Craving a laugh while you clutch your pearls? Then buckle up, because we’re about to tickle your funny bone while keeping you firmly placed at the edge of your seat. This list combines the best of both worlds, offering hilarious thrillers that will have you laughing out loud one minute and biting your nails the next. From Alice Bell’s wacky detective work in “Grave Expectations” to Kanan Gill’s divinely disastrous “Acts of God,” and the mind-bending adventures of Douglas Adams’ “Dirk Gently,” get ready for a rollercoaster ride of thrills and chills, all with a healthy dose of humour.
Acts of God by Kanan Gill
Kanan Gill’s debut Acts of God isn’t your typical sci-fi thriller. It is also not the conventional cat-and-mouse chase crime drama. Blending pulse-pounding suspense with laugh-out-loud humour, it is both and much more. Imagine a world where a disillusioned scientist creates and destroys realities, a sentient wall ponders its artistic purpose, and a truth-telling lapel pin wreaks havoc. Get ready for a whirlwind adventure that explores existential questions while keeping you on the edge of your seat (and giggling).
Grave Expectations by Alice Bell
Marketed as a Knives-Out-Poirot-esque mystery, the F. Scottie pun is a dead giveaway on the comedic strain within this superb thriller. Burnt-out millennial Claire juggles a peculiar problem: seeing ghosts. Things get complicated when her best friend’s ghost, Sophie, who was murdered, begs Claire to solve the case. Aided by a quirky crew of investigators, Claire, with a healthy dose of sarcasm, navigates the world of the undead. Bell’s debut is a fast-paced and truly hysterical thrill ride, perfect for fans of the paranormal, mysterious and comedic!
The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
In Richard Osman’s “The Bullet That Missed,” the quirky Thursday Murder Club isn’t looking for just any mystery. This time, a decade-old cold case with a missing journalist and nobody piques their interest. But things get personal when Elizabeth, the club’s sharp leader, is threatened by a mysterious figure. With danger looming, the friends use their wits and humour to solve a thrilling puzzle, proving that retirement can be both deadly and side-splittingly funny.
Finlay Donovan Knocks Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
Buckle up for “Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead”, the superb sequel to “Finlay Donovan Is Killing It”. Single mom Finlay is still juggling motherhood, writer’s block, and mistaken identity as a hitwoman. This time, chaos escalates with a suspicious ex-husband, a dead goldfish, and the Russian mob. Yet amidst the thrilling mystery, and this quirky cast of unconventional stressors, Finlay is busy navigating a love triangle ft. a charming detective. Hilarious and fast-paced, Cosimano serves up another hit, with a blend of rom-com and suspense that will leave you begging for more.
The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith
Forget gritty noir! “The Department of Sensitive Crimes” by Alexander McCall Smith is a Scandinavian Blanc (a new antagonist to Nordic Noir) that injects humour into the detective genre. Meet Ulf Varg, head of a Malmö police unit tackling unusual cases – a perplexing knee-stabbing, love-struck woman, and a wacky spa mystery. With a quirky team by his side, Ulf navigates these strange situations with wit and heart, making this a thrilling read with a delightful comedic touch.
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
Fans of Hitchhiker and Elijah Wood’s show UNITE! And buckle up for a wild ride into the topsy-turvy world of unconventional sleuthing. This sci-fi thriller throws a bumbling detective, Dirk Gently, headfirst into a truly absurd case, ft. a missing cat, a murdered millionaire, and a time-travelling professor who are all somehow interconnected. Prepare to be thrilled and pleasantly amused as a struggling Dirk attempts to unravel a bizarre mystery. Replete with assassins, ghosts, and the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, this genre-bending adventure is a must for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a generous helping of absurdity.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
In a remote Polish village, Janina, a reclusive woman with a preference for astrology and animals over people, stumbles upon a grisly discovery. As more bodies turn up, Janina, convinced she knows the culprit, becomes fixated on bringing them to justice. Tokarczuk’s darkly comic thriller weaves a murder mystery with Janina’s unique perspective, blurring the lines between sanity and eccentricity. While hunting a killer, Janina’s observations of the closed-minded villagers and her own unconventional beliefs provide a darkly humorous counterpoint to the chilling murders.
Pick up any one 7 of these Comedic Thrillers from any Kunzum store or WhatsApp +91.8800200280 to order. Buy the book(s) and the coffee’s on us.