Mention the word “thriller” in the same sentence as Washington, D.C., and most people conjure up fast-paced tales of spies, political intrigue, and military operations. Mystery and thriller writers like David Baldacci, Margaret Truman, Julie Hyzy, and Tom Clancy, to name just a few, have had huge success mining the halls of power at the Capitol or settings like the White House.
But there’s more to the DMV— as locals call the District, Maryland, and Virginia — than politics. It’s a city like any other, a place where ordinary people navigate relationships, raise families, care for ailing parents, and occasionally stumble across a dead body. All three of my domestic suspense novels have been set in the D.C. area, and there’s not an FBI or CIA agent among them. My most recent, Such a Lovely Family, tells the story of the wealthy Calhoun family, whose afternoon garden party turns into a crime scene when a brutal murder takes place. I set it in the fictional Somerwood neighborhood, which is based on a real neighborhood in Chevy Chase, Md. whose explosion of cherry blossoms every spring draws visitors from near and far.
I’m not the only one writing about the other D.C. — there’s been a recent spate of non-political thrillers set in the nation’s capital. Following is a list of five such works, with a corresponding hidden (or not-so-hidden) gem to visit related to each book.
In Follow Me, Kathleen Barber’s tale of taut psychological suspense, Audrey Miller moves to D.C. and lands a job as the head of social media at a Smithsonian art museum. But things start to go haywire when someone who has been obsessively following her on social media for years—from her first WordPress blog to her most recent Instagram story — crosses the line into her real life.
What to visit: the Smithsonian’s Hirschhorn Sculpture Garden, where you can see modern sculptures and enjoy a cup of coffee in a quiet spot hiding in plain sight along the National Mall.
Psychological thriller duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s The Golden Couple follows the DC couple Marissa and Matt as they come under the sway of an unconventional therapist named Avery, who has lost her license due to her unorthodox methods. This twisty thriller mentions several well-known landmarks in the Glover Park section of Northwest D.C., where the couple lives.
What to visit: The National Cathedral, just up the hill from Glover Park. The central tower is the highest point in Washington, D.C., but one of the better-kept secrets is the beautiful Bishop’s Garden adjacent to the cathedral. Stop in for a light lunch or coffee at the quaint Open City Café, which is on the grounds.
The Monsters We Defy, by Leslye Penelope, marries a heist story with African-American folk magic set in the Harlem Renaissance-inspired Washington, D.C. of 1925. The main character, Clara Johnson, is born with “the gift,” enabling her to commune with spirits. Penelope paints an evocative picture of a lesser-known D.C. — a world of segregation, speakeasies, race riots, and U Street’s once bustling “Black Broadway.”
What to visit: Start at Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street. The building housing one of D.C.’s most famous eateries was originally the Minnehaha Nickelodeon Theater in 1910, and the façade is still visible. From there, take a walking tour of the neighborhood that includes the former residences of Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington, and the historic Lincoln and Howard Theaters. Maps of walking tours are available online at: https://blackbroadwayonu.com
The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine may sound like the title of a political thriller, but this psychological suspense explores a rocky second marriage, rife with gaslighting and suspicion. After the tragic deaths of their respective spouses two years earlier, Sloane Chase and Senator Whit Montgomery marry in the hopes of moving on with their lives. Felled by illness in her beautiful Georgetown home, Sloane struggles with who she can trust as she fights to uncover what happened to her first husband.
What to visit: Georgetown, where you can dine at Café Milano, which makes an appearance in the book and has been dubbed by The New York Times as “Where the world’s most powerful people go.” If the prices there are a little steep, there are plenty of other eateries and cafes nearby. Take your coffee down to the waterfront, and if you’re up for it, walk the mile along the Potomac River to the Lincoln Memorial.
In Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian, a college campus is the setting. D.C. is home to several schools, including Georgetown, American, George Washington, and Catholic Universities, as well as the University of the District of Columbia. But this thriller is set at the fictitious John Adams University. There, Chloe Sevre, a freshman honor student who also happens to be a psychopath, is one of seven students offered a scholarship in return for participating in a psychology study.
What to visit: Catholic University, the site of the stunning Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Nicknamed “America’s Catholic Church,” it’s the largest Catholic church building in North America. You can tour the church and its well-appointed gardens.
And finally, sometimes the scariest areas of a big city are right outside its limits — the suburbs. Melissa Adelman’s What the Neighbors Saw is set in an exclusive neighborhood in Northern Virginia where the only thing bigger than the houses is the sense of entitlement. When Alexis moves with her husband into a fixer-upper, she feels like an outsider as the only woman of color on the block. But soon she is sucked into the neighborhood drama when a dead body is found on a nearby jogging path.
What to visit: Park your car at Daingerfield Island and walk along the Potomac River into picturesque Old Town Alexandria, where you can grab a bite, stroll the cobbled streets, and browse the many little boutiques.
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