While my first love is travel, my second love is thrillers. And when you combine the two, you get vacation thriller books. Thrillers that transport you to exotic locations, snowy chalets or sinister islands, while throwing you into a gripping story. If you’re a fan of thrillers and travel, here are some of the books I’ve read that take you to a new destination.
Vacation Thriller Books by Destination
The Alps
The Alps go through 8 countries with the majority of them being in Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy. There’s just something about a snowy setting. Dramatic views and snowy peaks are always a good setting for a vacation thriller book.
One By One
By Ruth Ware – A small tech company heads to a beautiful mountain chalet in the Alps for some team bonding. Except tensions are high. Too high. One by one, team members show up dead, but who’s behind it and will anyone survive?
The Sanatorium
By Sarah Pearse – Elin is at a newly renovated hotel in the Alps but something isn’t quite right about it’s history as a Sanatorium. A snow storm has them stranded in the mountains just as someone disappears. When a body is found, they aren’t sure they’ll make it out alive.
Bahamas
The Bahamas are incredibly beautiful and any book set here will immediately transport you to that island life. Plus, there are many islands to explore, some inhabited, some not.
She Started It
By Sian Gilbert – 4 friends are invited to an extravagant bachelorette party by an old classmate of theirs who wasn’t quite in their inner circle. With all expenses paid and curiosity blooming, they head to the Bahamas only to find out that the past might not have been forgotten, or forgiven.
Chile
From desert plains, to mountainous landscape, to the subantarctic tip–Chile has a variety of different landscapes for thrilling settings and exploration.
We Were Never Here
By Andrea Bartz – Emily and Kristen are on their annual backpacking trip in Chile when an incident occurs and a man ends up dead. However, a similar instance occurred on their last trip and Emily can’t help but question the parallels and her friendship.
Egypt
Egypt is one of my favorite countries. It has amazing history with incredible architecture and there are so many landmarks worth seeing. You know you’re in for an adventure with books set in Egypt.
Death On the Nile
By Agatha Christie – A beautiful socialite heads to Egypt on her honeymoon. But a death occurs while this small group is sailing down the Nile and the famous detective, Hercule Poirot, must find the killer amongst them.
England
Books set in England give you rolling green hills, coastal cliffs, or cities that offer a mix of modernity and old-world charm. My time in London was spent roaming the streets, taking a Jack the Ripper tour and touring the historic buildings in the area.
The IT Girl
By Ruth Ware – Hannah Jones meets April, the ultimate IT girl, when she starts her schooling at Oxford. Though roommates, they quickly become friends, but by the end of the year April is dead. Now, ten years later, Hannah is confronted with a theory that she might have sent the wrong man to prison.
France
From the vineyards of the French countryside to the bustling streets of Paris, readers will be able to discover France and the many beautiful areas within the country. Though I’ve only been to Paris and didn’t quite love it as a tourist, it makes for a great book setting, as it’s full of historic buildings and different neighborhoods.
The Paris Apartment
By Lucy Foley – Jess heads to Paris to visit her brother Ben, only to find that he’s missing once she arrives. The apartment he has is uncharacteristically nice and the residents act suspicious. The more she searches for her brother, the more she begins to thing everyone has something to hide.
Greece
The Greek islands are a popular place for a European summer. One of my first international trips first included a Mediterranean cruise and the islands were so fun!
The Fury
By Alex Michaelides – An ex-hollywood starlet invites her friends to a private Greek island but tensions are high. The secrets start unraveling until someone ends up dead.
Ireland
Ireland was a chaotic trip for us. We attempted a road trip through the green country without a plan and saw some things, but missed some things. But as a thriller reader, you’ll definitely appreciate the coastal cliffs.
The Guest List
By Lucy Foley – A high profile wedding is set to take place on a secluded island cliff off the coast of Ireland. The past starts to unravel between old friends just as a storm blows in. But someone ends up dead and there’s no way off the island.
Portugal
Transport to the seaside towns of Portugal, the sprawling city of Lisbon or the more mountainous regions to explore castles and palaces. There’s plenty of character in the tiled buildings and cobblestone streets for a thrilling setting.
2 Nights in Lisbon
By Chris Pavone – A woman wakes up in Lisbon to find her husband missing. In the morning, she goes to the police. In the afternoon, she receives a ransom note for €3 million and is forced to reach out to the person who ruined her life because they are the only person who can help.
Scotland
My family ended up going to Scotland before meeting me in Ireland and the only thing they could do while traveling Ireland was talk about how great Scotland was. So chances are, if you like Ireland, you’ll also like Scotland.
Rock Paper Scissors
By Alice Feeney – A couple takes a romantic getaway to a snowy chapel in Scotland. Hopes of repairing their relationship start to dwindle as secrets they’ve hidden start to surface. *This twist will make you flip back through the book!
South Pacific
The South Pacific is a dream location with some of the most beautiful islands in the world. If you’re heading to a beach destination, books set here will be sure to give you all the tropical vibes.
Reckless Girls
By Rachel Hawkins – 6 new friends head to the deserted Meroe Island with a creepy past. It’s paradise, until a stranger shows up putting them all on edge. When one person goes missing and another ends up dead, questions arise about how well they all really know each other.
Something in the Water
By Catherine Steadman – On their honeymoon in Bora Bora, Erin and Mark discover something in the water. Instead of telling someone, they choose to keep it a secret, which sets off a chain of life-changing events.
Sri Lanka
Located in SE Asia, Sri Lanka is known for its stunning landscapes and cultural heritage, and books set here will take you on a deep dive through a rich culture.
You’re Invited
By Amanda Jayatissa – Amaya is in Sri Lanka for her ex-best friend’s wedding once she finds out the groom is her ex. When the bride goes missing, everyone looks at Amaya. *This is like a Crazy Rich Asians version of high society in Sri Lanka with such great insight.
USA
There’s many, many places and books I could include here but I’m going to try and keep it to specific destinations that are more of the tourist hot spots.
Outer Banks
Made more famous because of the Outer Banks TV show (which is great), the Outer Banks takes you to secluded coastal homes along a barrier island chain off North Carolina.
The Only Survivors
By Megan Miranda – 10 years ago, two vans crashed into a ravine and only 9 students escaped the river. Now there are 7 and each year they come together at the Outer Banks to commemorate that night. Or to make sure they keep quiet about what really happened.
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