The best whodunnit thriller books set in idyllic locations

The first and last lines of chapter one, “the lights go out” and “it is a scream of terror” instantly had me hooked and hungry to find out more. 

I love how this novel focussed on guests gathering for a high-profile wedding on a remote island off the windswept Irish coast, has the feel of a classic Christie-style whodunnit but with a modern twist. It’s also a perfect example of how setting can enhance the sense of foreboding we crave from thrillers.

With the guests cut off from the mainland, and multiple grudges, secrets, and jealousies weighing heavy between them, Foley delves deep into her characters’ mindsets, giving rise to overlapping layers of intrigue so that we’re never sure who to believe right up to the shocking end reveal.

This addictive page-turner revolves around an extravagant hen party where bride-to-be Jen rents a luxury getaway on a private island.

The fact that the helicopter which brought the guests to the island won't be back for 72 hours ramps up the sense of impending doom and claustrophobia, this further enhanced when the wifi is cut off. I devoured the varied and well-rounded cast of characters, each with their own complex backstories, secrets, and agendas giving them a motive to kill.

When one of the guests disappears, they receive a message telling them that unless someone confesses her terrible secret to the others, their missing friend will be killed. This was such a clever idea and had me itching to know who in the group the message was aimed at.

This is the story of four best friends and their families who head to Southern France for a birthday celebration.

The setting is seemingly idyllic while the atmosphere starts off light and playful, lulling both the readers and characters into a false sense of security when in fact danger looms just around the corner.

The main character is policewoman Kate who uncovers something deeply unsettling almost as soon as she arrives in France. Logan expertly captures her escalating inner turmoil and desperation to discover the truth, while her relationships with others become increasingly strained.

I found his use of interweaving plotlines gripping, focussed on ordinary people in relationships we can all relate to, while keeping me in suspense right up to the exciting finale.

I really enjoyed this clever Young Adult whodunnit mystery centering on three families reuniting for their annual summer holiday in Cornwall.

When one of the teenage daughters goes missing following a game of hide and seek, her doting, yet secretly envious, best friend tries to piece together what happened.

The story is told between present and past events, but also through letters written by the main protagonist to the missing girl, phrased in such a way I wasn’t quite sure how much or little she really knew about what happened to her friend, which elevated the mystery.

The families are brimming with resentments, tensions & jealousies, heightening the intrigue and potential culprits, but what I loved most was the hugely unexpected denouement. A very clever twist I didn’t see coming!

The story focuses on six friends reuniting for a stag do on a private yacht in the Balearics, a setting I found both fascinating and original.

They are all looking forward to partying hard in the beautiful sunshine, but when one of the crew meets a grisly end in a shark cage, it seems that a terrible event in the group’s university days has come back to haunt them.

Being trapped together at sea really ramped up the tension and sense of isolation for me, while Hunter deftly drip-feeds clues into the narrative through flashbacks as well as present-day narrative, piquing the reader’s interest as further sinister events ensue and meaning they are never quite sure who the killer is.