83. Chiller Thrillers

“I need something I just can’t put down,” we often hear. Whether it’s insomnia, an upcoming vacation, rediscovering reading, or simply escaping from the world, we’ve all had moments where the only book that will do is one we can absolutely devour. Look no further than these three thrillers, each adapting the genre in deeply exciting ways. New York Times bestseller Emiko Jean explores the embers of hope that burn in the aftermath of tragedy in a twisty, shocking page-turner, The Return of Ellie Black. Bestseller Roz Nay is back with a fast-paced, cat-and-mouse story where two young women are chased through dangerous Australian waters in The Offing. In Cold, from award-winning Drew Hayden Taylor, a plane crash leaves two women fighting to survive in a hilarious, propulsive work. Trust us: these books will get your pulse racing. Moderated by Robert J. Wiersema.

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Drew Hayden Taylor

DREW HAYDEN TAYLOR has done many things, most of which he is proud of. An Ojibway from the Curve Lake First Nations in Ontario, he has worn many hats in his career, from performing stand-up comedy at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., to being Artistic Director of Canada’s premiere Native theatre company, Native Earth Performing Arts. He has been an award-winning playwright (with over 100 productions of his work), a journalist/columnist (appearing regularly in several Canadian newspapers, magazines, and news networks), short story writer, novelist, television scriptwriter, and has worked on over 20 documentaries exploring the Native experience including the popular Searching for Winnetou. His documentary series on APTN, Going Native, is in its third year. The author of 34 books, he looks forward to finding out where his imagination will take him next.

Emiko Jean

EMIKO JEAN is the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels Tokyo Dreaming and Tokyo Ever After, a Reese Witherspoon/Hello Sunshine pick, as well as the novel Mika in Real Life, which was a Good Morning America Book Club pick. She lives in Washington with her husband and two kids.

Roz Nay

ROZ NAY’s debut novel, Our Little Secret, was a national bestseller, won the Douglas Kennedy Prize for best foreign thriller in France, and was nominated for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Mystery and the Arthur Ellis Best First Novel Award. Her second bestselling novel, Hurry Home, was shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Best Crime Novel award and The Hunted, her third, was nominated for Best Crime Novel in 2022. Roz has lived and worked in Africa, Australia, the US, and the UK. She now lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and two children.

Robert J. Wiersema

ROBERT J. WIERSEMA is the author of three novels, a novella, a collection of short stories, and a book of nonfiction. He is one of Canada’s most recognized and respected book reviewers, with his work appearing regularly in The Toronto Star, Quill & Quire, The Globe and Mail, National Post, and numerous other publications. Wiersema lives in Victoria where he is a professor of creative writing at Vancouver Island University. (BRITISH COLUMBIA)