Crime is particularly disturbing when it intrudes into happy places. Murders or kidnappings that take place at idyllic holiday destinations shock us because they shatter the illusion that we’re safe on vacation. When we’re somewhere beautiful, shelling out hard-earned dollars to relax and enjoy, we don’t want to be looking over our shoulders. That may explain why the disappearance of Natalee Holloway from her high school trip to Aruba, or Madeleine McCann from her bed in a lovely resort in the Algarve, are seared into the public consciousness and chill us to this day.
This phenomenon became personal recently when I read that an American tourist had been charged with manslaughter in the death of a hotel worker at a resort in the Caribbean that I’ve actually visited. He claims that he acted in self-defense when the worker entered his room and tried to rob him at knifepoint in front of his two young daughters. I could picture the room and imagine the scenario unfolding vividly, because I’d stayed in that same hotel with my own children. I’d love to go back there, but when and if I do, I’m sure that terrible incident will cross my mind.
The sense of danger lurking beneath the beauty of an idyllic vacation spot is present from the first page of my new thriller, A Stranger on the Beach. Caroline Stark has the perfect life and the perfect vacation house—a fabulous contemporary on the beach in the Hamptons, with a wall of windows looking over the infinity-edge pool to the ocean beyond. One day, she glances out those windows and sees a stranger staring back at her. Aidan Callahan has a dark past. After a single passionate encounter, he becomes obsessed with Caroline, and her house, which sits on land once owned by his family. The Hamptons setting lends itself well to this story of haves and have-nots. Caroline is a wealthy weekender. Aidan is a townie who works as a bartender at the local pub. The class and wealth difference between them lends an erotic charge to their ill-fated hookup, which descends into a nightmarish tale of stalking and murder set against the glamorous backdrop of the beach.
Here are a few of my favorite thrillers that showcase mayhem and murder in an idyllic vacation setting:
The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda
Littleport, Maine is a picturesque summer destination for the wealthy. Sadie Loman summered there from childhood, becoming fast friends with townie Avery Greer. When Sadie is found dead of an apparent suicide, Avery is a suspect whose efforts to clear her name dredge up buried secrets. Evocative, atmospheric and suspenseful, a perfect chilling summer read.
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
One of the great masterpieces of psychological suspense. Struggling nobody Tom Ripley cons wealthy shipping magnate Herbert Greenleaf into sending him to the beautiful Italian Riviera to convince Greenleaf’s wastrel son Dickie to return home. Tom ingratiates himself into Dickie’s circle and proceeds to impersonate and then murder him. Riveting, glamorous and deeply unsettling, this novel is a must-read for all thriller lovers, and the excellent film adaptation starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow is a must-see.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
A travel writer’s dream assignment of a week on a luxury cruise turns into a nightmare when she witnesses a woman being thrown overboard. Who among her fellow passengers is guilty – or has she imagined the whole thing? An Agatha Christie-like mystery, creepy and delightful.
Because You’re Mine by Rea Frey
When four girlfriends head to Black Mountain for a relaxing weekend getaway, one of them ends up dead. What’s supposed to be a peaceful, restorative break from daily responsibilities quickly goes south as the women race to determine whether it was an untimely accident…or something much darker. Riveting and atmospheric with a shocker of an ending, this one belongs on your list of scary vacation reads.
One Little Secret by Cate Holahan
Susan invites her new neighbors to join in on a week-long beach getaway with her and her workaholic husband. Over the course of the first evening, liquor loosens inhibitions and lips. But someone says too much. And the next morning one of the women is discovered dead on the private beach. Chilling and filled with dark secrets.
The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews
Mary Kay Andrews is the queen of the beach read for good reason. Set on a beautiful barrier island in the low country, this tale of a long-unsolved murder is the perfect combination of suspense, setting and romance.
Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris
Finn McQuaid is madly in love with Layla Grey and takes her on an idyllic holiday to France. On their way back to England, he stops at a rest area to get gas, and Layla vanishes. Was she taken? Did she run? Ten years later, Finn, still haunted by Layla’s disappearance, is set to marry her sister when Layla reappears. Or does she? Tense, taut, and twisty with an ending you won’t see coming.
Jaws by Peter Benchley
Jaws is more horror than thriller, but I include it because it’s the ultimate tale of terror at the beach. The book opens with a pretty girl skinny-dipping off the iconic resort town of Amity, Long Island. The great white shark that eviscerates her and proceeds to terrorize the town is one of the scariest monsters in fiction. Shark hunter Quint, local police chief Martin Brody and marine biologist Matt Hooper band together in an epic battle to slay the killer shark, and summer vacation has never been the same since.
