Relaxing on the beach may be everyone’s favorite summer activity, but sometimes a sandy paradise can be anything but peaceful. In fact, an ocean full of secrets or a seemingly remote island can be the perfect backdrop for an intense, heart-racing thriller. These ten novels all bring a degree of excitement and adventure to the sand-filled coastline and will have you reeling in suspense and anticipation for what happens next!
10 Sun-Soaked Thrillers & Mysteries Set on the Beach
Deep Water
A yacht vacation goes awry for a young couple, Jake and Virginie, who initially set off to explore an exotic and untouched island of Malaysia that they had heard so much about. Far from the paradise they expected, this story begins with Virginie narrating an unbelievable tale to the captain of the navy ship that rescued them from the middle of the Indian Ocean, all while Jake is despondent over being gravely injury. She claims there is a deadly curse placed on the island and that danger is all around, but there is a greater looming question: Can Virginie truly be trusted? Or is she hiding a secret that could explain away all of the beach’s nightmarish happenings?
Deep Water
The dark side of paradise is exposed when a terrified couple reveals their daunting experience on a remote island to their rescuers—only to realize they’re still in the grips of the island’s secrets—in this intense and startling debut in the tradition of Into the Jungle and The Ruins.
When a Navy vessel comes across a yacht in distress in the middle of the vast Indian Ocean, Captain Danial Tengku orders his ship to rush to its aid. On board the yacht is a British couple: a horribly injured man, Jake, and his traumatized wife, Virginie, who breathlessly confesses, “It’s all my fault. I killed them.”
Trembling with fear, she reveals their shocking story to Danial. Months earlier, the couple had spent all their savings on a yacht, full of excitement for exploring the high seas and exotic lands together. They start at the busy harbors of Malaysia and, through word of mouth, Jake and Virginie learn about a tiny, isolated island full of unspoiled beaches. When they arrive, they discover they are not the only visitors and quickly become entangled with a motley crew of expat sailors. Soon, Jake and Virginie’s adventurous dream turns into a terrifying nightmare.
Now, it’s up to Danial to determine just how much truth there is in Virginie’s alarming tale. But when his crew make a shocking discovery, he realizes that if he doesn’t act soon, they could all fall under the dark spell of the island.
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The Elementals
On the Gulf Shores of Alabama lie three Victorian summer houses—two inhabited each summer by intertwined and eccentric families and one that has been abandoned for ages except for the ghosts that haunt its empty halls. This summer, India is simply looking to have a fun time with her father in the beach house she has grown up playing in, but now, at the ripe age of thirteen, she is drawn to the sand dunes that have nearly buried the abandoned house next door. Supernatural happenings are only one source of eeriness in this Southern gothic horror, as the relationships and family history explored in THE ELEMENTALS are equally as frighteningly strange.
The Elementals
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The Blue
Freedom is enticing for Lana and Kitty—two best friends who dream of leaving home and traveling the world—so a yacht adventure on The Blue to the Philippines seems like the perfect getaway, even if it is alongside an odd crew of people from all walks of life. The ship’s captain enforces a strange and strict rule of “no relationships on board” because all those who sail must prioritize their relationship with the yacht above all else; that is, until a crew member mysteriously disappears. Told from Lana’s perspective, both during the boat journey and months later when she’s living in New Zealand and The Blue is reported missing, this is a novel that explores the nuances of friendship and belonging, as well as commitment and deception.
The Blue
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The Nigerwife
It seems like Nicole has the perfect life after moving to her new husband’s home city of Lagos, Nigeria. After all, what more could you want than a successful partner, two wonderful sons who adore you, and a luxurious home to live and entertain in? However, despite having all the riches she could ever want, Nicole is just like all the other ex-pat wives who are secretly deeply unhappy with their lives. In fact, these women are all part of the same tight-knit support group, “The Nigerwives,” but regardless of how bonded these women are, none seems to care when Nicole mysteriously disappears after an impromptu boat trip. It’s up to Nicole’s Aunt Claudine, who flies in from London to take control of the investigation, to figure out what exactly happened. But just as Nicole’s true story is full of deception, secret lives, and unforeseen danger, this beachy thriller has everyone questioning their own safety and sanity.
The Nigerwife
This twisty and electrifying debut novel about a young woman who goes missing in Lagos, Nigeria, and her estranged auntie who will stop at nothing to find the truth is perfect for fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer and The Last Thing He Told Me.
Nicole Oruwari has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of glittering Lagos, Nigeria, and a glamorous group of friends. She left gloomy London and a dark family past behind for sunny, moneyed Lagos, becoming part of the Nigerwives—a community of foreign women married to wealthy Nigerian men.
