Beach Mystery Books
Summer is getting closer, and as it approaches, I love to get out of the winter blues by reading beach books. What is more fun than beach mystery books?
Jackie and I realized that I clearly have a thing for beach mystery books. I read every book on this list except one. Beach mystery books combine the fun of a mystery book with one of our favorite settings. The combination is a winner.
The Best Beach Mystery Books
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
Best Beach Mystery Book
Best Cozy Mystery Set at the Beach
Best Historical Beach Mystery Book
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Beach Mystery Books
Plot
Mrs. Blossom, a widow and former private investigator, finds a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot and decides to see the world. She embarks on a river cruise in France but gets caught up in a murder mystery when a fellow passenger dies unexpectedly. As she digs deeper, she uncovers secrets about the victim and is even accused of inadvertently smuggling art for him!
Why Kirsten loves it
I love that the protagonist is 68, starting her life over, and going on an adventure while also being wrapped-up in a stolen art murder mystery! The setting of the river cruise was delightful, but it was Mrs. Blossom’s winning personality that really kept this novel afloat (Pun intended!) #gifted by Libro.fm
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Boat Books/ Beach Mystery Books
The Storm
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: January 6, 2026
Genre: Mystery Thriller
More info: New York Times Bestselling Author
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Geneva Corliss is the owner of the Rosalie Inn, a place famous for surviving every hurricane that comes to St Medard’s Bay, Alabama. When a writer comes to town to research a famous crime, Geneva is hopeful that it may be successful enough to get her some new business. But when August Fletcher shows up with Lo Bailey, a woman accused of murder in 1984, Geneva wonders why Lo really came back home.
Why Kirsten loves it
The dual timeline nature of this book kept me guessing as each layer of the story was pulled back, and the approaching storms (one in each timeline) heightened the tension to a truly high-stakes game. It’s a perfect beach thriller, and the full cast narration made it feel truly engrossing. #gifted by MacMillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press
Find this book in: Novels About Hurricanes / Books Set in the 80s / Beach Mystery Books
Plot
Well, this book was such a treat! It takes place at a seaside resort over one fateful weekend. We get a glimpse into the lives of the various guests and what brought them to the resort.
Oh and did I mention it opens with a woman falling to her death by the resort pool? Was it a murder? Was it a suicide? Was it an accident? And which of the guests is the victim?
Why Kirsten loves it
It’s a light read perfect for the beach. Check out more beach reads at our beach read hub!
Find this book in: Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Poolside Reads / Hotel Novels / Books with Summer in the Title / Beach Mystery Books
So, I Met This Guy
Author: Alexander Porter
Year: 2026
Genre: Fiction
More info: UK Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Maggie, a 40-year-old gallery owner, has just been conned by the man she thought was the one. Now, she wants to find him and get it all back. Enter Flick, a charming young reporter who is happy to spend her summer traveling around Europe looking for the villain of Maggie’s (and probably a few other women’s) story.
Why Kirsten loves it
What a fun story! I loved how these women bonded during their Euro summer trip! From planes to cars to boats, this book has all forms of transport, but the road trip bits were my favorite as they allowed Flick to learn Maggie’s backstory. The ending left me smiling. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a fun beach read! #gifted by Zibby Publishing
Find this book in: Road Trip Novels
Summers at the Saint
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Year: 2024
Genre: Fiction
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Widowed Traci Eddings is the proprietress of The Saint an exclusive resort owned by her deceased husband’s family. As she struggles to keep his beloved hotel afloat, she deals with her conniving brother-in-law, disgruntled staff, and a series of mysteries that lead to the death of someone she loves.
The story is also narrated by various staffers who live in the on-site staff dormitory and a man in town to solve a crime from the past. There are lots of subplots, including a romance and 2 murder mysteries, but the heart of this novel is about Traci reclaiming her life and her hotel.
Why Kirsten loves it
I’m a sucker for a resort setting, and since I read this one on my recent spring break, the vibes were vibing. While the large cast of characters was a struggle at first, I quickly got them straight and found value in each of their perspectives.
Find this book in: Hotel Novels / Summer Reads of 2024 / Books Set at the Beach/ Books with Summer in the Title / Beach Mystery Books
Cozy Mystery Books Set at the Beach
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
Author: Catherine Mack
Year: 2024
Genre: Cozy Mystery
More info: USA Today Bestseller, An Indie New List Pick (May 2024)
Age Range: 15+
Plot
What a fun new mystery series! When a group of authors accompanies mystery writer, Eleanor Dash, on her book tour in Italy, people keep turning up dead around them. While she is trying to figure out a way to kill off her main character, Connor, and end her long-running series, someone is trying to kill the real-life Connor on the tour!
Now Eleanor and her writer frenemies must put their differences aside to try to solve the murders and stay alive. The hysterical scenarios they find themselves in keep the vacation murder plot delightfully lighthearted. Add in the descriptions of Italian food, gorgeous sites, and wild personal hijinks and you’ve got a lovely summer read.
Why Kirsten loves it
It’s not often a mystery series that is both mysterious and fun, but this one delivers! It’s exactly the kind of mystery book I gravitate towards in the middle of summer. I can’t wait to see this series continue! #gifted by Macmillan Audio
Find this book in: Italy Novels / Best Beach Reads / Cozy Mystery Books / Mystery and Thriller Novels About Writers
Plot
Melissa Ferguson writes the best clean romances, so I’m excited to read her mystery romance debut! It’s set on a cruise ship when Pip, organizer of an author cruise and personal assistant to a famed writer, finds her employer has been murdered. Soon, she’s using her amateur detective skills to solve the mystery with the help of Nash, her friendly Western author pal.
