Thrillers are a great escape. They can whisk you around the world and beyond without you ever having to leave your home or pack a suitcase. (And if you are taking a trip, they're great companions—that's two trips in one!) But these globe-spanning listens are far from paradise.
Chilling and suspenseful, our picks for the best foreign thrillers offer a nail-biting tour around the globe, from an assassin-packed train in Japan and a secret library in Spain to a Croatian tale of revenge and Nigeria's scariest serial-killing sister.
Before we begin our journey, let's give a shout-out to the translators whose meticulous work make it possible for us to enjoy these stories, and to the talented narrators who bring them so authentically to life. Here we go!
Blending fantasy, sci-fi, and crime with mystery, this French thriller recently won the prestigious Prix Goncourt. The Anomaly follows a mysterious flight from New York to Paris that upends the lives of hundreds of people. None of the passengers had any idea just how unusual the trip would be before they boarded the plane—or just how different they would be when they touched down. Narrator Dominic Hoffman is an accomplished actor and a four-time winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award, having lent his voice to more than 100 audiobooks.
Jo Nesbø is one of the world's top-selling international thriller writers, and with good reason. In the first of his Harry Hole books, the maverick detective must travel from Oslo to Australia to investigate the murder of a Norwegian bartender. But Hole's investigation uncovers a killer who is just getting started. The spot-on narration is provided by esteemed audiobook narrator John Lee, who has lent his prolific voice to more than 600 audiobooks, including the works of best-selling author Ken Follett.
If the title Bullet Train sounds familiar, that's because it's now an exciting movie starring Hollywood icons Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock. While you wait for the film to drop later this year, check out the hit thriller it was based on. Written by best-selling Japanese author Kotaro Isaka, it follows five ruthless assassins aboard a bullet train from Tokyo to Moriaka, each hired separately for the sample simple task: Grab a suitcase from a specific passenger and get off at the next stop. But that's easier said than done, especially when they learn that it's not only each other they have to worry about. This heart-pounding, nonstop adventure is narrated deftly by actor Pun Bandhu.
Also set in Japan, Confessions probes the limits of grief and revenge. Devastated by a tragic loss, middle school teacher Yuko turns in her resignation. But before she leaves, she has one more class to teach—with an important lesson for the two students responsible for her four-year-old daughter's death. This spine-tingling international thriller is brought to life by Elaina Erika Davis and Noah Galvin, both multi-talented actors of stage and screen.
Next up, we head down to Cuba, for a thriller steeped in the darker side of the modern revolution with a culinary twist (plus authentic Cuba recipes). It all starts when an American journalist gets embroiled in a nefarious plot, involving the police and secret service, while trying to clear his name in the death of his Cuban girlfriend. This is the first in Teresa Dovalpage's exciting Havana Mystery series, narrated by the melodious musical theater singer and recording artist, Cynthia Farrell.
Here's another wild thriller hitting the big screen soon. Set in China, Death Notice is the tale of an anonymous vigilante known as Eumenides, who has decided to take on what they consider the corrupt system of local governance and serve as its judge, jury, and executioner. The local police race to find Eumenides, whose brand of justice is garnering public support and amassing a body count. The fantastic actor Joel de la Fuente, known best for his work in The Man in the High Castle and Hemlock Grove, crafts a listen that’s purely pause-resistant.
Simon Vance, perhaps the most lauded audiobook narrator in history, lends his singular talents to this chilling caper set in Cape Town, South Africa. In the first book in Deon Meyer's best-selling mystery series, Inspector Benny Griessel is conflicted when he must investigate the murder of a known pedophile. But the killer has just gotten started doing away with the city's criminal element—and they have public opinion on their side.
Narrator Crystal Yu, a Hong Kong-born actress best known for her role in the BBC medical drama Casualty, enlivens this listen, the start of a crime series set in the Crown Colony of Singapore in the mid 1930s. Mission school-educated Su Lin is happy to escape an arranged marriage by stepping in as governess to the acting governor's young daughter. But when she discovers the last governess died under mysterious circumstances, Su Lin turns into an amateur sleuth, teaming up with a British-born inspector to solve a murder—and save her own life.
