My husband and I fell in love with Kauai when we went there for our honeymoon. We’ve been back many times since, and during the pandemic, we decided to live there so I could research the book I was working on. It was supposed to be an upmarket novel like my first two books, but pandemic homeschooling coupled with the state of our world put me in a dark place. My solution: I started killing people in the book. There was an accidental death or two, an intentional murder, stalking, and a drowning. All of which I wrote while sipping Mai Tais at the beach under the sunny sky, sand between my toes.
I didn’t know I’d accidentally written a thriller until I showed it to some writing friends and my agent. Someone Else’s Life started off about a Taiwanese-American woman who had lost everything, and she and her husband decide to move to Kauai to start over with their young son. But that’s when things get creepy. As she’s trying to relax in paradise, reality begins to fracture and she feels like she’s being watched. And then a stranger shows up looking for refuge during a terrible storm. But as the night goes on, she realizes this is no stranger and she just might lose everything.
For me, thrillers set in stunning locations like Kauai are all the more delicious for the juxtaposition of beautiful settings and dark deeds. If you want to be creeped out or solve a mystery all while arm-chair traveling to a magical paradise, check out the list of books below.
The Goddesses by Swan Huntley
Nancy and her family move to Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii to start over. Her husband has cheated on her and her kids have been acting out. But she is hopeful that the beautiful paradise will help them make a new life. Then she meets Ana, a charismatic yoga teacher she is drawn to. They become close and Nancy has never been happier. But she will soon find out Ana is not as she seems.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
A remote island off the coast of Ireland is the perfect backdrop for this twisty tale, told from several points of views including the bride, the plus one, the wedding planner, the best man, and the bridesmaid. The spotty cell service and rough waters off the island only adds to the chilling atmosphere of this swanky celebrity wedding turned oh-so-wrong when a dead body is discovered. Who is it? And who among them is the murderer?
You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
When Amaya gets an invitation to her former best friend Kaavi’s wedding to Amaya’s ex-boyfriend, she knows she must go to Sri Lanka to stop this wedding. Taking place at the private beach at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, this over-the-top wedding is the backdrop for possible murder when the bride disappears and is presumed dead. Amaya has a target on her back but not everything is as it seems. Set on the outskirts of Colombo overlooking the sea, Jayatissa masterfully brings you to Sri Lanka as she unravels each wedding guests’ motivations.
Bones of Hilo by Eric Redman
A young, inexperienced detective from the wet, working-class side of Hawaii’s Big Island gets the chance of a lifetime when the mainland developer of an unpopular resort on the island’s tourist side is found murdered on a luxury golf course, an ancient Hawaiian spear driven through his heart. This book is a deep dive into the Hawaiian culture and people, and the island’s ancient past. Filled with local color that goes beyond the tropical paradise that Hawaii is known for, this mystery will suck you in while showing you a whole new side of Big Island.
The Beach House by P.R. Black
A couple, Cora and Jonathan, are vacationing on a private island in the Caribbean, and things are looking up when he proposes. At first, it feels like paradise and Cora couldn’t be happier. But they soon realize the island isn’t private after all. There’s another couple, who look eerily like them, and are a bit too friendly for Cora’s liking. Things soon become sinister and turns deadly as their vacation becomes their worst nightmare.
Destination Maui by Ann Shepphird
A travel writer, Sam Powers is excited to go on her first official press trip to a luxury resort on the Hawaiian island of Maui. There, she meets her fellow travel writers and the resort representatives hosting the trip. When one of the writers (someone who almost everyone else has a reason to want to kill) is found dead in his suite, everyone becomes a suspect. Sam used to be an investigative reporter, and uses her skills to help the handsome, single Maui detective solve the crime. This cozy mystery set in paradise will transport you to Maui if you need an escape. Or it’s the perfect book to take along if you’re going on vacation, a tropical drink in hand as you lay out on the beach or by the pool.
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