Summer Mystery Books & Beach Thrillers

by Robyn Harding

When Lee’s restaurant fails, she finds herself unexpectedly living out of her Toyota Corolla. She parks near the beach to lay low. Early one morning, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee jumps into action and saves the woman, Hazel, who is furious that she is still alive.

Hazel shares that she’s in an abusive marriage and hoped to escape her toxic life. Hazel returns to her home, but then comes back to the beach the next morning and begins an unlikely friendship with Lee. Eventually, she begs Lee to help her disappear. However, things are often not what they seem. If you love a dramatic twist, pick up this one!

by Wendy Heard

The call of the open road unites skilled pickpocket Summer and con artist Leo. They travel through California in a Land Cruiser and enjoy their freedom from ordinary life. However, they still have bills to pay, and it’s time to make some cash.

Leo begins charming billionaire philanthropist Michael, and her efforts are rewarded with an invitation to Michaels’ exclusive private island. Summer can’t wait to hear about Leo's night away and to see the pictures that can be sold to the paparazzi. However, Leo never returns from the island.

Summer must now infiltrate the island to locate Summer, but with no way off the island most days, will she ever return?

by Catherine McKenzie

While so many summer thrillers are set during beachy vacations, Have You Seen Her takes us to Yosemite National Park. Cassie is newly back in the park, working for Yosemite Search and Rescue for the summer after a decade away in New York City.

At the park, she meets campers like Petal, who lives in a trailer with her much older wife. Petal spends her free time journaling the detailed happens of the park. Another visitor, Jada, just graduated from college and is at Yosemite as part of a cross-country trip with her boyfriend.

The Book Girls’ Say…Some reviews have mentioned that this book has a true crime feel, so if you love that genre, this could be a great pick. It’s also a more diverse read than many thrillers, with both LGBTQ characters and characters of different ethnicities.

by Jamie Day

From an outsider’s view, no one would expect a murder at the annual summer block party on the exclusive Alton Lane. However, the problems actually started the summer before.

The book takes you through the large cast of characters and their interactions between last summer’s block party and this year's. Fifteen families from the block attend the party, and three are no-shows. Is the culprit someone who was present at the gathering or someone who skipped it? Throughout the book, you’ll constantly be guessing which neighbors from last year are MIA the year of the murder.

The Book Girls’ Say…This book alternates narration between the block party organizer, Alex, and her teenage daughter, Lettie. If you’re a member of Nextdoor or a neighborhood Facebook page, you’ll probably laugh at the sections of the book that show the Alton Lane community page. Keep in mind that this book is set in a bougie area, making it full of first-world problems. Skip it if that point of view frustrates you.

This book will be released on July 18th, 2023.

by Nicole Baart

Charlie and her daughter Eva were not seeking social media fame, but found it when a photo of Eva went viral. Then, they spent two years on the road in a vintage Airstream, documenting their travels. Now, Eva is thrilled to be stationed in a small Minnesota town where she can finish high school and apply to college like a normal teenager. However, Charlie misses life on the road.

Unfortunately, Eva disappears less than a week before her graduation. Charlie is the primary suspect with both the duo’s online fans and the FBI. As the truth about their real-life relationship comes to light, Charlie must confront how much she really knows about her daughter in an effort to clear her own name.

by A.R. Torre

Movie star and philanthropist Hugh is respected in Hollywood and provides stability for actress Nora. However, she’s also in love with Hollywood bad boy Trent. This would be complicated enough if Hugh and Trent weren’t twins!

When Trent and another woman are found dead, it appears to be a murder-suicide. However, there’s much more to this story, and Hollywood detectives must figure out who is telling the truth and who isn’t what they appear.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 7/3/23.

by Lucy Clarke

This page-turning thriller is also a heartfelt story about siblings that will quickly draw you out of your own life and into the lives of the well-written characters.

The main characters in Castaways are two sisters, Lori and Erin, who are traveling together to an island resort in Fiji after Lori separates from her husband. The night before their flight to the resort, the sisters get into an argument, and Erin doesn't show up when it's time to board.

Lori gets on the plane anyways, but something feels off beyond her MIA sister. Her gut was right…the plane disappears before reaching its destination. When Erin hears this, she uses her experience as a journalist and tries to figure out what happened to Lori and the other passengers.

by Shalini Boland

Beth and her family get the opportunity to swap their wintery UK cottage for Amber’s sunny Italian villa for a two-week holiday. While Beth’s home is cozy, Amber’s is fancy and everything a dream vacation is made of, complete with an infinity pool. Or rather it looked like a dream before it became a nightmare.

The book is told from alternating perspectives between Beth and Amber. We will say that this qualifies as a beach murder mystery, but outside of knowing that, we recommend not reading even the publisher's synopsis because reviewers say it gives away something that doesn’t happen until pretty far into the book.

