Thriller
Bad Tourists
by Caro Carver
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Quick take
White sand beaches and luxurious villas turn out to be dangerous distractions in this deliciously dark island thriller.
Good to know
Multiple viewpoints
Nonlinear timeline
Female friendships
Glamorous
Synopsis
Three tight-knit friends embark on an extravagant divorce trip to the Maldives where they can unwind and celebrate a new chapter in midlife—until they realize the resort of their dreams is harboring a killer.
Best friends Darcy, Camilla, and Kate escape for a post-divorce retreat in the Maldives, the perfect place to relax, reset, and embrace a fresh start in life. Darcy is learning how to be a free woman at forty-two. Camilla has found the perfect calling as a fitness and wellness influencer with a devoted following. And Kate is finally working on the book she was meant to write after years of telling other people’s stories.
Their dream getaway? The exclusive and isolated Sapphire Island Resort. With luxurious private villas, crystal-clear waters, and sun-drenched white sand beaches, relaxation is guaranteed. But this is no ordinary friendship, and they’re not the only guests on the island with secrets. Who left the body on the beach—and who’s next?
A propulsive and deliciously dark tale about female friendship, loyalty, and lies, Bad Tourists is a white-hot thriller from the first page to its mind-blowing finish.
Content warning
This book contains scenes that depict domestic abuse.
Free sample
Get an early look from the first pages of Bad Tourists.
Why I love it
Nicole Baart
Author, Everything We Didn't Say
For a thriller that lives up to all the hype, look no further than Bad Tourists. All the buzzy words apply here (propulsive, tense, smart, exquisite, twisty, et. al.), and Caro Carver’s dark tale about midlife turmoil and female friendship delivers both style and substance.
When best friends Darcy, Camilla, and Kate retreat to the Maldives to commemorate Darcy’s recent divorce, their shared connection to a gruesome mass murder twenty-two years ago is really all they still have in common. Kate was the sole survivor, Camilla lost her brother, and Darcy lost her boyfriend. Shaped by this unforgettable past tragedy, their luxurious girls’ getaway quickly devolves into something sinister. First, the women befriend Jade, a newlywed trapped in a terrible situation with her not-so-doting groom. Then a body turns up on the beach and this psychological thriller really takes off. It appears nothing is quite what it seems at the exclusive Sapphire Island Resort.
Carver’s characters are complicated and nuanced, and the plot is packed with plenty of suspense, some shocking violence, and a creative twist that is guaranteed to leave your jaw on the floor. Bad Tourists is, quite simply, the perfect white-hot summer read—an unputdownable trip to paradise whether you read it on a far-flung beach or in the comfort of your own backyard.