The Hangman's Daughter takes you time traveling—all the way back to Germany in the 1600s. Hangman Jakob Kuisl must investigate whether witchcraft is at play in his small Bavarian town after children start turning up tattooed with a mysterious symbol. When suspicions fall on the woman who aided in the birth of his children, Jakob must rush to find the truth before it's too late. Esteemed narrator Grover Gardner adds this excellent production to his body of work, which includes more than 600 titles.
In this witty, fast-paced, distinctively Irish thriller, Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with hardly anyone he can trust after someone makes several attempts on his life. Irish actor Morgan C. Jones, known for roles in Ripper Street and Game of Thrones, lends an authenticity to this work, grounding the listen in his natural voice and tone. This audiobook, available only from Audible, is the first book in Caihm McDonnell's acclaimed Dublin Trilogy, which (mysteriously) consists of six books.
Next we travel to Nigeria for a tale of two sisters. Korede has always been overshadowed by her gorgeous younger sister, Ayoola, who has a penchant for murdering her boyfriends. Korede chooses to help her sister hide her crimes, but when Ayoola turns her attention to the man Korede loves, will she finally put a stop to the slayings? This darkly comedic thriller is narrated by American actress, director, singer, and writer Adepero Oduye—a perfect fit for this irresistibly twisty listen.
This international best seller marks the English language debut from award-winning South Korean author, Gu Byeong-mo. At age 65, ruthless assassin Hornclaw is in the twilight of her killer career. She's not about to go out going soft—but she makes a big mistake that might cost her everything when she becomes attached to a local doctor and his family. Nancy Wu, the book's gifted narrator, is a well-known Hong Kong actress.
Brace yourself for Out, one of the best-selling classics of Japanese crime and suspense. Four women who work the night shift together making boxed lunches in Tokyo help cover up the crime when one of them murders her abusive husband. But soon the women find themselves drawn into the criminal underworld of Japanese society. Narrator Emily Woo Zeller shows off her Audie Award-winning chops yet again in her performance of this unforgettable audiobook, available only from Audible.
Fittingly for our international focus, Susan Nezami has provided the vocal talent for several excellent audiobooks set in locales all around the world. This time, the narrator takes on playwright and actress Samira Sedira's first novel to be translated into English from French. Inspired by a true story, People Like Them is a suspenseful tale about a couple in a remote mountain village whose lives are upended when a family of strangers moves to their town.
ultimately a love letter to literature,this recent Spanish [literary classic](https://www.audible.com/series/Cemetery-of-Forgotten-Books-Audiobooks/B01MA36FSV) is not to be missed.
Follow two Catholic priests in the hunt for a vicious serial killer in this exhilarating winner of the Philippine National Book Award. Someone is preying on the young and vulnerable population of Manila, and Father Gus Saenz and Father Jerome Lucero may be the only ones who can stop them. Narrator Ramón de Ocampo, a seasoned actor, has won multiple awards for his voice work—and after just a few minutes of listening to his reading of Smaller and Smaller Circles, you’ll see why.
This pulse-pounding thriller by best-selling Australian author Melina Marchetta will take your breath away. Nothing can keep suspended cop Bish Ortley from investigating a devastating bombing incident when it hits close to home. But his search for the culprit may force him to reconsider an old case. The excellent narration is provided by actor Zaqi Ismail, known for roles in Doctor Who and Indian Summers, who tackles both the human element of loss and the slow unspooling of an engrossing mystery.
With captivating narration provided by award-winning voice artist Xe Sands, this 2022 release is as buzzy as it is satisfying. A journalist, Nora is assigned to do a piece on a Croatian high school teacher who fell in love with one of her students—a Serb—and is now in prison for murdering her husband. The story takes an unexpected personal turn when Nora starts digging into the mysterious death of her father years earlier. Set against the violence that rocked ex-Yugoslavia in the early '90s, We Trade Our Night for Someone Else's Day is an intense political thriller from Ivana Bodrožić, one of Europe's most celebrated young authors.
And, last but not least, a compelling Japanese thriller about loneliness, obsession, and the narratives we cast upon the world around us. When the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan turns her voyeuristic attention to the seemingly lonely Woman in the Purple Skirt who sits each day on the park bench, it has far-reaching consequences. This gripping listen is narrated by the talented Jennifer Ikeda, who has brought her voice to some of the biggest books of the 21st century, including A Discovery of Witches and A Court of Thorns and Roses.