The Book Girls Say…If you loved the movie The Holiday, where Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet trade houses, this book might appeal to you. Although keep in mind it’s a summer thriller instead of a heart-warming holiday tale!

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 7/03/23.

by L.J. Ross

Gabrielle has what many would consider a dream life. From her ideal job in publishing to her handsome fiance, her life is the perfect mix of brains and beauty. Everything changes after encountering the “Underground Killer,” who takes his victims from London Tube platforms.

Although she’s a survivor, she struggles to return to her everyday life. She hopes that getting out of the city to run a tiny bookshop in Cornwall will make her nightmares stop. It seems perfect, but has she just entered a different kind of nightmare?

The Book Girls Say…This highly-rated book crosses genres from mystery thriller to romantic suspense, and even adds in a bit of humor. It’s the first in a series. The 2nd book, The Creek, is also included with KU.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 7/3/2023.

by Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews has been called the Queen of Beach Reads, and this is no expectation. Letty’s sister Tanya made her promise that if anything happened to her, Letty would take Tanya’s daughter Maya and run.

When Letty finds Tanya dead, she knows the murderer is Tanya’s ex, Evan, so she follows Tanya’s instructions to get out of town. Tanya left behind a go-bag of cash, and massive diamond ring, and a faded magazine article about a small mom-and-pop hotel in a Florida beach town.

She heads south to Florida with four-year-old Maya, trying to comfort the child and unravel her sister’s secrets while keeping a low profile among the locals, including the handsome police chief Joe. Sisterhood, romance, and mystery intertwine throughout almost 500 pages, which is great if you’re looking for a longer option.

The Book Girls Say… Mary Kay Andrew’s 2022 release, The Homewreckers, is on our summer cozy mysteries list!

by Rosie Walsh

If you prefer a page-turning mystery as your poolside read, try The Love of My Life. Marine Biologist Emma and Obituary Writer Leo have been married for ten years and have a young daughter named Ruby. When Emma becomes seriously ill, Leo copes the only way he knows how - researching her life for her obituary.

However, nothing he finds is what he expects, and nothing he knows about his wife is real. Her name isn’t even Emma. Despite her entire past being a dark secret-filled lie, she loves Leo and Ruby. Can she convince him that the love is real?

This thriller is full of suspense if you’re looking for a book that will keep you up reading well past bedtime.

by Victoria Jenkins

With her wedding approaching, Holly invites her bridesmaids on a weekend getaway for some girls' trip fun. They head to a remote cabin, the perfect setup for a locked-room mystery. By the end of the first chapter, you'll learn that one of the friends is dead, and the rest are all suspects.

The book is told from the alternating perspectives of Holly and two of her bridesmaids, Suzanne and Claire. All three have long-hidden secrets that will test their friendships as they try to identify the killer.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 7/03/2023.

by Lisa Jewell

Take an armchair vacation to two different UK locations to uncover twenty years of secrets in this thriller from best-selling author Lisa Jewell. In East Yorkshire, you’ll meet single-mom Alice who finds a mysterious man on the beach outside her home. She invites him inside despite his confusion about how he even got there.

Approximately 200 miles south in London (Surrey), Lily’s husband fails to come home from work one night. She’s only twenty-one, has only been married three weeks, and is new to London after moving there from Ukraine. When she calls the police to report her husband missing, the police don’t take her seriously.

by Emily Barr

Esther is nearing her 40th birthday and is looking to take a break from her divorce and motherhood in Britain, so she books a solo trip to a beach resort on the Malaysian island of Pulau Perhentian Kecil.

She and a group of fellow tourists - each with their own secrets - plan a day trip to a deserted island for some snorkeling. But, when the local fisherman who transported them out to the island doesn't return to pick them up as promised, their relaxing beach day takes a sinister turn. Esther soon realizes someone doesn't want her to return from her travels.

The story also includes flashbacks of a teenager trying to escape in another time and place. This storyline won't seem to fit with the book until it does, so be patient and stick with it!

The Book Girls Say…This book is also included on our list of Books Set on Islands, which features island settings around the world in a wide variety of genres.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 7/3/2023.

by T.M. Logan

Kate, her three long-time friends, and their families are headed to France together to celebrate their 40th birthdays at a luxury villa. While in France, Kate sees suspicious messages on her husband's phone. Is he having an affair with one of her best friends? It sure seems like it, but which friend is the mysterious "Coral Girl"?

As she investigates and unburies long-held secrets, the stakes become higher. Someone may be prepared to kill to keep their secret safe.

The Book Girls Say…This option is more of a slow-burn mystery than some of the other page-turners on the list. It's full of unlikeable but well-developed characters. As you read, you'll feel like you've been transported to France, so this is an excellent choice if you're dreaming of a summer European vacation.

by Steph Broadribb

This book works as a stand-alone but is also the beginning of a new mystery series. After a long career, police detective Moira is ready to retire in paradise. She moves to a luxury retirement community, The Homestead, where things aren’t as peaceful as she hoped.

