Two of my favorite things are reading thrillers and splashing in the ocean (though not at the same time). Both activities get my pulse pounding in a good way. Immersing myself in the mounting suspense of a well-crafted thriller is similar to the heady rush of leaping over a largish wave without getting knocked down. Why not combine the best of both worlds by diving into these thrillers set near the sea?
They All Fall Down, opens a new window by Rachel Howzell Hall
Seven strangers, each harboring a secret, accept a mysterious invitation to a luxurious private island off the coast of Mexico. But this paradise quickly becomes a trap when they discover their host's deadly agenda. As strange accidents plague the isolated group, suspicion mounts and bodies pile up. Hall’s homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, opens a new window makes for quite the adventure.
Reckless Girls, opens a new window by Rachel Hawkins
Hired to sail two women to a remote South Pacific island, Lux and her boyfriend Nico expect adventure in paradise. When they find another boat already anchored off Meroe Island, they link up with the glamorous owners, and the party of six is ready to relax off-grid. Then a shifty stranger shows up, throwing the group off balance. Dark secrets soon emerge, and, when one person goes missing and another turns up dead, Lux discovers the only thing more dangerous than paradise is the company you keep.
Saltwater, opens a new window by Katy Hays
Each year, the wealthy Lingate family returns to their villa on the island of Capri, despite the death of playwright Sarah Lingate thirty years earlier. Though the family was absolved of any wrongdoing, they are compelled to return to Capri each year to prove Sarah’s death was an accident. But when they arrive to find the necklace Sarah was wearing the night she died, the family's carefully constructed unity shatters. As secrets surface and an old murder investigation reopens, not everyone in the Lingate family may make it off the island alive.
Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421, opens a new window by T.J. Newman
You’ll be holding your breath on this adrenaline-fueled thriller. Six minutes after takeoff, an engine explosion traps twelve survivors, including engineer Will Kent and his daughter Shannon, on a sinking plane. Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team led by professional diver (and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife) Chris Kent. Together, they must find a way to rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, barely balancing on the edge of an undersea cliff and running out of air.
The Amalfi Curse, opens a new window by Sarah Penner
Nautical archaeologist Haven Ambrose arrives in Positano on the Amalfi Coast to investigate shipwrecks and secretly search for a sunken treasure her late father spotted. When strange misfortunes begin to plague the town, Haven unearths a centuries-old tale of stregheria, the magical ability to harness the ocean’s powers. Are Positano’s misfortunes caused by nature or something darker? Haven must unravel this ancient mystery before this beautiful, sun-drenched village is completely destroyed.
Mango, Mambo, and Murder, opens a new window by Raquel V. Reyes
In this entertaining cozy mystery, food anthropologist Miriam Quiñones-Smith trades New York for Miami's Coral Shores, putting her career on hold for motherhood. But when a short-term TV gig as a Caribbean cooking expert leads to a socialite's sudden death—and then a second—Miriam finds herself entangled in a murder investigation. When controversial Cuban herbalist Dr. Fuentes becomes a suspect, Miriam breaks into his apothecary seeking answers. Detective Pullman then enlists her help in accessing the Spanish-speaking community and the posh Coral Shores social scene. As Miriam uncovers the ingredients to a murderous scheme, she must solve the crime before she’s next.
Sign up for Summer Reading at Central Rappahannock Regional Library at librarypoint.org/summer, opens a new window. Adults, teens, and children can log reading and complete activities to earn prizes and enter raffles, now through August 15.
Tracy McPeck is the Director of Adult Services at Central Rappahannock Regional Library. This column first appeared in the Free Lance-Star newspaper.
