This summer, why not take a break with the most escapist new book trend — the destination thriller, or let’s call it ‘triplit’?
Unsurprisingly, the vogue for escapist tomes set in exotic locations began to take root while we were all (including authors) stuck at home during the pandemic.
But if you’re expecting sunshine and sangria, think again; the twist that makes this genre fun is that it’s all about revealing the dangerous underbelly of paradise.
Why? Just as on-screen we’ve been busy watching one percenters fail to find happiness despite their riches (in Succession, of course, but also The White Lotus and Nine Perfect Strangers, the latter both set at luxury resorts), it’s oddly reassuring to know that even in the lap of luxury things can go wrong.
And, however lovely your surroundings, when you’re out of your comfort zone at a remote hotel, villa or island, things can go wrong very quickly — or so the thrillers suggest.
This summer, why not take a break with the most escapist new book trend — the destination thriller, or let’s call it ‘triplit’? (stock photo)
For writers, the format offers the perfect opportunity to write a so-called ‘locked-room mystery’ where the characters are cut off from the outside world, meaning the suspect for what occurs must be among the assembled cast.
Not for nothing was queen of crime Agatha Christie, who sent her characters to suffer through a tour of Egypt in Death On The Nile among other ill-fated excursions, the prototype for the titles we’re seeing now.
Best-selling author Catherine Cooper has made her name with thrillers set in luxury settings overseas, from The Chalet in 2021 to The Chateau, with The Island out this autumn (HarperCollins, October 12), set in the Maldives. As she says: ‘There are many reasons for the appeal of glamorous locations for thrillers — not just the descriptions of beautiful suites and Michelin-star meals but also the mismatch between the lavish lives of the visitors and those who are waiting on them.
‘Also, I very much feel there’s a tendency to feel that terrible things are less likely to happen in beautiful surroundings, so it’s somehow all the more horrifying when it does.’
She adds: ‘There is an extra element when you are away from home, you are surrounded by strangers, people may not be who you believe them to be.’
And the trend shows no sign of slowing down; the recent London Book Fair saw agents on the look-out for more destination thrillers, with The Bookseller reporting that publisher Transworld has just signed a thriller about a post-divorce celebration trip in the Maldives (yes, again) to land next summer with the brilliant title of Bad Tourists. One that chimes with anyone who’s felt a murderous impulse over losing a sun lounger to a fellow holidaymaker.
For the full triplit experience, you can even match your beach tome to your favourite type of holiday for a truly immersive read – so here’s my pick of the newest and most thrilling releases . . .
DEATH IN PARADISE
The Honeymoon by Kate Gray (Welbeck, out now)
The Honeymoon by Kate Gray (Welbeck, out now)
If you’re on a romantic getaway, reassure yourself that however bad that last row was over directions, things aren’t going quite this wrong. In Bali, two couples meet on their honeymoons, never thinking that the trip of a lifetime will end in murder. As author Kate says: ‘The oppressive heat, the language barrier and different cultures can sometimes feel completely alienating and isolating, pushing characters out of their comfort zone’.
And if couples having a terrible time abroad strikes a chord, you could also try The Summer Holiday by S. E Lynes (Bookouture, out now), about a marriage in trouble in Spain after an old friend appears.
DEEP-SEA DANGER
The Dive by Sara Ochs (Bantam Press, out now)
The Dive by Sara Ochs (Bantam Press, out now)
For water babies who prefer holidays to be more about turquoise seas than five-star spas, try this tale of diving instructor Cass, taking a group of newbies out off the coast of Koh Sang, Thailand. Inevitably, things don’t go as planned — someone is making sure that these backpackers never leave paradise.
This new release was inspired by debut author Sara’s own backpacking travels with friends in 2015: ‘I wrote The Dive during the monotonous reality of lockdown as a way to mentally travel back to my favourite place in the world: the coast of Thailand.
‘I hope it gives my readers the same opportunity!’
But there was a dark side to her visit. Shortly before she left she discovered that ‘a year before I’d arrived, two tourists had been murdered on the beach a short way away from where I had been,’ she recalls.
MAJORCA MYSTERY
The Beach Party by Nikki Smith (Penguin, out now)
The Beach Party by Nikki Smith (Penguin, out now)
Ever had a holiday with pals go haywire? Here’s a way to revisit that in style — without the tears in a taverna.
Split between the 1980s and present day, this pacy thriller follows six friends on a holiday gone awry in millionaires’ hideaway Deia, Majorca (TV drama The Night Manager was filmed at its famous seafront restaurant Ca’s Patro March). Some 30 years later, someone is determined to make them pay.
Author Nikki’s location oozes exclusivity with its stunning villas and gorgeous beaches, contrasting with the darkness within the characters themselves.
And if you like a tale of friends falling out abroad, A. A Chaudhuri’s The Final Party (Canelo, out now) sees three couples gather in a luxury Italian villa for a 40th. As everyone knows, holidays can be stressful enough without throwing in a Major Life Event — let alone a murder.
A HIKE FROM HELL
The Contest by Karen Hamilton (Headline, out now)
The Contest by Karen Hamilton (Headline, out now)
If you prefer your holidays more active than relaxing (or just like to read about others being adventurous from the comfort of your balcony), this novel lets you join a team of luxury travel guides escorting their wealthy clientele up Mount Kilimanjaro as part of an annual competition.
Naturally, someone’s not just there for the prize, but has a more sinister motivation.
Author Karen is former cabin crew and loves ‘exploring what happens when we’re on holiday, believing that we’re taking a break from life, only to discover that our troubles may have also come along for the ride’.
One that will make you feel thankful for keeping your feet firmly on the ground…
ISLAND THRILLER
The Club by Ellery Lloyd (Pan, out now)
The Club by Ellery Lloyd (Pan, out now)
If you’ve champagne tastes on a book-club budget, pick up this New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection from Ellery Lloyd, the pseudonym for husband-and-wife writing team Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos.
Newly out in paperback, it’s about a collection of members’ clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich party in private.
If it does sound rather Soho House, inside whose walls Meghan and Harry famously had their first date, that’s no coincidence — Collette was the club’s former editorial director.
‘I worked at Soho House during the period that Soho Farmhouse was launching, and it struck me that a private members’ club, especially one in a remote location, would be the most incredible setting for a murder mystery, And Then There Were None-style,’ she has said, referring to the classic Christie story set on an island off the Devon coast.
Here, the story unfolds at the launch party of the club’s latest outpost, on a private island off the coast of Essex — ruined when two bodies wash up. Talk about a conversation-stopper . . .