Luxury Resorts, Beach-Front Mysteries: 7 Destination Thrillers Set at a Resort
Summer reading is the best reading, in my opinion. And to add to the fun, pick up a thriller set at a resort. It’s almost like being there. While I was writing The Kingsley’s Book 1, Beneath the Surface, set on a mega yacht, and then Book 2, Under the Palms, set at a luxury resort, I was transported to these locations in my mind. If you decide to read either, I hope you are, too. If you’re looking for a resort escape for your summer reading, here are a few of my favorites.
Who wouldn’t want to travel with Tom, and the gang, to the Amalfi Coast in the unspoiled 1950s? I love to re-read this classic from time to time to experience the master, Patricia Highsmith, at her best. The setting is the perfect accomplice to Tom Ripley who needs a solution for bothersome Dickie. An elegant setting propelling a dastardly tale. I’m in.
You won’t need sunscreen for this mystery novel by Lucy Foley, but you will find yourself on a resort island off the coast of Ireland, trapped, with a cast of characters attending a wedding celebration that you won’t soon forget. The bride and groom are glamorous media celebrities, but the real star of the show is the suddenly hostile setting and the real danger lurking around every corner. I loved this one.
If you’re looking for an uber private, members-only resort, why not try The Club by Ellery Lloyd. This club caters to celebrities, and the wealthy elite who wish to be exclusively in their presence. Ned, creator of The Home, has outdone himself this time, and has bought an island to create his most luxurious destination yet. But when he goes missing, chaos ensues in this beautiful island paradise.
Another island classic—where you won’t need sunscreen—is a small resort island where almost from the beginning, guests begin to die. Agatha Christie’s masterpiece is worth re-reading, I am right now, for the pacing and brilliant characters, and of course, for the terror of the situation the characters find themselves in. This is an island everyone would love to leave, but of course, there’s only one way out.
Does it seem like a lot of resort thrillers are set on a remote, private, and exclusive island? You’re right, it does, and Rachel Howzell Hall’s wonderful novel is no exception. Set on a luxurious private island off the coast of Mexico, seven strangers are in for a vacation they aren’t expecting because of course, paradise is hiding something darker. Isn’t it always?
About the Author
Kaira Rouda is a USA Today, Amazon Charts, and internationally bestselling, multiple award–winning author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Her domestic suspense novels include Best Day Ever, The Favorite Daughter, All the Difference, The Next Wife, Somebody’s Home, The Widow, and Beneath the Surface, the first book in the Kingsleys series.
She lives in Southern California with her family and is at work on her next novel. She is a founding member of the Killer Author Club, supporting other suspense and mystery authors.
Under the direction of the Kingsleys’ new president, Paige, the family has gathered for a weekend retreat at a luxurious Laguna Beach resort.Still clinging to the hope of succession are the sons of Richard Kingsley, the family patriarch and CEO: John, the oldest, who’s clawed his way back from a dark tragedy, and Paige’s estranged husband, Ted, the golden boy. When Richard’s ex and his wayward daughter join the fray, Paige finds herself with two fast allies. They know a secret that could shatter the family legacy. Call it leverage, call it revenge, the Kingsley women believe they have the upper hand.But as the power games begin, greater threats than the howling Santa Ana winds are coming. Because this weekend, amid so much greed and betrayal, no Kingsley is safe. It’s family. Watch your back.
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