Spring Break season is upon us, and the sun is (finally) starting to come out again. Whether you’re planning a beach vacation or planning to lay out in your backyard, here are some mysteries that perfectly complement that beach reading energy.
Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft
Bea was raised to be a con-woman, following in the footsteps of her cruel and cunning mother, but she vows to put all of that behind her when she begins dating the heir to one of the country’s wealthiest families. But as the past is known to do, it comes back to haunt her and puts everything she’s worked so hard for in jeopardy.
This book was written in such a fascinating and engaging way. I listened to the first half as an audiobook on a ridiculously long road trip, and upon parking my car back at home, immediately checked out the book on Libby so I could read the rest and find out what happens next. I was so invested in all these characters and their devious machinations. This book is perfect to read laying out in the sun, drinking an overpriced cocktail, and reading about the antics of these rich lunatics and desperate con-artists.
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
The Fury largely surrounds a gathering on a private Greek island, where a former Hollywood star and her closest friends flock for a weekend away. A storm hits, a murder occurs, and everything is not as it seems. It’s a pretty standard mystery template, but this author puts his brand of unique twist on the story.
If you’re into dark and slightly disturbing mysteries, The Fury by Alex Michaelides is a great read, perfect to read on vacation or laying out in the sun. If you like other books by this author, this one very much continues this author’s established style in a way that still feels fresh.
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
This book’s setting reminds me very much of the East Coast island where my dad’s summer beach house is located. I’ve only been once, but there are no cars on the island, with only one ferry in and out, and the entire time I was there all I could think was that this is a perfect setting for a mystery novel. Fire Island, the setting of this story, is very similar. Privileged families come and spend the summer there, some going back generations.
When a young boy riding his bike comes across a dead body, their normally idyllic island’s dark underbelly is exposed for all to see. While it is chiefly about a murder, Bad Summer People is also a seriously funny, snarky commentary on the absurdity of the white upper-class elite.
The Retreat by Sarah Pearse
The Retreat is a sequel to The Sanatorium, a Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick from a couple of years ago. While it is probably not strictly necessary to read The Sanatorium first, there will be a few things that you miss or are confused about if you start the story here.
Detective Elin Warner finds herself at a newly-opened wellness retreat on the English coast, built on an island that was rumored to be the lair of a serial killer. When one of the guests dies, seemingly from a tragic fall, secrets and whispers of old curses abound, and it’s up to Detective Warner to put the pieces together. The premise of this book is immediately intriguing, and it will keep you turning pages up until the very end.
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
This book has a fantastic framing device of a true crime sort of podcast and centers two very different marriages and two very different women whose connection is that they were born on the same day. The way this book is structured is incredibly interesting, and the twist comes before you expect it. If you’re paying attention you’ll figure it out, but it’s satisfying nonetheless.
None of This is True, as the title suggests, leaves you wondering what is true and what is lies. The characters and their relationships are well fleshed out and the plot will keep you on your toes. Reading this book will keep you hooked from start to finish.
While this is an excellent beach read, it’s also a great mystery to read when the weather sucks. Otherwise known as an all-around good book.
Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
Lana is a high-powered businesswoman who finds herself staying in a sleepy coastal town with her daughter and granddaughter, forced by circumstances to try to relax for seemingly the first time in her life. When her kayaking, adventurous, outdoorsy granddaughter Jack finds a murder victim floating in the water, it gives Lana a renewed sense of purpose — protect Jack. And in order to protect Jack, they have to find out what happened.
Mother-Daughter Murder Night is not only an excellent mystery, but it’s also a very heartfelt story about family dynamics, mother-daughter relationships, and everything that goes with it.
All Her Little Secrets by Wanda Morris
All Her Little Secrets follows a successful corporate attorney who happens to be having an affair with her boss. Her life gets thrust into turmoil when said boss turns up shot in the head in his office. What results is a clashing of past and present in a world where racism is all over the place, insidious and unavoidable. This book is giving Get Out meets an episode of Law and Order, and it’s both fun to read and makes a poignant point.
This book features excellent details and descriptions, and lots of little twists and turns. It’s very suspenseful, and probably a little too intense to fully be considered a beach read, but it’s got that page-turning, high-action thing going on that I always enjoy on a beach.
We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz
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