Thrillers and Mysteries Set in Hotels
When I started thinking about hotel novels, I was shocked to find so many thrillers and mysteries set in hotels. But when I thought about it a little more, hotels are the perfect setting for a little bit of drama! This is a list of my favorites.
Thrillers and Mysteries set at a hotel are a unique sub-genre of books that are so much fun to read. They are a mix of a Psychological Thriller Book and a Locked Room Mystery. People on a vacation do not travel with the intent of getting caught up in a murder thriller, which is what makes these books even more fun.
The Best Thriller and Mysteries Set in a Hotel
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.
The Best Thriller Set in a Hotel
Safari Murder Party by Rachel Moore- Jump to Section
The Best Mystery Set in a Hotel
The Maid by Nita Prose- Jump to Section
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Thrillers set in a Hotel
Safari Murder Party
Author: Rachel Moore
Year: May 22, 2026
Genre: Thriller
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Fletcher has been working for the CEO of Cartwright Media for three years. She finally gains the courage to ask for a spot at the annual company retreat, where promotions and bonuses are handed out like candy on Halloween. But when her boss is found dead, his will states that whoever can survive the week will inherit the company.
Now, she is stuck on a remote private island with power-hungry colleagues who will do anything to be the last person standing and wild animals with no barriers (think Jurassic Park, but safari style). Can Fletcher survive, and can she trust anyone on the Island?
Trigger Warnings
Gore
Why Jackie loves it
Despite the fact that there is some gore in this book, I found myself laughing out loud. Think a funny and grown-up version of Lord of the Flies. There is romance in this book which should not work, in theory, and yet, it 100% does. I loved this book from beginning to end. It is the perfect beach thriller.
Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2026
Plot
Set on a secluded resort island in Thailand, the story is told by Cass, an ex-pat who is outrunning her former life, and Brooke, a travel influencer who isn’t quite what she seems.
When Cass discovers the body of a murdered resort guest while teaching her scuba diving class, their sleepy resort is thrown into chaos. Cass and her fellow ex-pats, known as The Permanents, will do anything to avoid media exposure, but as bodies pile up, Cass and Brooke begin to explore what dark secrets lie at the heart of the island.
Why Kirsten loves it
This novel was a thrill ride from the opening murder scene. I was left completely unprepared for the conclusion and the final chapter had me gasping out loud! I can’t imagine a more fun tropical thriller.
Find this book in: Hotel Novels / Full Cast Audiobooks / Best New Thriller Books/ Fictional Books About Influencers / Books Set in Tropical Locations
Plot
This is an isolation thriller from one of the best there is. Five couples participating in a game shoe are trapped together on an island when a storm comes in. They are cut off from everyone without phones but that is the least of their worries.
Without power, their food and water supply dwindles quickly, the radio has a very limited battery supply, people are sick and injured, and one of them may be a murderer/ serial killer
Why Jackie loves it
This is a page-turning thriller with unexpected twists and turns I did not see coming. This is a perfect beach read- it will keep you on your toes.
Find this book in: Fictional Books About Serial Killers / Best Beach Reads of 2024 / Books Set at a Hotel / Isolation Books / Best Thrillers 2024 / Epistolary Novels
Rock Paper Scissors
Author: Alice Feeney
Year: 2022
Genre: thriller
More info: Instant New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This book by Alice Feeney is another great read. Her books always have me turning the pages. This novel starts with Adam and Amelia Wright headed to a weekend away in a remote Scottish getaway to save their marriage. It turns into a locked-room thriller that you will not be able to put down.
Told from the point of view of both Adam and Amelia, it is clear that one weekend away may not be enough to save what is left of their failing relationship. Each year of their marriage, Adam and his wife exchange traditional wedding gifts and she writes him a letter that she will not let him read.
When reading a thriller, you expect twists and turns because that is part of the fun and while I expected a few, some of the ones in this book were completely unexpected!
Why Jackie loves it
I love Alice Feeney as a writer. She never fails to surprise me with her books which is something I love. The twists never feel like they are too much, rather, I feel like I should have known all along!
Find this book in: Locked Room Mysteries / Domestic Thriller Books / Halloween Thriller Books / Hotel Novels / Alice Feeney Books in Order
The Guest List
Author: Lucy Foley
Year: 2020
Genre: Mystery
More info: New York Times Bestseller, June 2020 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I’ve just read THE thriller
Why Kirsten loves it
I’ve become very picky about thrillers recently and this one is hands down my favorite of the year so far. It also made our Best of 2020 list!
Adaptation Information
This story is soon to be a TV series on Hulu. Liz Tigelaar is set to write and produce the show.
Find this book in: Locked Room Mysteries / Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Best British Mystery Books / Best Beach Reads / British Books /Best Psychological Thriller Books / Popular Thriller Books / Best Reese Witherspoon Books
The Sanatorium
Author: Sarah Pearse
Year: 2021
Genre: Mystery
More info: Detective Elin Warner #1 , February 2021 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Plot
Oh boy, was this a creepy haunted house book! I wish I had chosen to read it during the wintertime instead of the summer because seeing snow while reading it would have made it that much creepier.
With dead bodies piling up, and a blizzard keeping the guests of the fancy sanatorium-turned-hotel stuck inside, will Elin be able to solve the mystery before she becomes a victim herself?
Why Kirsten likes it
This is such a great blizzard book for mystery book lovers. It is creepy and everything else you want in a thriller and it’s an iconic book to read during a snowstorm!
