Traditional wisdom tells you that a business leader reads business books, and it’s true in most cases. Mehul Desai, founder and chairman, Mail Order Solutions, is a happy exception. When it comes to reading, thrillers are his choice of genre, with authors spanning the globe, from Japan to Sweden to the UK to the US. And of course, The Godfather must be there. And a Robert Ludlum and a Jeffrey Archer.  

As PrintWeek India picks five items from Mehul Desai’s personal library, he explains why these are his top-five favourite books. “I have read each of these books multiple times,” he says. “When I don't have anything interesting to read, I pick up one of these books and start reading.”

1. Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. This is Japan’s answer to Sleeping with the Enemy, with twists, about a woman escaping an abusive ex-husband before things go horribly wrong.  

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. A global publishing phenomenon, with a series of books and a dead author, the first book of the series deserves all the accolades it has garnered. The story of Lizbeth Salandar, this is a story of abuse and empowerment which in equal parts disturbing and fascinating.

3. The Godfather by Mario Puzzo: ‘It’s an offer you cannot refuse.’ The story of Vito Corleone is the story of the dark side of the American Dream.   

4. The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum: Written during the cold war, this is a wish fulfillment rollercoaster where CIA and KGB join hands together to infiltrate a cabal, the Matarese of the title.

5. Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer. A classic in the truest sense. As you read, the characters leap forth from the pages in the best possible way.