From real life seaside towns to fictional beach resorts, shoreline locations have forever been the setting for thriller novels. The warm sun, open water and sprawling sands inspire a sense of the sublime. As a writer, I am drawn to postcard-perfect pictures because nothing is ever perfect. In fact, the more pristine a situation appears on the outside, the messier it usually is on the inside. This dichotomy is as ripe as a summer peach for juicy drama and suspense. Here are nine books that turn up the heat for me, no matter what time of year.
Girls’ Night Out, by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
What better place to reunite with friends than the beautiful paradise of Tulum, Mexico? Far away from home, it’s also a prime spot for one of those friends to go missing. Fenton and Steinke dig into the complexities of female friendships while setting up a nail-biting thriller. Longtime BFFs Natalie, Ashley and Lauren find mending past wounds harder than they anticipated from the get-go of their vacation, despite fun, flirting and umbrella drinks. The challenge of reconnecting goes from personal drama to life-or-death. Bright, vivid descriptions of the Yucatan Peninsula present a striking contrast to the darkest nightmares of a girls’ trip gone wrong.
Inherent Vice, by Thomas Pynchon
In this pulpy cult classic, the setting is 1970’s Los Angeles and a fictional surfside enclave called Gordita Beach (inspired by Manhattan Beach). Doc Sportello, the P.I. protagonist, is an entertaining mess who quirkily delighted me from Page One. When Doc’s seductive but enigmatic ex-girlfriend Shasta pulls him into her troubles, his own troubles grow ten-fold at a rapid pace. Pynchon’s plots-on-plots are steeped in a psychedelic sex, drugs and rock-and-roll haze that’s atmospheric and addictive. The dialog is endlessly amusing and campy. At the same time, the underlying commentary on capitalistic culture, greed and a loss of interpersonal connection gives this crime read edge, depth and evergreen relevance.
The Perfect Couple, by Elin Hilderbrand
The title of this novel grabbed me, because there is no such thing as a perfect couple. A lavish Fourth of July wedding on Nantucket seems like every bride’s dream, except when the nuptials are pre-empted by the maid of honor’s lifeless body floating in the Atlantic. Bronx Zoo assistant director Celeste is set to tie the knot with well-to-do Benji—and it’s her best friend who turns up dead. Using multiple viewpoints, Hilderbrand writes intriguingly flawed characters (the more flawed, the more intriguing for me), all of whom could be capable of murder. She also brings back beloved characters from her other novels, but you don’t need to read them (though you should) to dive into this suspenseful tale.
The Husband Hour, by Jamie Brenner
Ensconced alone in her family’s warm, familiar Jersey Shore house, Lauren, a young widow, struggles to heal over the death of her star hockey player-turned-soldier husband. But when her parents, competitive sister and her sister’s young son descend for a summer together, Lauren’s inner turmoil bubbles to the surface with the family’s dysfunction. Secrets are uncovered and threatened to be exposed in a documentary about her husband, forcing her to face the problems that plagued her seemingly perfect marriage. Brenner shows sensitivity while examining the tough subject of traumatic brain injuries in sports while keeping the fictional drama and tension high. This novel is about crimes of the heart and ethical questions as opposed to traditional whodunit elements, but the striking personal jeopardy makes for a thought-provoking and riveting read.
Until the Day I Die, by Emily Carpenter
This novel also tackles the subject of grief and its devastating effect. When Erin’s husband dies suddenly, she is determined to keep her college-bound daughter Shorie and the family’s thriving tech business on track. But all those around her worry that she’s falling apart, and they stage an intervention that sends her to a luxury rehab retreat on a remote Caribbean island. Alternating points of view from Erin and Shorie offer insight into the two women’s states of mind and their undeniable love for each other, despite mother-daughter thorniness. From the start, Carpenter sets the stage for conspiracies that raise their ugly heads as the pages turn. Shorie investigates those she believes are out to sabotage her mother and the business while Erin ultimately fights for her life at a tropical jungle “wellness sanctuary” that’s hair-raising instead of healing.
The Au Pair, by Emma Rous
A myth has long marred the life of Seraphine, a young woman, and Danny, her twin brother, whose mother threw herself off a cliff immediately following their birth. After their father’s death, the twins and their older sibling Edwin discover a mysterious photograph and embark on a search for the truth while spending time at their family’s estate, Summerbourne, on the English coast of Norfolk. They track down Laura, Edwin’s former au pair, who may be the only one who truly knows what happened that fateful day. The narrative shifts between 1991 and the present, with both Seraphine and Laura telling their respective stories. The web of lies that unfurls makes Rous’s moody, gothic novel a rollercoaster read that’s impossible to put down.
Skinny Dip, by Carl Hiaasen
Hiaasen brings his ever-present humor in the crime genre to the story of plucky female protagonist, Joey Perrone. She’s the heiress wife of scheming marine biologist Chaz, who works for an unethical farming tycoon. Paranoid Chaz attempts to kill Joey, though Joey survives—unbeknownst to him. With the help of ex-cop Mick who rescues her, Joey sets out on a vengeful quest. This zany romp-caper across South Florida through the Everglades features a cast of colorful characters including a blowhard detective and an addict bodyguard with a bullet where “the sun don’t shine.” Chaz is a vain, greedy villain we love to hate – he’s such a doofus that he throws his wife overboard, forgetting she’s a champion swimmer. Through all the action and hilarity, this read also has an environmental message.
The Last House Guest, by Megan Miranda
This enthralling novel paints a portrait of Littleport, Maine’s two “faces”: one a vacation paradise and the other, an everyday town to the folks who reside and work there year-round. Avery and Sadie, two young women from those opposite sides, become good friends and look forward to seeing each other during summers. Then Sadie is found dead. Though Sadie’s death is ruled a suicide, Avery feels all blaming eyes focusing her direction. She must dig to find out what really happened in order to clear her name. Bombshells are dropped, secrets are revealed, alignments are made and broken, all working to keep the narrative tension high and the clip quick. I’m always fascinated by the intricacies of female friendships. Miranda skillfully looks at their effect, even when they’re over.
Duma Key, by Stephen King
A horrendous accident leaves narrator Edgar Freemantle with a fractured skull, broken ribs, a shattered hip, and one arm. Needless to say, a change of scenery from the Minnesota life that reminds him of the tragedy is in order, so he rents a home on small, sparse Duma Key, off the Florida Coast. There, he starts to heal; making art, forging new friendships and enjoying a visit from his beloved daughter. When he meets Elizabeth Eastlake, an Alzheimer’s-stricken elderly woman whose past weaves deep into the island’s history, supernatural mayhem ensues—the “crimes” in this novel are otherworldly. King suffered his own serious accident, so there seems to be personal resonance in the story, imbuing the characters with a stunning realism; Edgar, first and foremost. At almost 800 pages, this book might take the entire summer to read, but as with all King’s work, it’s worth it!
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