But when Nicole disappears without a trace after a boat trip, the cracks in her so-called perfect life start to show. As the investigation turns up nothing but dead ends, her Auntie Claudine decides to take matters into her own hands. Armed with only a cell phone and a plane ticket to Nigeria, she digs into her niece’s life and uncovers a hidden side filled with dark secrets, isolation, and even violence. But the more she discovers about her niece, the more Claudine’s own buried history threatens to come to light.
An inventively told and keenly observant thriller where nothing is as it seems, The Nigerwife is a razor-sharp look at the bonds of family, the echoing consequences of secrets, and whether we can ever truly outrun our past.
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Duma Key
Edgar lived a simple but lovely life with his wife and two daughters in a small town in Minnesota before experiencing an untimely accident working at a construction site. Though it was a miracle that he escaped with his life, his recovery was so difficult that he and his wife ultimately ended their marriage. Moving to the sandy shores of mythical Duma Key, Florida, seemed like the perfect respite from his now-miserable life, especially as he finds huge inspiration to paint in his new beach house. But when his neighbor starts divulging the lore of this supposed sunny paradise to him, it is clear that there is horror looming. As a classic Stephen King novel, DUMA KEY is a thriller that will make you feel like you’re right there alongside Edgar in the burning Florida heat, fearing the supernatural unknown.
Duma Key
Master storyteller Stephen King’s classic, terrifying #1 New York Times bestseller of what happens when the barrier between our world and that of the supernatural is breached.
After a terrible construction site accident severs Edgar Freemantle’s right arm, scrambles his mind, and implodes his marriage, the wealthy Minnesota builder faces the ordeal of rehabilitation, all alone and full of rage. Renting a house on Duma Key—a stunningly beautiful and eerily undeveloped splinter off the Florida coast—Edgar slowly emerges from his prison of pain to bond with Elizabeth Eastlake, a sick, elderly woman whose roots are tangled deep in this place. And as he heals, he paints—feverishly, compulsively, his exploding talent both a wonder and a weapon. For Edgar’s creations are not just paintings, but portals for the ghosts of Elizabeth’s past…and their power cannot be controlled…
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The Last Night at Tremore Beach
Down on his luck, Peter thinks a retreat to the elusive Tremore Beach would be an amazing escape from his recent divorce and creative lull. Life seems to be better on this Irish coast—Peter finds a new love interest, a fresh creative spark, and the seclusion he hoped for from the outside world—until one fateful stormy night. Against all odds, Peter is struck by lightning, which gives him strange premonitions that he can only hope are fiction. He suspects that every part of the new life he has built is at risk and the danger has only just begun. Though he may have started off as a highly unlikable protagonist, his development throughout the novel will have you rooting for his success in spite of the wild circumstances lurking on the beach.
The Last Night at Tremore Beach
Gripping and impossible to put down, The Last Night at Tremore Beach is an atmospheric and chilling psychological thriller sure to appeal to fans of the novels of Stephen King and S.J. Watson.
An idyllic summer holiday on the Irish coast becomes a living nightmare with shattering consequences for a world-renowned composer and his loved ones in this “truly haunting page-turner” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Recently divorced and in the middle of a creative crisis, Peter Harper decides to take shelter on the scenic and isolated Tremore Beach in Ireland. But one stormy night he is struck by lightning and, as a result, begins experiencing terrible headaches and strange dreams. As the line between his dreams and reality begin to blur, Peter realizes that his bizarre visions may be a warning of horror still to come…
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I Found You
This novel follows the unexplainable circumstances of three odd stories: Alice, a single mother of three living on the British seaside, welcomes a strange man who doesn’t remember who he is into her home after noticing him loitering outside; Lily, a newlywed who has just moved to London, reports her husband rightfully missing but finds out from the police that he never existed in the first place; and finally, two decades prior, Gray and Kirsty, teenage siblings, encounter a young man who becomes infatuated with Kirsty much to Gray’s disapproval, even though their parents are not concerned at all. Buried under the sand is nothing but secrets, and all of these intriguing characters have something to gain from hiding their true intentions. I FOUND YOU is a psychological thriller like no other that tricks readers with its light tone that masks the truly sinister happenings lying beneath the surface.
I Found You
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The Gentlemen's Hour
In this second installment of the Detective Boone Daniels novels, Boone is fully immersed in SoCal surf culture, spending every day in the water until his lawyer girlfriend, Petra, pulls him onto a case. A legend of the surfing world, Kelly Kuhio, was killed by a young member of the underground surfing community, but Petra wants Boone to help prove it wasn’t a premeditated murder so the punk can get a reduced sentence. Boone’s own morals are at stake as he is torn between bringing justice to the community and figuring out what actually happened. To make matters worse, this isn’t the only case Boone has to solve, as his friend needs his help catching his unfaithful wife in the act. But when the two cases start to seem intertwined, it’s clear that this beach is a place for thrilling detective work, not laid-back relaxation!
