7 Vacation Thriller Books Where No One is Really Safe

Whenever I ask for new thriller recommendations, Lucy Clarke always comes up! Her books are described by Gillian McAllister as, “Escapist, thrilling, unforgettable,” and she’s described by Claire Douglas as, “The Queen of the destination thriller.” Lucy just has to be on this list!

The Surf House is a sanctuary for travellers chasing sunshine and waves, high on the cliffs of Morocco, but the idyll hides a dark mystery. When Bea washes in seeking refuge, she soon gets caught in the current. Somewhere inside The Surf House lies the truth, but there’ll be a price for uncovering it… A gripping, escapist crime drama for your TBR.

The Retreat is a tense, unnerving read filled with surprises, set on a remote island off the south Devon coast in the UK. Detective Elin Warner tries to unravel a string of new murders which somehow connect to a group of murders and a serial killer on the island years ago.

This plot had me holding on for dear life and questioning everyone we meet. The twists felt super satisfying, with secrets and history to keep you thinking even when you finish the last page.

The Islanders is a brilliant modern take on the crime/thriller genre. It explores the lengths people go to for revenge, as well as showing just how little you should trust those you don’t know!

Kimberley’s life is a mess and she’s desperate for change. So when she is randomly selected for the new series of hit show LoveWrecked, she can’t pass up the chance to win the £100,000 prize. All Kimberley needs to do is couple up with one of her fellow contestants, win the infamous LoveWrecked challenges, and she will have enough cash for a fresh start.

But the island isn’t the paradise she was promised and within hours, one of the contestants is dead. The game is rigged, everyone is hiding secrets, and time is running out…

Emily Freud is one of my go-to thriller authors and this stunning destination thriller is filled to the brim with tension. Freud leaves no stone unturned as we join Cassidy, a filmmaker determined to find out the truth and uncover what really happened to a young backpacking couple in Thailand twenty years earlier. There’s murder, there are secrets and such brilliant character development.

It’s an absorbing story with unexpected twists and one of the most satisfying endings I’ve ever read! The tension building and unpredictability of Freud’s novels will forever keep me coming back for more.

A fresh, addictive and twisty thriller by the author of Five Nights and Sun Trap. One July, Tash and Mark organise a birthday weekend for their son at their luxury villa on a Greek island, inviting a select list of guests to celebrate. As the drinks flow, the unthinkable happens; Tash's sister drowns, vanishing without a trace. She’s convinced there was foul play. 

One year on, Tash hosts a party for the same guests. She's learned that they're all hiding something - even her son’s behaviour has changed. She knows that answers lie on the island and no one is leaving until she gets the truth.

This one is completely drenched in tension, a clever, pacy read where you just have to find out the truth. Perfect for fans of The White Lotus.

If you were given the opportunity for a fresh start, to travel to paradise, cut off from the outside world, would you take it? Once you read this, the mysteries of Blue Haven will be difficult to erase from your mind! It’s a science-fiction thriller that explores what innovation can achieve - and destroy - despite the best intentions.

Blue Haven is the world’s most lucrative condo corporation, so exclusive that only five lucky residents live in this tropical paradise, housed in a top-secret location. Aloe Malone is one of them after a spurious lottery win. But when she discovers a journal seemingly left by a past resident, she quickly suspects there’s more to Blue Haven than meets the eye… 

On the beautiful island of Tresco, two worlds live side by side. Wealthy visitors come by helicopter to stay at their lavish time-share properties. The estate staff travel by boat, and work all hours to keep them happy and keep the money flowing. But while the blue skies and savage waves make the island seem a wild paradise, under the surface the inhabitants are concealing more than they dare reveal…

What We Did In The Storm is such a meticulously written thriller laced with beautiful descriptions, a large cast of complex characters, and a dark, chilling atmosphere from start to finish. Addictive, unforgettable and so clever!