022)
- The Good, the Bad and the Aunties (2024)
Iced In Paradise (Leilani Santiago series) by Naomi Hirahara
I’ve read book two in this series, An Eternal Lei, and really enjoyed it, as Hirahara offers an insider’s portrayal of Hawaiian life and culture.
In Iced in Paradise, Leilani Santiago returns home to the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i to help run her family’s shaved ice shack.
When she goes to work one morning, she stumbles across a dead body, a young pro surfer who was being coached by her estranged father.
Other books in the Leilei Santiago Series:
An Eternal Lei (2022)
The Japantown Series
Naomi Hirahara also has a historical mystery series: Japantown, set in the 1940s
Clark and Division (2022)
Evergreen (2024)
Crown City (2026)
Mimi Lee Gets a Clue (The Sassy Cat Mysteries) by Jennifer J. Chow
Mimi Lee opens a new pet grooming shop and starts up some controversy by speaking up against an unethical pet breeder … who ends up dead.
Other books in the Sassy Cat series:
- Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines (2020)
- Mimi Lee Cracks the Code (2021)
Seniors Sleuth (Winston Wong Mystery series) by Jennifer J. Chow
Former video game tester Winston Wong opens a private investigation firm and tackles a mysterious death in a nursing home.
Police Procedurals and Detective Stories by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
This is a police procedural with strong psychogical suspense elements. It’s about a young police officer who is shocked when a teen who disappeared two years ago suddenly shows up again.
Where was she? What happened to her? Check out my review of The Return of Ellie Black here!
Death of a Red Heroine (Inspector Chen Cao #1) by Liu Xiaolong
When a young Communist turns up dead in Shanghai, Inspector Chen Chao must tread carefully to see justice done.
Winner of an Anthony Award for the best first crime novel.
Other books in the Inspector Chen Cao series:
- A Loyal Character Dancer (2002)
- When Red is Black (2004)
- A Case of Two Cities (2006)
- Red Mandarin Dress (2007)
- The Mao Case (2009)
- Don’t Cry Tai Lake (2012)
- Enigma of China (2012)
- Shanghai Redemption (2016)
- Becoming Inspector Chen (2016)
- Hold Your Breath, China (2018)
- Inspector Chen and the Private Kitchen Murder (2020)
- Love and Murder in the Time of Covid (2023)
Dragonfish by Vu Tran
A former cop searches for his missing wife, now married to another man. To do so, he’ll have to dig back into her past in Vietnam.
Flower Net (Red Princess series) by Lisa Yee
The mysterious death of the son of the U.S. Ambassador to China, a ship filled with undocumented immigrants, and the body of the son of an elite Chinese politician. An Assistant U.S. Attorney teams up with a Chinese policewoman to unravel these mysteries.
This one sounds perfect for Netflix!
Other books in the Red Princess series:
- The Interior (1999)
- Dragon Bones (2002)
Malice (Kyoichiro Kaga series) by Keigo Higashino
I LOVE a locked room mystery and this is high on my to-read list!
When a bestselling novelist is found dead in his locked home Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga is assigned to the case.
A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder (Inspector Singh Investigates series) by Shamini Flint
Inspector Singh is sent from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to solve the murder of a man by his ex-girlfriend, a famous model.
Other books in the Inspector Singh Investigates series:
- A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul (2009)
- The Singapore School of Villainy (2010)
- A Deadly Cambodian Crime Spree (2011)
- A Curious Indian Cadaver (2012)
- A Calamitous Chinese Killing (2013)
- A Frightfully English Execution (2016)
Smaller and Smaller Circles by F. H. Batacan
When the bodies of young boys begin to show up at Payatas, a 50-acre dump northeast of Manila’s Quezon City, two Jesuit priests take the matter into their own hands.
Forensic anthropologist Father Gus Saenz and Father Jerome Lucero, a psychologist, team up to track down the person preying on these impoverished boys.
Domestic Thrillers and Suspense by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors
Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose
Ciara Dunphy in an successful influencer. But when she is found murdered, the house of cards she’d worked so hard to build comes crumbling down. Everyone seems to have something to gain from Ciara’s death, so if they don’t want the blame, it may be the perfect time to air their enemies’ dirty laundry.
Read my full thoughts on the book
AND if you love books like this, check out my list of Neighborhood Mysteries.
Legal Thrillers by AAPI Authors
Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah
On an ordinary working day, Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. His son’s nursery has called to ask where little Max is.Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.
You can read my review of Next of Kin here
And my review of Take it Back, another legal thriller by Kia Abdullah, here.