Moira finds a dead young woman, surrounded by cash, floating in one of the community pools. Detective skills and instincts don’t shut down at retirement, so Moira finds herself investigating. Three of her new neighbors, also former officers, join her cause and are soon frustrating both the murderer and the local police.

by Jennifer Weiner

After six years of not speaking to her best friend, plus-size influencer Daphne is shocked when she's suddenly asked to attend her big society wedding. On top of that, her former friend begs her to be maid-of-honor.

The prospect only tempts Daphne because the offer comes with a weekend in a Cape Cod mansion and might help her business. The friends have changed over the years, but will the wedding finally help them reunite as best friends?

We don’t want to tell you what happens after she arrives at the mansion because that would be a spoiler, but trust us that this book has a strong mystery component.

by Matt Goldman

Set on the coast in Beaufort, South Carolina, Carolina Moonset is as moving as it is mysterious. Joey takes a trip to his hometown to help his father so his mom can take a break. His dad’s dementia is advancing, and his short-term memory is almost nonexistent. However, his longest-term memories are flooding back, and he’s often reliving his time as a young boy in Beaufort.

While this is nice at first, his dad soon begins having hallucinatory arguments with people from his past. Long-buried secrets and scandals begin to re-emerge, causing Joey to question everything. The past was problematic enough, but now the police have arrived to discuss a new murder.

by Nilima Rao

In 1914 colonial Fiji, Indian police sergeant Akal Singh is not happy to be in the tropical paradise. He expected to launch his career at home in India or in Hong Kong, but an embarrassing mistake on the job gets him set to the island.

However, when an indentured Indian woman disappears from a sugarcane plantation, Akal is assigned the case. He’s told that the investigation is essentially only for perception and not to worry about locating the woman. But as Akal learns more and confronts the brutal realities of colonization, he becomes invested in this “more than meets the eye” case.

by Phoebe Rowe

This split timeline tells the story of two people, a century apart, connected by one lighthouse. In 1913, 83-year-old Silvestre petitioned to have his Newfoundland lighthouse, Swan Light, moved from its precarious cliff edge. But the town patriarch, Cort, doesn’t seem to understand the importance.

In 2014, marine archaeologist Mari is saving money to fund her hunt for a missing ship - the SS Californian. She’s hired to find the remains of Swan Light, which was rumored to have collapsed into the sea 100 years ago. She teams up with salvager Julian, and they find more than they bargained for. Past and present collide as they uncover secrets from the ocean floor.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 7/3/23.

by Mary Ellen Taylor

This duel-timeline novel is set in Nags Head, North Carolina. In the present day, Ivy has inherited a beachfront cottage from her grandmother. However, returning home to Nags Head means facing those who betrayed her. To avoid that, she hopes to clean up the cottage's clutter, sell it, and return to New York. However, something happens that leads her to believe the house is full of secrets.

In the 1950 timeline, you'll follow 12-year-old Ruth (Ivy's grandmother). She works at her parent's small resort, and between cleaning rooms, she's always up for an adventure with her cousin Tally. This summer is full of surprises, like a shipwreck uncovered during a storm and the arrival of a new entertainer for the resort, the beautiful Carlotta.

The two timelines are woven together as you slowly learn how the events of the 1950 summer still affect Ivy today.

by Claudia Gray

If you enjoy Jane Austen, look no further for your next mystery! All the characters in this summer house party mystery are Jane Austen characters.

When Mr. Knightley and Emma throw a house party, Mr. Wickham is not invited. His schemes have made him more enemies than friends. Everyone is shocked when he not only turns up at the party, but is murdered.

In this locked room mystery, everyone at the party is a suspect. The two youngest guests, Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy, must team up to find the guilty party before an innocent person is sentenced to death.

by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, & Karen White

Spanning the Gilded Age to the present day in three different timelines, this novel is set among the summer mansions of Newport, Rhode Island.

In the present day, you’ll meet Andie, the producer of a reality show called Mansion Makeover. She’s in Newport to renovate the once fabulous, but now slowly crumbling Sprague Hall. However, she has more than construction problems. The mansion comes with a reclusive heiress who still lives in the house, but insists that no one speaks to her and that no one touches the boathouse.

In 1958, you’ll meet Lucia, aka Lucky, Sprague, who fled Mussolini’s Italy with her grandmother. They return to her Nana’s Newport house, which she hasn’t seen in 1899. One night in the boathouse, she uncovers a shocking truth that changes everything she thought she knew.

In 1899, mining heiress Maybelle Sprague is taking singing lessons from Ellen, who has been hired to help polish Maybelle for her entrance into society. Maybelle's stepbrother has just purchased a home among Newport’s elite and hopes to marry Maybelle off to an Italian price. However, Ellen has a checkered past that the family doesn’t know about.