The Gentlemen's Hour
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Border, a “down-and-dirty dip into the treacherous social currents of Southern California” (The Wall Street Journal), in which P.I. Boone Daniels agrees to defend a young man accused of murdering a beloved surfer and local legend.
Former cop turned investigator Boone Daniels lives to surf. He begins each day with the Dawn Patrol, a close-knit group of surfers who have one another’s backs in and out of the water. When one of their own, a local legend, is murdered, the small world of Pacific Beach is rocked to its core. But when Boone agrees to defend the young man accused, the outrage from the community is more than he ever anticipated, and as he digs deeper into San Diego’s murkier side, it becomes clear that not just a murder case is at stake. Boone soon finds himself out there alone, struggling to stay afloat as the waves get rougher and rougher . . . and more deadly.
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The Bone Hacker
The islands of Turks and Caicos are known to be an unforgettable paradise, and while “unforgettable” may be true, “paradise” is far from accurate when forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan discovers an odd tattoo on a lightning-struck dead body she was examining that is somehow linked to an unwieldy pattern of young men disappearing on the coastline throughout the past decade. The stakes are high, given all the missing persons cases that have plagued the islands thus far, but the situation becomes dire when Tempe’s friend is killed as soon as she starts her investigation. At this rate, she’s sure that she is next on the hit list! THE BONE HACKER is a captivating mystery that will put every part of your brain to work as you unveil the complex truth alongside Tempe!
The Bone Hacker
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her twenty-second high-stakes thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan who, following a series of bizarre disappearances on the islands of Turks and Caicos, enters a sinister labyrinth in which a new technology may wreak worldwide havoc.
Called in to examine what is left of a person thought to have been struck by lightning, Tempe traces an unusual tattoo to its source and is soon embroiled in a much larger case. Young men—tourists—have been disappearing on the islands of Turks and Caicos. Seven years earlier, the first victim was found in a strange location with his left hand hacked off; subsequently, two other visitors vanished without a trace. But, recently, tantalizing leads have emerged and only Tempe can unravel them.
Maddeningly, the victims seem to have nothing in common—other than the odd places where their bodies turn up, and the fact that none seems likely to have been involved in criminal activity. Do these attacks have something to do with the islands’ seething culture of gang violence? Tempe isn’t so sure. Disturbingly, she discovers evidence that what’s at stake may actually have global significance.
It isn’t long before the sound of a ticking clock grows menacingly loud. Then Temper herself becomes a target.
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The Last House Guest
Avery and Sadie spend every summer together in Littleport, Maine—it’s Avery’s home even though she may not come from the right side of the tracks and it’s the beach where Sadie’s family vacations for the sunny season. In fact, the two are so close that Sadie’s wealthy family has practically adopted Avery at this point, giving her a job and allowing her to live in their guesthouse as she doesn’t have anywhere else to go. Summer is all fun for the girls until Sadie dies by an apparent suicide. However, Avery knows that she must investigate because that is simply not something her best friend would do. This slow-burn mystery, full of secrets and deception, is a true testimony to friendship and girlhood, even though our narrator may be somewhat unreliable from time to time.
The Last House Guest
**A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller**
“Once again, Megan Miranda has crafted the perfect summer thriller.” —Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Time I Lied
The summer after a wealthy young summer guest dies under suspicious circumstances, her best friend lives under a cloud of grief and suspicion in this “clever, stylish mystery that will seize readers like a riptide” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) featuring “dizzying plot twists and multiple surprise endings” (The New York Times Book Review).
Littleport, Maine, has always felt like two separate towns: an ideal vacation enclave for the wealthy, whose summer homes line the coastline; and a simple harbor community for the year-round residents whose livelihoods rely on service to the visitors.
Typically, fierce friendships never develop between a local and a summer girl—but that’s just what happens with visitor Sadie Loman and Littleport resident Avery Greer. Each summer for almost a decade, the girls are inseparable—until Sadie is found dead. While the police rule the death a suicide, Avery can’t help but feel there are those in the community, including a local detective and Sadie’s brother, Parker, who blame her. Someone knows more than they’re saying, and Avery is intent on clearing her name, before the facts get twisted against her.
Another thrilling novel from the bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger, Megan Miranda’s The Last House Guest is a smart, twisty read with a strong female protagonist determined to make her own way in the world.
“A riveting read…from master of suspense, Megan Miranda,” (Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl) The Last House Guest is a smart, twisty read that brilliantly explores the elusive nature of memory and the complexities of female friendships.
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