For most of us, a bad vacation means lost luggage, delayed flights, or lousy weather. But for the characters in these twisty thrillers and suspenseful whodunits, “bad” doesn’t even begin to cover it. From murder on the beach to a girls’ trip turned deadly, too-good-to-be-true getaways take sinister turns.
Whether I’m packing for a trip or getting cozy on my couch, I love to escape into some of the best books about vacations gone wrong listed here — hey, I might not be holidaying at some exclusive club, but at least my vacation rental’s not trying to kill me.
1. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger
You might think you know your closest friends and family — until you’re trapped together in an isolated cabin in the woods. In Unger’s latest thriller, a luxury couples’ getaway turns sinister when a deadly storm strikes and secret grudges surface. The claustrophobic setting cranks up the tension, making it impossible to escape the appeal of this locked-room page-turner.
2. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Hawkins’ gothic thriller will have you screaming “Get out!” It’s a loose retelling of the true events that inspired Mary Shelley’s seminal Frankenstein.
Childhood friends but recently estranged, Emily and Chess plan to reconnect over a vacation at an Italian villa, but the manor’s dark past comes back to haunt them. Moving between the 1970s and the modern day, The Villa is an eerie story of betrayal and the lengths we go to for our art.
3. Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
Here’s another favorite getaway gone wrong from The Villa author Hawkins. After quitting college to take care of her dying mother, Lux MacAllister wants to escape from it all. Sailing around the Pacific with her hot new boyfriend sounds like just the antidote to put her dark past behind her — until there’s trouble in paradise. Sexy strangers, secret islands, and skulls abound in this soap opera-meets-thriller full of outrageous twists you won’t see coming.
4. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
They planned a picture-perfect destination wedding, but stormy weather isn’t the only thing ruining a celebrity couple’s big day in this blockbuster thriller. Picked as one of Reese’s book club thrillers in 2020, its popularity has been going strong ever since.
Witherspoon said, “Get ready for so many twists and turns as you try to figure out the who, what and when of this mystery. It reminds me of some of my favorite mysteries from Agatha Christie.” This one will make you think twice before taking any remote island getaways.
5. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Speaking of shady remote island vacations, the characters in this classic Agatha Christie whodunit should have RSVP’d no. Christie ratchets up the tension brilliantly throughout what’s arguably the best vacation mystery book ever written. Ten people — all strangers — are lured to a mansion on a private island. Each person has a criminal history. They share their secrets, and then one by one, they die.
6. One by One by Ruth Ware
Can’t get enough Agatha Christie-esque worst-vacation-ever stories? Read this chilling tale of a corporate retreat gone wrong from mystery maven Ware (The Woman in Cabin 10, In a Dark Dark Wood). When an avalanche leaves employees of a tech startup snowed in at a resort in the French Alps, terror takes over, wiping out any chance of bonding. One by one, each member of the group must fight to survive.
7. Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok
A favorite with celebrity book clubs when it first dropped in 2019 (Jenna Bush Hager and Emma Roberts both picked it), this literary mystery’s every bit as good today. A family trip goes horribly wrong when a sibling ends up missing. Kwok dazzles readers with an unputdownable thriller that’s also a love letter to sisters and immigrant families.
8. Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
A simple premise belies the provocative themes that unfold in this slow-burn thriller and National Book Award nominee. A white Brooklyn family renting a luxurious house in the Hamptons receives an unexpected visit from an older Black couple. The couple claim to be the homeowners returning early due to a widespread power outage. The Netflix film adaptation stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke.
9. Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
This debut thriller topped all the summer reading lists of 2020, and its Hulu series adaptation premiered in April 2023. Claire is only seven when her college-aged sister is killed during a Caribbean vacation, and the two initial suspects are quickly released. Years later, Claire crosses paths with one of the suspicious men, which inspires her to start her own stealthy investigation.
