10 Books to Read for a Killer Vacation
Pack these novels about vacations gone very wrong on your next trip.
When you're looking to get lost in a book, sometimes you need your reading material to match your mood. With Marie Claire's series "Buy the Book," we do the heavy lifting for you. We're offering curated, highly specific recommendations for whatever you're looking for—whether you're in your feels or hooked on a subgenre trending on #BookTok.
When traveling, chances are you need to pack a gripping vacation read. Whether you're looking for the perfect beach read to settle into in the tropics or poolside, or need reading material for when you're in transit, a good book can make a trip all the more enjoyable.
What could make a book to bring on vacation all the better? Novels about vacations gone wrong—reminding you just how much of a better time you're having than the poor fictional characters on the page.
Before everyone was dying to check into The White Lotus, vacation thrillers have captured readers for decades. So what makes a good vacation thriller? We're glad you asked. While the tropes may vary, the best novels to read on vacation feature so much hair-raising tension you might forget to reapply your sunscreen (but please don't). From campfire ghost stories to deserted island nail-biters, vacation thrillers not only tap into core fears of encountering malevolent forces while on the road, but they untangle them, too. There's nothing quite like reading about someone having the vacation from Hell while relishing in PTO!
But regardless of your preferred type of thrills, these vacation hair-raisers will make your next trip anything but boring. So, grab a spicy marg, lather on the sunscreen (seriously!), settle somewhere comfy, and pack these books, no matter your next destination.
Before a young Leonardo DiCaprio ever traipsed across our screens in baggy board shorts, The Beach was a novel that instilled a special type of fear in backpackers and ex-pats alike. While traveling in Thailand, Richard, a young Brit, befriends a group of fellow travelers. Under suspicious (and bloody) circumstances, one of his new friends gives Richard a map of a remote island with the most beautiful beach in the world. With some luck, Richard finds the island, only to learn he’s not alone, encountering an off-the-grid community. At first, everything is idyllic, but Richard’s mental state slowly deteriorates as the harmony of the community slides into violent chaos.
This thriller is so taut with tension that you could play it like a guitar string. A visceral exploration of man versus (his) nature, The Beach continues to resonate with its increasingly prescient themes.
Before heading to college, best friends Bess, Joni, and Evangeline head to Greece to spend one last summer together. But as they soak up the sun and cook delicious meals, their vacation quickly goes sideways, becoming pockmarked with tension perhaps only felt by teenage girls (IYKYK). Then, Evangeline tragically dies, and Bess and Joni become embroiled in an international scandal that tears apart their friendship, causing them to spin off into their orbits.
Now, years after being cleared of any wrongdoing, Joni is thriving, having become a successful wellness guru. Meanwhile, Bess has slipped into obscurity, hiding from life. So, Bess is suspicious when Joni reappears in her life, needing a favor—and, as she finds out, she's right to be.
This mystery is smooth like a well-blended piña colada. While paying homage to female friendship (really!), Before We Were Innocent skewers stereotypes and misguided biases of girls on the brink of womanhood.
Release date: June 17, 2025
Do you know who really knew how to tell a yarn? The Greeks. Fortunately for readers, plenty of modernized versions of Greek tragedies have been published. But there’s always room for one more, like this reimagining of The Bacchae by Euripides.
In Ivy Pochoda's retelling, Lena is a middle-aged mother traveling to the Greek island of Naxos for the opening of The Agape, a luxury resort that her son, Drew has been nurturing as a side hustle. With her husband and Drew's father recently dead, her son has seamlessly stepped into the role of her protector—or warden. While putting the finishing touches on the resort, he also keeps her under close watch.
While cooped up again, Lena yearns for her past as a free-spirited party girl. So when she encounters a group of women who appear liberated and maybe a little feral, she's reminded of what it was like to live rather than merely survive. Something awakens in Lena and she must figure out what she’s willing to sacrifice to feel that way again.
With biting prose that leaves a mark, Ecstasy will spirit you down the rabbit hole of pleasure, autonomy, and self-actualization. Be sure to pre-order this one.
It’s the summer of 1975 and Camp Emerson has just opened for the season. Nestled at the foot of the Adirondacks, most campers arrive by car, train, and plane to enjoy the camp’s surrounding beauty and fun activities. Only one, Barbara, can shuffle out her front door and head down the hill to find her cabin, considering the camp is run by her family, the Van Laars, pillars of the local community. Despite her family’s stewardship of the camp, her mother isn’t thrilled to see her go, unable to shake the underlying fear that something could go wrong. That’s because, 14 years earlier, something did go wrong: Barbara’s older brother went missing from the camp and was never found. So, when Barbara herself goes missing, painful wounds are reopened.
Full of exquisite details that'll have you reaching for the bug spray, God of the Woods reshapes the camp thriller into a literary mystery, complete with multiple narrators, deliciously drawn-out suspense, and a surprise ending you won't see coming.
Plus, if you're going on a long road trip, the audiobook will especially transport you to a bunk at Camp Emerson, even while stuck in gridlock traffic.
No one likes to get dumped. But for 22-year-old Alex, a former sex worker with only burned bridges for company, getting dumped by her wealthy older boyfriend, Simon, is catastrophic. Not only will she miss his killer house in the Hamptons and lavish gifts, but she'll also miss their relationship's security. And so, Alex becomes obsessed with setting the record straight because she's convinced that if she can clear the air, he'll take her back. With his epic Labor Day party coming up, she can't think of a better time to confront him.
