Killer Beach Reads: Page-Turning Summer Thrillers

By Likewise and ThriftBooks | May 22, 2025Dive into this captivating collection of summer thrillers that promises excitement, suspense, and chills. Each carefully selected title is a must-read for your next beach trip!

Reckless Girls

Instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller, this gothic suspense novel by Rachel Hawkins is set on Meroe Island, a wild and isolated destination with a mysterious history filled with shipwrecks and rumors of murder. When six stunning twenty-somethings seek an adventurous getaway, their blissful experience takes a dark turn as secrets unfold and one person goes missing. This spine-tingling narrative will leave you questioning who will survive, and what will be uncovered beneath the island’s alluring surface.

The Club

A Reese’s Book Club Pick and Instant New York Times Bestseller, The Club by Ellery Lloyd invites readers into a luxurious, celebrity-only island club where glamorous lives collide with dark secrets. An extravagant launch party quickly spirals into chaos as ambition and jealousy lead to murder. With every guest harboring hidden agendas, the unfolding mystery will keep you guessing until the shocking climax.

One Perfect Couple

Drawing inspiration from Agatha Christie, Ruth Ware’s One Perfect Couple plunges readers into the tumultuous waters of reality TV. As five couples compete on a tropical island for a cash prize, tempers flare, and secrets unfold. When a storm cuts them off from the mainland, the competition becomes lethal. Will they survive the trials of both the game and each other?

Darling Girls

In this twisting domestic thriller from the bestselling author of The Soulmate, we follow Alicia, Jessica, and Norah—three women whose seemingly ordinary lives hide a scarred past. Reunited by a dark discovery beneath their childhood farm, their emotional journeys raise haunting questions about the ghosts of their pasts. As they confront their shared trauma, the suspense mounts, leading to a gripping reckoning.

One of the Girls

Lucy Clarke's One of the Girls takes readers to a sun-drenched Greek island where a bachelorette party takes an unexpected turn. As secrets bubble to the surface among a group of friends, the atmosphere of joy quickly becomes laced with tension and ultimately tragedy. This psychological thriller sheds light on the complexities of female relationships and the dark outcomes they can lead to.

The Villa

Dive into the sinister backstory of an Italian villa in Rachel Hawkins' The Villa. The narrative intertwines the past and present as Emily uncovers the truth behind a rock star’s murder, a haunted literary masterpiece, and the betrayals that loom between friends. As Emily intertwines her life with the villa's mysterious legacy, secrets long buried begin to rise to the surface, making for a tantalizing thriller with gothic undertones.

The Vacation

Experience the nail-biting tension of friendships unraveling amidst betrayal and deceit in The Vacation by T.M. Logan. Intended as a getaway for four friends, uncovering a cell phone text reveals a hidden affair within their ranks. Trapped in paradise, Kate must sift through deception to unveil the truth before it's too late. With suspense that builds with each page, this thriller reminds us that sometimes trust is the most dangerous game of all.