As a mystery writer, I’ve always got my eye out for a great place to hide a body. I can’t help it, it’s a hazard of the job. I also love to travel, and a mix of the two has always been irresistible to me, whether I’m reading or writing. I’d say I’m not the only one who enjoys a little sightseeing with my whodunits, because my first book, Death in the Aegean, was nominated for an Agatha Best First Novel Award by the Malice Domestic community. I hope you enjoy these picks that combine some of my ideal vacation spots with entertaining whodunits.
When private banker Stefanie Adams travels to Greece on vacation, she is suspected of murdering a wealthy bride who accused her deceased father of artifact theft. Unfortunately, the newlywed’s accusation also ties Stefanie, a former archaeology student, to the robbery of a newly discovered gold Minoan statue, the Akrotiri Snake Goddess. With two high-profile crimes to solve, Greek police are under pressure, and both crimes lead straight to Stefanie.
When her own life is threatened, Stefanie relies on her bank training for spotting potential criminals to identify which of her fellow travelers is the real killer. In this high-stakes mystery, Stefanie has to watch her back. Not everyone is what they seem, and as flirtatious German tourist Thomas Burkhardt warns, Where Greed Leads, Murder Follows.
I’ve never been to New Zealand, and this book makes me feel like I’m there with forensic odontologist Alexa Glock, who identifies bodies via dental records.
She navigates men, murder, and the ocean in this tightly woven murder mystery that’s as much about her personal life as her professional one. I learned quite a bit about sharks and whales, and bonus, this mystery includes quicksand!
A new title in the Alexa Glock Forensics Mysteries. When bodies wash up on the beach, is man or animal the culprit? It'll take everything forensic specialist Alexa Glock has to seek out the truth. Because lips may lie, but teeth never do... These thrilling New Zealand mysteries are:Perfect for Fans of Kathy Reichs and Candice FoxFor readers of forensic mysteries and international mysteriesFor lovers of police procedurals and marine scienceAt first, Alexa Glock's initial case as a traveling forensic investigator seems straightforward-her expertise in teeth helps her identify the skeletal remains of a hunter found on the remote Stewart…
I’ve always wanted to visit Ireland, and Murder in G Major is the Ireland of my fantasy, with dark smoky pubs, equally smoky bourbon, and handsome men.
The heroine, an American classical musician forced to settle for teaching after losing her dream job, finds herself entangled in the murder and mayhem that plague a small Irish village in this first Gethsemane Brown mystery. Expect the unexpected. Delicious!
“The captivating southwestern Irish countryside adds a delightful element to this paranormal series launch. Gethsemane is an appealing protagonist who is doing the best she can against overwhelming odds.” – Library Journal (starred review) With few other options, African-American classical musician Gethsemane Brown accepts a less-than-ideal position turning a group of rowdy schoolboys into an award-winning orchestra. Stranded without luggage or money in the Irish countryside, she figures any job is better than none. The perk? Housesitting a lovely cliffside cottage. The catch? The ghost of the cottage’s murdered owner haunts the place. Falsely accused of killing his wife (and…
Why stick to the present if you’re going to armchair travel in search of the perfect vacation spot to hide a dead body?
Nothing says intrigue like Renaissance Venice! It was far easier to hide a dead body back in 1610, which is when this delightful mystery takes place. Full of powerful men, intelligent women, and secrets, Nina Wachsman leads us through the gated Jewish ghetto to the salons of the rich and famous with style and subterfuge in The Gallery of Beauties.
Makes me think of a 17th-century Miss Congeniality.
Venice, 1612. Two very different women, a notorious courtesan and a Talmudic scholar, are brought together by an artist when they pose for a "Gallery of Beauties," forming a relationship neither of them anticipated.
Conflicted about her past, Belladonna finds herself drawn to Diana, the rabbi's widowed daughter, and has ambitions for her future, but only if Diana will discard her origins and her traditions. While Diana is torn by indecision, Belladonna feels threatened, as one by one, the subjects of the portraits are poisoned. The two women must rely on their wits and each other to avoid becoming the…
Nothing piques my interest like an archaeological site!
In Death Takes a Bath, the unsinkable Maddie McGuire talks her way into an internship at the Roman baths in Bath, England. I’ve been there myself, and enjoyed experiencing it again through the eyes of a heroine who doesn’t let her naivete stand in her way.
Fan of Sherlock Holmes stories? You’ll get more references than I did. This one is quirky and fun.
When Maddie McGuire lands an archeology internship at the Roman Baths in England, she assumes everything will go her way. But when this college sophomore discovers a severed human ear on her doorstep, she must solve its meaning before she becomes the next victim, or worse, gets deported. Her tentative friendship with young constable Edward Bailey and the beauty of the Bath Abbey are no comfort as her aristocratic coworker Simon Pacock sabotages her every move. And the danger only increases when she discovers a dead body, both ears intact.
This one takes place in London, a city I love and have visited many times, but there’s a bigger reason I enjoy this mystery so much.
Horowitz tackles the writing world as only he can do, with himself as the protagonist, addressing aspects big and small that every writer today will find familiar. And when the murder occurs—well, all I can say is you’ll have to read it.
He calls in his own character Daniel Hawthorne to help. As a mystery writer, I find that so appealing!
By global bestselling Anthony Horowitz, a brilliantly entertaining new locked-room mystery with a key that only Hawthorne can find.
'EASILY THE GREATEST OF OUR CRIME WRITERS' SUNDAY TIMES
'Funny, addictive and clever, and the crime fighting duo of Hawthorne and Horowitz are as entertaining as ever. Brilliant. I can't wait for more.' ADAM HANDY
''There's a lovely Hitchcockian feel to TWIST. The clock is ticking. It's a lot of fun.' IAN RANKIN
'The Twist of a Knife is a beautifully turned locked-room whodunit' THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
'A total joy. Anthony is a master entertainer, the genius twists and turns of…
When Miranda’s fiancé, Russ, is being vetted for his dream job in the U.S. attorney’s office, the couple joke that Miranda’s parents’ history as antiwar activists in the Sixties might jeopardize Russ’s security clearance. In fact, the real threat emerges when Russ’s future employer discovers that Miranda was arrested for felony kidnapping seven years earlier—an arrest she’d never bothered to tell Russ about.
Miranda tries to explain that she was only helping her best friend, in the midst of a nasty custody battle, take her daughter to visit her parents in Israel. As Miranda struggles to prove that she’s not a criminal, she stumbles into other secrets that will challenge what she thought she knew about her own family, her friend, Russ—and herself.
When Miranda’s fiancé, Russ, is being vetted for his dream job in the U.S. attorney’s office, the couple joke that Miranda’s parents’ history as antiwar activists in the Sixties might jeopardize Russ’s security clearance. In fact, the real threat emerges when Russ’s future employer discovers that Miranda was arrested for felony kidnapping seven years earlier—an arrest she’d never bothered to tell Russ about.
Miranda tries to explain that she was only helping her best friend, in the midst of a nasty custody battle, take her daughter to visit her parents in Israel. As Miranda struggles to prove that she’s not…
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