It's summer vacation season, and this week I've been taking full advantage of some time away from work. The break began with a family reunion spent floating the river, culminating in a family wedding last weekend. From there, I extended the trip with a few quiet days at the lake cabin. It was an opportunity to unplug, relax, and, of course, get some reading done.
Over the last few years, Jaime Day has become one of my go-to authors for page-turning vacation reads. While his latest novel, Beach Thriller, wasn't exactly the perfect thematic match for a lakeside getaway (last year's The Lake Escape would have been a bit more on the nose), it nevertheless proved to be another quick, twisty drama that paired perfectly with lazy afternoons by the water.
Holly Sinclair needs to write a hit. The struggling author has just been forced from her New York apartment, and her literary agent has given her an ultimatum: finish her next novel and make sure it's a bestseller. Holly is hesitant to comply, but she doesn't really have a choice. Her future depends on this book succeeding. Now she just has to figure out what to write about.
Without her home in New York, Holly is forced to return to her family's seaside cottage in Beauport, Massachusetts. It's been twenty years since she was last there, for good reason. She still can't escape the guilt surrounding her sister's death and blames herself for what happened. But now, faced with returning to the place that has haunted her for all this time and desperate for a story, Holly decides to do something she never imagined she would. She writes about her past.
From the shadows, someone else is watching Holly's every move. They know what really happened all those years ago. And they're determined to make sure those secrets never see the light of day.
Beach Thriller is everything I want from a summer read. The pace is brisk, the twists are plentiful, and the characters are packed with dramatic secrets and selfish motivations. It reads like a cross between a soap opera and a reality television show, and that's precisely what makes it so much fun. Jaime Day never takes the story too seriously, blending suspense with just enough humor to keep everything entertaining even as the drama escalates.
Sure, this isn't the most profound novel I've ever read, but that's not really what Day is aiming for. Instead, he delivers exactly what the title promises. Beach Thriller is a twisty, escapist thriller tailor-made for summer afternoons. I certainly enjoyed racing through the pages while sitting by the water, and I suspect many other readers will too.
For more information, visit Amazon and Goodreads.
(2026, 48)
You and Rachel seem to read all the same books. I just read her review for this one. A cross between a soap opera and a reality show -- that is an interesting description. I am on the side of being entertained. I don't need my books to be profound. Glad it was a good way to pass some time on the lake.
ReplyDeleteWe tend to read so many of the same. Its great because her review of this one convinced me to read it!
DeleteWe do read a lot of the same books! A lot of times it's your review that gives me a shove to go ahead and pick a book up, lol!
DeleteHappy we can serve that purpose for each other!
DeleteNow this sounds good Ethan.
ReplyDeleteI think you'd really enjoy it!
DeleteYour vacation sounds awesome. I'm so glad you were able to get away and just relax. And this book sounds like the perfect summer thriller. I'll have to put it on my list! :D
ReplyDeleteIt was exactly what I needed!
DeleteSometimes you just need a book that is exactly what it promises. This sounds fun!
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteBeing able to relax and read for a while is nice. Having to write a best seller book would be hard because you are going to put so much stress on yourself to try and make it good. This sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that anyone could actually "decide'' to write a bestseller. It seems like one of those things that just happens.
DeleteI agree, this was the perfect beach/summer/vacation read! Happy to hear you've been enjoying some summer time away! Floating down a river sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI was definitely needing some time away! Now I'm back to reality this week.
DeleteThis sounds like the perfect summer read! Great review!
ReplyDeleteIt was a nice easy read!
DeleteVacation time sounds lovely! And yes you need the perfect book too
ReplyDeleteIt was so nice!
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