10. The Club by Ellery Lloyd
“The Club” is another of Reese’s book club thrillers. For readers who won’t settle for anything less than five stars on their getaway, here’s a thrilling mystery set among the rich, famous, and elite. Something goes awry at a private member’s club on an exclusive English island, and no amount of money can protect the guests. “The Club” begs not only “whodunit” but also “who died” until the tantalizing end. We give this fun summer read a haute rating.
11. The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis
A girls’ getaway to a posh French chateau for a group of ride-or-die besties skews too far in the die direction — and everyone’s a suspect. A twisty, locked room mystery for fans of the aforementioned greats, Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware. We recommend trying to solve this stylish whodunnit with your favorite travel buddies.
12. Fatal Inheritance by Rachel Rhys
At first you might want to live vicariously through protagonist Eve Forrester. She’s whisked away to the South of France in 1948 when she finds herself the new owner of a dreamy Mediterranean estate given to her by an unknown benefactor.
Eve is quickly drawn into the glamorous world of the French Riviera, but the dream turns into a nightmare when someone tries to stop her from investigating her mysterious inheritance. This novel is the prime blend of breezy vacation mystery, historical fiction, and trouble-in-paradise thriller.
13. The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan
A girls’ weekend getaway goes off the rails in this twisty thriller from the author of The Nanny. When a group of friends arrive at a remote, off-the-grid retreat, they’re met with a sinister note saying one of their husbands will be killed before they leave. As tensions rise and cracks start to show in their friendships, the women are left to confront their deepest secrets and unravel the truth before it's too late.
14. Palm Beach, Finland by Antti Tuomainen
Take a trip to Palm Beach … Finland, in what’s billed as “Fargo meets Baywatch.” When murder mars an offbeat seaside holiday village, Finland’s finest undercover detective investigates. Nordic noir and dark humor mix with speedos and capers in this expertly wacky and thrillingly satisfying mystery from the “King of Helsinki Noir.”
15. River Wild by Denis O’Neill
Trying to save their rocky marriage, a river guide and her husband take their son on a white water rafting trip in remote Montana. The ride takes a deadly turn when the family’s path crosses two murderers on the run. This rip-roaring thriller is based on screenwriter O’Neill’s hit movie starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon.
16. No Stone Unturned by M. S. Peke
Take a trip to Yellowstone with Winnie Hackleshack, a middle-aged woman who made herself small for most of her life, but goes on grand adventures to make up for lost time. She gets more than she bargained for when she gets wrapped up in a murder mystery and stumbles upon a literal gold mine. This is a fun and scenic cozy mystery.
17. The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
A quiet vacation turns nightmarish when Eric and Andrew, along with their daughter Wen, are confronted by four strangers demanding the impossible. Two-time Bram Stoker winner Tremblay (A Head Full of Ghosts) unites apocalyptic horror with psychological thriller.
M. Night Shyamalan’s movie adaptation, titled Knock at the Cabin, stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, and Ruper Grint.
18. The Ruins by Scott Smith
Suspense and horror build page by page in this vacation thriller following a group of American tourists living it up on summer vacation in Cancun.
When a fellow tourist’s brother goes missing while in search of archaeological ruins, the Americans set out on a jaunt into the jungle to help locate the missing man. From there, everything goes to hell and a terrifying, ancient presence makes itself known in what Stephen King calls "the best horror novel of the new century.”
19. The Troop by Nick Cutter
What starts as an idyllic weekend camping trip soon turns into the stuff of nightmares for Scoutmaster Tim Riggs and his troop when a sickly looking stranger interrupts the troop’s bonfire. The interruption kicks off a chain of terrifying events rife with stomach-churning scenes that are guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Calling it “old-school horror at its best,” Stephen King said “The Troop scared the hell out of me, and I couldn’t put it down.”
Looking for more good books to escape with, preferably where everything doesn’t go wrong? Feed your wanderlust with these 10 idyllic books for armchair travelers.