Why Kirsten loves it
This sweet story kept me guessing until the end. I’ve been loving the new RomCozy trend, and this clean story delighted! I was feverishly trying to solve the mystery alongside Pip while also swooning over Nash’s attempts to keep her out of harm’s way. Delightful as always, and the cruise ship setting was perfect for this one! #gifted by Thomas Nelson
Find this book in: RomCozy Books / Boat Books / Beach Mystery Books
The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective
Author: Jo Nichols
Year: 2025
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Mrs. B is the landlady for the Marigold Cottages, which are a collection of bungalows in Santa Barbara. When an ex-con named Anthony moves in and a dead body is discovered shortly after, Anthony is arrested.
Mrs. B is convinced he is innocent and turns herself in for the crime. Now the tenants come together and form the Marigold Cottage Murder Collective (MCMC) to save their beloved landlady.
Trigger Warnings
stalking
Why Jackie loves it
This story is part narrative, part text message exchanges between the MCMC, and part screenplay written by Sophie, one of the tenants. The cast of characters is quirky and fun to read. #gifted by Macmillan
Find this book in: Cozy Mystery Books / Beach Mystery Books
Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds
Author: Allison Brennan
Year: 2025
Genre: Romcozy
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Mia has spent her life making sure that she is responsible. She has a job as a financial advisor that she takes very seriously. She takes no risks in her job or personally. When her job sends her to a beautiful resort as a bonus, she has no choice but to try and enjoy herself.
She arrives on the beautiful tropical paradise with nothing to do but read a good book, but when she finds a book with writing in the margins, she realizes these may have something to do with a guest who disappeared shortly before Mia arrived on the island. When the missing guest turns up dead, Mia begins to investigate. She just has to hope that she does not get in the way of a murderer during her investigations
Why Jackie loves it
This was the perfect mystery to read on the beach. It is a quick and funny read with a quirky protagonist who needs a vacation more than anyone I have ever read!
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025 / Romcozy Books / Beach Mystery Books
Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies
Author: Jenny Elder Moke
Release Date: January 20, 2026
Genre: Mystery Rom-Com
More info: Second book in the world of She Doesn’t Have a Clue
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Juliette Winters’s entire life is consumed by her job in publishing. She has secured a book deal that will save her company from ruin. Warren Ellingham, the business tycoon, has given Juliette the rights to his memoir. But when Warren drops dead on his yacht and his memoir is stolen, Juliette suspects that someone went to a lot of trouble to stop their secrets from being exposed. Now, she needs handsome Charlie Hawkins to help her investigate whether Warren’s death was actually murder.
Why Kirsten likes it
Like Moke’s last book, this rom-cozy was such a fun read. I was laughing, swooning, and trying to solve the murder right along with Juliette. After some heavier tales, this was a breath of fresh air. #gifted by St. Martin’s Press
Find this book in: Best Boat Books / Beach Mystery Books
Historical Beach Mystery Books
Murder at Gulls Nest
Author: Jess Kidd
Year: 2025
Genre: Historical Mystery
More info: Nora Breen Investigates #1
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Nora Breen was a nun who kept in touch with her former novice through letters. When the letters stop arriving, Nora is worried and heads to the Gulls Nest Hotel in Kent. Soon, there are murders left and right, and Nora has to confront her past while trying to solve the mystery of where her friend went.
Why Kirsten likes it
The 1954 setting added a lot to the story. While set in a seaside town, the beach didn’t have much to do with the plot; instead, the converted mansion was at the heart of the mystery. If you are a fan of Maggie Hope or Maisie Dobbs, you’ll enjoy the first in this new mystery series.
Find this book in: Cozy Mystery Books / Best British Mystery Books / Beach Mystery Books
The House on Biscayne Bay
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Year: 2024
Genre: Historical Fiction
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Chanel Cleeton has written a gothic historical fiction and i am here for it! After focusing on the Perez family for several years, Cleeton has finally written another stand-alone novel.
In the era after The Great War, Robert Barnes and his wife Anna built a beautiful estate called Marbisa in Biscayne Bay, Florida. Decades later, Carmen Acosta visits the estate, now owned by her estranged sister and her husband, which looks like a paradise on the outside but is much more.
Told in a dual-timeline narrative, Carmen is out to determine if the murder of her sister is connected to the murders at Marbisa in the 1920s.
Trigger Warnings
Infidelity
Why Kirsten loves it
Marbisa came to life in both narratives – becoming a character in its own right. I loved reading Cleeton’s foray into the mystery/thriller genre, especially because I didn’t see the ending coming! #gifted by Berkley
Find this book in: Jazz Age Novels / Spring 2024 New Releases / Beach Reads 2024 / Beach Mystery Books
Expert Tip
This is such a niche genre. How can you pick your next book?
- Have a look at the descriptions of the books. Some of these are historical, some have amateur sleuths, and others have older protagonists. Even though these books may seem fairly similar at first glance, they really are quite different from each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a beach mystery book?
These are all mystery books set at the beach (or next to the beach). There is something ironic about an idyllic beach as the setting for a mystery, and Jackie and I are all for it.
Related Content
Epilogue
What is your favorite beach mystery book? Did I include it on this list? If not, send me some recommendations. I am always looking for books for my TBR.
