What's On the bookshelf: three thrillers to get your heart racing

Our friends at the Emirates Literature Foundation share three thrilling recommendations…

With back-to-school week being the official starting line for the busy season, taking the time to look for a new book can be tricky. Luckily the team at the Emirates Literature Foundation has a list of gripping thrillers that will grab you from the first page, so it won’t be a mystery where all that time went.

The Guest List, by Lucy Foley

A wedding celebration on an island off the coast of Ireland takes a dark turn when someone turns up dead – only readers won’t find out who it is right away, making it a race to figure out both the victim and the killer. Foley channels Christie at her finest, with plenty of clues pointing in multiple directions before resolving everything in a thrilling but satisfying conclusion.

Death on the Nile, by Agatha Christie

Detective Hercules Poirot travels to Egypt in this popular Agatha Christie classic that has everything that fans love about her mysteries. When a young woman is found shot in the head on a cruise sailing down the Nile, it’s up to Poirot to figure out which of his fellow passengers is the murderer, in this tale of jealousy, passion, and revenge.

The Stranger Diaries, by Elly Griffiths

Clare, a high school teacher, is forced to reckon with her colleague’s murder after the body is discovered with an iconic quote from a short story by one of Clare’s favourite Gothic authors left next to it. Making matters worse is the appearance of a message in her old journal – written in handwriting that isn’t hers. This winner of the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Novel will keep you guessing till the very end.

The Emirates Literature Foundation team is talking about armchair travel in the latest episode of the Boundless Book Club podcast and you can find it here, and on all your favourite podcast platforms. You can also check out the YouTube channel for Emirates LitFest sessions, author interviews and more book chat.