Psychological Thrillers and Suspense by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors
Killer in the Family is part rich family suspense, with strong Succession vibes, part serial killer story, and part coming of age story. I really enjoyed it!
Check out my Readers Guide for A Killer in the Family
You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen
A woman grieves the death of her mother, with whom she had a complicated relationship, battles her own OCD, and finds herself naked in bed with a dead body.
The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
A Reese’s Book Club pick, this is the story of a long woman trying to solve the mystery of her mother’s death in Koreatown, LA.
Out by Natsuo Kirino (translated by Stephen Snyder)
A twisty novel with feminist themes, this is a cult favorite among thriller fans!
A young mother does away with her abusive husband and then seeks the help of her Tokyo coworkers to cover up her crime.
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
I read this and its on my list of Dangerous Women books!
Chloe is an honor student, who also happens to be a psychopath.
But when one of the students in the study ends up dead, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, and Chloe goes from hunter to prey.
Nice Girls by Catherine Dang
Check out my review of Nice Girls here!
Mary was the resident whiz kid of Liberty Lake, Minnesota. Three years later, she’s back. Now a cynical failure who was kicked out of Cornell. When beautiful, magnetic Olivia Willand goes missing, Mary wonders if her disappearance might be tied to another missing person
I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q Sutanto
My Review of I’m Not Done With You Yet!
A twisty psychological thriller about a toxic relationship between two rival writers.
The Verifiers by Jane Pek
This story of a Gen-Z detective touches on themes of social media and Chinese-American identity.
Claudia Lin works at a super-secretive online dating agency, and one of her clients has just gone missing.
Read my Review of the Verifiers Here
I also added this to my list of Mysteries Featuring Gen Z and Millennial Detectives.
White Ivy by Susie Yang
White Ivy is a novel about the dark side of the American Dream. It’s about a girl who wants that dream so much she’s willing to do anything to get it. Anything.
Read my Review of White Ivy here
Check out my very lively Spoiler Discussion for White Ivy here.
You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
A mean girl goes to ruin her best friend’s wedding. Or is that the real story? This twisty tale of murder and mayhem at an elite Sri Lankan wedding will keep you guessing!
I also put it on my list of Wedding Themed Thrillers!
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
Thanks to my reader Gin and Wine for recommending this in the comments!
A woman hired to work at a beauty company finds sinister things going on!
Second Sister by Ho-Kei Chan
Thanks to Gin and Wine for recommending this in the comments!
A schoolgirl has leapt from her twenty-second floor window to the pavement below. Siu-Man is an orphan and her librarian older sister refuses to believe there was no foul play. What follows is a cat and mouse game through the city of Hong Kong and its digital underground, especially an online gossip platform, where someone has been slandering Siu-Man.
Historical Mysteries by AAPI Authors
The Widows of Malabar Hill (Perveen Mistry series) by Sujata Massey
In 1920s Bombay, Perveen Mistry, has been appointed to execute the will of Mr. Omar Farid, a wealthy Muslim mill owner who has left three widows behind. But as Perveen examines the paperwork, she notices something strange: all three of the wives have signed over their full inheritance to a charity.
Other books in the series:
The Satapur Moonstone (2019)
The Bombay Prince (2021)
The Mistress of Bhatia House (2023)
Young Adult Mysteries and Thrillers written by Asian and Pacific Islander Authors
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
I have read both Anna Dressed in Blood and the sequel, Girl of Nightmares.
Part romance, part horror, this is the story of a teen ghost hunter and his love story with Anna, a vengeful spirit.
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao
Check out my review of How We Fall Apart
A story of murder and revenge at an elite Manhattan high school!
The New Girl by Jesse Q. Sutanto (also check out The Obsession!)
I haven’t read this but have heard great things about it!
When Lia Setiawan wins a full track scholarship to the elite Draycott Academy, she witnesses a violent act by campus security. She uncovers more secrets of Draycott: a corrupt teacher, a golden boy who isn’t what he seems, and a blackmailer determined to get her thrown out. Then the threats against her take a deadly turn.
The Red Palace by June Hur.
Also check out The Forest of Stolen Girls!
In 1700s Korea, there are few options available to illegitimate daughters, but through hard work and study, Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. Hyeon is suddenly thrust into court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon’s closest friend and mentor.
Must add to your list:
Second Sister by Ho-Kei Chan
anything by Kwei Quartey
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
Ooh thanks I am ON it 🙂
I really enjoyed Yesterday by Felicia Yap!
Thanks so much – I will check it out and add it!