Suspense Novels Set by the Sea

The Grand Paloma Resort is a lush paradise in the Dominican Republic where the guests enjoy incredible luxury, and the staff is always eager to please — that is, until they are pushed to the brink. Set over the course of seven days, The Grand Paloma Resort offers an unforgettable story of class, family, and community, building to an intense climax in which the true costs of luxury are laid bare, redeemed only by true acts of love.

A wickedly funny novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Squeeze Me in which the greedy, the corrupt, and the degraders of what’s left of pristine Florida — now, of the Bahamas as well — get their comeuppance. Now an Apple Original series from Ted Lasso Executive Producer Bill Lawrence and starring Vince Vaughn!

A thrilling novel of lies, deception, and revenge from the bestselling author, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Joshilyn Jackson! The glamor of Miami has a dark side in this twisting story where nothing is what it seems, as one wronged woman seeks to destroy the seemingly perfect life of one of the city’s most revered socialites.

When renowned anonymous author J. R. Alastor hires former aspiring writer Mila del Angél to host a writing retreat at his private manor off the coast of Maine, she jumps at the chance — particularly since she has an axe to grind with one of the invitees. The guest list? Six thriller authors, all masters of deceit, misdirection, and mayhem. Alastor and Mila have masterminded a week of games, trope-fueled riddles, and maybe a jump scare or two — the perfect cover for Mila to plot a murder of her own. But when a guest turns up dead — and it’s not the murder she planned — Mila finds herself trapped in a different narrative altogether. With a storm isolating the island, and the body count rising, Mila must outwit a killer who literally knows every trick in the book.

Meet the Agarwals, who have gathered on a private, luxury island off the west coast of Scotland for a much-anticipated family reunion. Raj, the patriarch and a business tycoon, is about to announce to his wife and three children the succession plan for his multimillion-dollar Delhi-based company. They’ve all got secrets they would die to protect. Who will survive this high-stakes reunion, and who will become a victim of their own greed? One thing is certain: This family gather will shatter more than just their illusions of unity.

On glittering Capri, anything can be a mirage. And no one holds a grudge like family … From the New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters comes an electrifying thriller about an opulent family retreat to Italy that’s shattered by the resurfacing of a decades-old crime.

On a trip to the tropical paradise where her fiancée died, a young woman begins to suspect the death was no accident — and the killer’s still on the island — in this twisty thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick We Were Never Here.

When Erin and Mark head to Bora Bora for their dream honeymoon, they don’t expect it to turn into a nightmare. In the first chapter, we find Erin doing the unthinkable — digging Mark’s grave.  She thinks back on the events that had unraveled months before, starting with the life-changing discovery that they made after scuba diving a little too deep. Plagued with money troubles, this discovery could be their saving grace — though we know by now, that’s not the case. Despite their ocean views, there’s not enough water to put out this fire.

Before it made it to the big screen, Jaws was a page-turner that left its readers afraid of their own bathtubs, let alone the ocean. When a series of shark attacks afflict a seaside town in Long Island, investigations find that the culprit isn’t any old shark. The police chief, Martin Brody, with the help of professional shark hunter Captain Quint, and oceanographer Matt Hooper, set aboard Quint’s boat, the Orca to end the attacks once and for all. Between the tension on the boat and the terror beneath it, these three men may have bitten off more than they can chew.

There wasn’t much excitement in Viridiana’s life — every day, she’d watch sharks wash ashore on a Baja California beach and brood over her life’s limited options. She can only be two things — a wife and a mother. But when she meets three American tourists, she begins to have hope that she could become so much more. Suddenly, Viridiana is living lavishly as a writer’s assistant — but it’s all just too good to be true. When one of her new friends dies, the remaining two are the last people Viridiana would suspect. But when secrets come to light, and Viridiana sees these people for who they really are, she realizes that she may have jumped the shark with this new venture.

More of a lakeside mystery than seaside, the shocking death of Lydia Lee is one that shows a familial love as deep as the ocean. When Marilyn and James Lee wake to find their eldest daughter missing from her room, they’re unsure whether she was kidnapped or if she ran away. Among the numerous scenarios, they never expected her body to be pulled from a nearby lake the next day. Lydia’s death wreaks havoc on the entire Lee family — her siblings struggle to be the ones left behind, and her parent’s marriage is on thin ice. But how did Lydia end up in the water that night? They may never know — she took those details with her all the way down to the bottom.

For her Mediterranean bachelorette weekend, Lexi invites her five bridesmaids to Greece to soak up the sun, swim in the ocean, and forget their troubles back home. But the vacation comes to an abrupt end when one of the girls is murdered — though we don’t know who. What were the events leading up to this mysterious death? Despite their vast differences, each of these women holds one thing in common — a disastrous secret. A weekend abroad with booze and the bride is just the way for these secrets to come flooding out. Between their ocean swims and cocktail hour, did one of them have time to plan a murder?

When the newly married de Winters return to Manderley manor after their whirlwind wedding, the new Mrs. de Winter expects the honeymoon phase to continue. But soon after their arrival, the warm and loving husband she knew turns cold, and rumors swirl around the estate regarding the previous Mrs. de Winter — Rebecca. Even in death, Rebecca’s beloved memory lives on, fiercely preserved by the servants and Mr. de Winter. But when the remains of Rebecca’s sunken boat and body are discovered, and fingers point to Mr. de Winter, his new wife must decide if blood is thicker than water — or if hers is the next to spill.

If a whole novel is too much for you, pace yourself with this horrifying and aquatic collection of short stories. From characters boarding deadly cruises, becoming trapped in caves, and exploring an artificial island for a body — just be glad you’re only living vicariously through them. While each narrative is associated with the fearful and isolating aspects of water, what Suzuki’s horror stories highlight are not the fear of what’s out there, but the fear of those around us. Storylines of domestic abuse, child neglect, and other violence become far more terrifying than anything that swims beneath the surface.

Sometimes the biggest thrills come from real life. In this memoir, Marine biologist Edith Widder recounts the first time she ventured into the deep dark blue, determined to answer one question — what could cause the bright lights that appeared at eight hundred feet below? Through this quest, we see Widder narrowly escape life-or-death situations just as likely to keep you on the edge of your seat as these other works of fiction. Through these situations, we see just how dangerous these scientific breakthroughs can be and the risks we must take to discover the unknown.