Best Books With Mysteries Set In Scenic Locations

Here’s a list of best books with mysteries set in scenic locations that will take your breath away and add to the mood, vibe, atmosphere and build-up of the mysteries.

Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger

Set in the Quetico-Superior wilderness at the junction between America and Canada, this luscious mystery follows the disappearance of a woman, Shiloh. The detective, Cork O’Connor, along with the FBI and an ex-con try to find her. But also hidden in the wilderness are other people, also tracking Shiloh – but only to kill her.

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

Honeymooner newlyweds in a luxury private Bora Bora resort come across a bunch of important papers that could illegally solve all their issues. And when the privacy of their resort and island serves to drown their unethical acts, they make the choice. But what consequences it has, forms the core mystery of the novel.

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

Unfolding in the coastal flats of Britain’s Norfolk is an enigmatic mystery about children’s murders. Our forensic archeologist protagonist Ruth discovers children’s bones buried in a bleak beach. Even as ancients in the land believed the grassy chasm between the land ad sea to be the chasm between life and death, the mystery of marshes and mudlands comes to fruition.

The Woman in Cabin 10 Wood by Ruth Ware

Lo, the trave journalist protagonist of this book, goes on a luxury cruise that voyages through the calm and beautiful North Sea. When a woman is thrown overboard and none of the crew seems to acknowledge what is wrong, Lo takes it upon herself to unravel the mystery. This book is the perfect example of things going awry in the most stunning places.

The Boy in the Snow by MJ McGrath

This book, against the backdrop of the Scandinavian snow, follows Smilla Jaspersen as she attempts to solve a murder mystery. A six year old Greenlander falls off an apartment building, but Smilla knows it is not an accident. The mystery of his murder takes her back to the snow and ice she loves. And it takes us along with her, through scenic snowscapes.

Murder in Paradise by James Patterson

This is a collection of three mystery novellas, all set in the most picturesque locations. The first follows a defense lawyer who relocates to an idyllic beach post a bombing, only to find deadly secrets lurking there. And in the second, a medical examiner in the beautiful Napa Valley uncovers a string of murders. Finally, in the third, a woman allergic to the sun witnesses a murder.

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Doyle’s finest Sherlock Holmes novel follows his journey to the moors, in order to help a family apparently cursed with the hounds. The famous detective, the eerie yet beautiful and vivid setting of the moors as well as the plot make this a masterpiece. In addition, the nature versus culture debate through the hounds versus Holmes also adds enigma to the story.

Camino Winds by John Grisham

Set on the scenic Camino Islands in the wake of a hurricane, an apparent victim is bookshop owner Bruce’s friend and an author of thrillers himself. The victim, Nelson however shows several head wounds that suggest that he was murdered. Bruce now suspects that his friend’s books had some element of reality in them. So sets out to find his last manuscript, which could contain clues to his death.

Dog Island by Philippe Claudel

The name of the book is also its setting – an unexplored small town in the Mediterranean replete with vines, olive trees and the sea. The harmony of the small town is interrupted when three men wash ashore. The mayor and people resolve to preserve their harmony and cover up. But that might just be an even bigger mistake.

The Palace by Christopher Reich

Against the glittery backdrop of a boutique resort in Southern Thailand abounding in natural wealth, Bourbon, the owner is arrested. Now his best friend, Riske, must fly down to Thailand and investigate the ploy. The tropical setting and the high stakes accentuate the mystery in this book.

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