Find this book in: Fiction Serial Killer Books / Locked Room Mystery / Isolation Book / Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2021 / Best Winter Books
The Guilt Trip
Author: Sandie Jones
Year: 2021
Genre: Thriller
More info: Bestselling Author
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Five college friends are reunited for Will’s wedding at a gorgeous cliffside hotel in Portugal where they will meet his bride-to-be, Ali. As the friends settle into the wedding weekend, secrets begin to come out – especially when Rachel discovers something shocking about Ali. Will these friends walk away from the weekend as friends after all?
Why Kirsten loves it
The story was a slow build, but the final chapters were FIRE. These friends had secret and scandal-filled lives! I couldn’t put this hotel novel down at the end. I gasped out loud at the INSANE ending.
Find this book in: Ultimate Beach Reads 2022
The Shining
Author: Steven King
Year: 2008
Genre: Thriller
More info: #1 New York Times Bestseller
One of Time‘s 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Jack Torrence is a recovering alcoholic with anger issues. He accepts a job as a winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel in the hopes of writing his first novel.
He brings his wife and son with him in the hopes of reconnecting with them. Obviously, things go terribly wrong.
Trigger Warnings
Alcoholism, Child Abuse, Violence
Why Jackie loves it
Steven King has a way of finding just the right blend of reality to add to his books to make them truly terrifying. The Shining is no exception. I don’t think there is anyone who has read this haunted hotel book who can think of an isolated cabin as a relaxing retreat ever again.
This book is one of the scariest thriller horror novels I’ve ever read. It is a classic book that shows the descent into madness. It is truly terrifying and a must-read thriller.
Find this book in: Book Set in the 70s / Winter Books/ Thriller Novels About Writers
Mysteries set in a Hotel
The Maid
Author: Nita Prose
Year: 2022
Genre: Mystery
More info: January 2022 Good Morning America Pick
#1 New York Times Bestseller, EDGAR AWARD Finalist, Anthony Award Winner
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Molly Gray works as a maid in a grand hotel and gets joy from leaving things orderly and pristine. Molly struggles with reading social cues and has had even more trouble since her gran can no longer help.
When Molly finds the body of Mr. Black in a room at the hotel, she becomes a prime suspect and will need all her friends to help her. She calls her friend, Mr. Preston, the doorman at the hotel, for help. His daughter is a lawyer. Soon, it becomes clear that Molly, in her naivete, is involved in a drug scandal as well.
Why Jackie loves it
I loved the description of this book and I hoped it would live up to my expectations. It did that and more. I adored every minute of this story and closed the last page smiling. Molly is such a wonderful character who has more depth than is apparent initially.
Find this book in: Books like Lessons in Chemistry / Best Mystery Books / Feel-Good Books / Books for Book Clubs / Best Cozy Mystery Books / Books With Neurodivergent Characters / Adult Versions of Favorite Childhood Books / Beach Reads 2022
Murder at the Hotel Orient
Author: Alessandra Ranelli
Release Date: May 19, 2022
Genre: Mystery
More info: debut novel
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Sterling Lockwood is the concierge at the Hotel Orient. Every guest at this hotel is hiding something, so aliases are required, and all cameras are banned. When there is a double murder at the hotel, Sterling must turn detective, but this will require her to break the hotel’s code of conduct, which values secrecy above all else.
Sterling and her best friend, Fernando, agreed to help the police if only so they would not look too closely at her papers or ask questions about her past.
Trigger Warnings
Description of murders
Why Jackie loves it
This is a very dark mystery that is multi-layered. Sterling’s history with the Hotel Orient runs deep, and the murders hit close to home. I did not expect the ending, or guess who the murderer is. This is a well-written, page-turning mystery and I loved every minute. #gifted
Find this book in: Hotel 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
The Club
Author: Ellery Lloyd
Year: 2022
Genre: Thriller
More info: March 2022 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
The Home Club is clearly based on members-only celebrity clubs like SoHo House, but the newest Home Club is opening on a private island and features an opening weekend to die for.
Literally, because it’s a murder mystery. Except we, the readers, don’t know who is murdered, how, or why at the beginning…but instead we are treated to various narrators telling the points of view of the weekend as it unfolds.
Why Kirsten loves it
This contemporary fiction book was a WILD ride, and I loved every exhilarating twist and turn! The layered approach to telling the story of the celebrity shenanigans and the murder of a key figure in the Home Group family had me flipping through the pages of this isolation novel. A truly enjoyable beach read!
Find this book in: Locked Room Mysteries / Isolation Books / Hotel Novels / Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2022 / Beach Reads 2022
Plot
Taking place at a dated luxury hotel at Christmas time and culminating with a New Year’s Eve ball, there is an abundance of antics afoot. Sophie is a hotel intern there to make sure the guests have all they need. But when she is not expecting to deal with missing jewels, find a potential love interest, or be worried about ghosts – all in one holiday season!
Why Kirsten loves it
What a cute story! I loved the unique setting and hysterical antics. Jewel thieves, ghosts, kid-nappers, back-door dealings, and teenage drama fill this wonderful holiday book.
Find this book in Best Holiday Books / YA Christmas Books / Best Winter Books / Hotel Novels / New Year’s Eve Books / Best Winter Books
Expert Tip
While these thrillers and mysteries may seem similar at first glance, they all have a very different vibe. Some are scary, some are funny, and others are more mysterious.
- Have a look at the descriptions of the books. Kirsten and I have read all of them.
- Have a look at the trigger warnings. Kirsten and I tried to include information that will be helpful while reading it.
- Lastly, are you a Kirsten or a Jackie? Have a look at who wrote it to give a better idea of whether you will like it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best thriller or mystery set at a hotel
Safari Murder Party by Rachel Moore is a new book from 2026 that I loved. It is thrilling, funny, and unlike anything else. I also love The Maid by Nita Prose. There are now multiple books in the series because who does not love Molly?
Epilogue
What is your favorite thriller or mystery set in hotels?