There is only one problem: the party is days away and she has nowhere to stay beforehand. Because of a misunderstanding with her roommates back in Manhattan, Alex pulls out all the stops to crash out East. Inevitably, she embarks on a grift fueled by drugs and desperation, mooching off unsuspecting marks with a mix of nonchalance and persistence that’s deeply alarming (and riveting).
Throughout the novel, Alex is an unlikely tour guide to the tony vacation town, pulling back the curtains and slipping behind the gates of opulent estates, ransacking the loneliness often housed within their walls. With tension that’ll have you galloping to the last page, you’ll probably want to pack a second book since you won’t be able to put this one down.
If reading about a bunch of grisly murders while you're on vacation doesn’t do it for you, pick up a copy of The Life Impossible. Grace Winters, a retired math teacher, has been bequeathed a startling gift from Christina, a woman she barely knew: a house in Ibiza. Surrounded at home by reminders of a family tragedy, Grace travels to the island to escape her past and learn about what happened to her long-lost friend. However, as Grace untangles the mystery of Christina’s death, she gains access to powers that will forever impact her outlook on life.
The Life Impossible is one of those books that gets under your skin in the best way possible. Fans of The Midnight Library, Haig’s previous fantasy novel, may recall the author’s knack for showcasing the full humanity of his characters: their wants, fears, dreams, and darknesses. The Life Impossible is no different, putting forth a heartwarming story steeped in magical realism that accentuates the main character’s relatability, even as things heat up.
Unlike the main characters of the other novels on this list, The Maid follows a protagonist who works at a luxury hotel, rather than stays at one. Molly is a maid at The Regency Grand Hotel, one of the most prestigious hotels in her town. She loves her job: the tidiness, the detail, and even some guests, like Giselle Black, the wife of a successful businessman who frequents the hotel when he’s in town.
One day during a typical morning shift, Molly uncovers something terrible: Mr. Black’s dead body. And so, Molly finds herself swept up in a homicide investigation. While some unsavory characters aim to take advantage of her neurodivergence, Molly's unique way of moving through the world makes her an asset to collaring the culprit—even if she doesn’t know it yet. The Maid is a modern whodunnit that encourages readers to embrace each other's differences because, you never know, they might help solve a murder.
The Midnight Feast takes place at the grand opening party of The Manor, a coastal estate in Dorset, England that's been converted into a resort. Held during the summer solstice, the festivities are to culminate into a midnight dinner—but with various forces at play, it’ll be a miracle if the festivities go smoothly. Take, for one, the presence of The Mystery Guest, who doesn’t quite fit in with the other wealthy patrons. There’s also The Husband, who becomes squirrely when asked how he met his wife, the resort’s proprietress, Francesca. And then there’s Francesca herself, who opened the resort despite local legends warning against such a thing. So, when the party is underway and a history of horrendous crimes resurfaces, the only question is: Who will make it to dessert?
Author Lucy Foley is a master at knotty plots that make for propulsive reading. Told in a kaleidoscope of perspectives spanning three timelines, The Midnight Feast blends vacation thriller vibes with classic folklore creepiness, creating a unique spine-tingler you won't want to put down.
Belonging to the same constellation of deserted island thrillers like The Beach, Reckless Girls is a deliciously dark romp set in a tropical oasis. It’s not every day you’re asked to sail a couple of besties to a deserted island, but that’s what happens when Lux, along with her boyfriend Nico, are offered a tidy sum to bring Brittany and Amma to Meroe Island, a tropical haven that’s caused shipwrecks—and served as safe harbor for unsavory secrets.
Upon arrival, the foursome is dismayed to find another boat when they dock on Meroe’s shores. They seem nice enough and the entire group falls into a pleasant rhythm—but their rendezvous is quickly interrupted by another unknown stranger and later a dead body.
Hawkins deftly froths up tension between the group as they fight to get off the island alive, making the book read like a beloved summer blockbuster. With short chapters and approachable prose, this book is perfect for a day spent poolside.
You’ve seen the movies and TV shows, but have you read the book that started it all? First published in 1955, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a psychological thriller that’s rightfully earned its place in the classic mystery lexicon.
Tom Ripley is an outsider, scamming his way across N.Y.C. when he crosses paths with Herbert Greenleaf, the father of Tom’s friend from school, Dickie. Playing up their closeness, Tom is asked by Herbert to retrieve Dickie from Italy, since he refuses to leave (who wouldn’t?). So Tom heads to Italy, needling his way into Dickie’s life, much to the chagrin of Dickie's sometimes-girlfriend, Marge. But as Tom and Dickie forge a bond, Tom becomes besotted with his new friend—so much so that he wants to be him. Epitomizing the meaning of "cute but psycho," Tom pulls out all the stops to embody Dickie’s quirks, gestures, and demeanors, no matter the consequences.
Whether this is your first or 50th read of this banger, The Talented Mr. Ripley is soaked with briny prose ringing with the heat of the Italian coast. If you need more Ripley in your life—who doesn't—consider checking out the entire series, which will equally delight you.
