5 Beach Reads: Thrillers & Mysteries

Cynthia Ross Cravit | August 7th, 2015
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What’s summer without indulging yourself in some international intrigue, spy craft and sleuthing? Here, 5 books you won’t want to put down.

THE GIRL WHO WASN’T THERE by Ferdinand von Schirach

Sebastian von Eschburg, the scion of a self-destructive, aristocratic family overcomes a traumatic childhood to find fame as a celebrated artist in Berlin, where he creates disturbing photographs probing the differences between truth and reality. His life takes a darker turn, however, when he is accused of killing of a young woman. In the subsequent investigation and trial, the author who is, interestingly, the grandson of Baldur von Schirach, the former head of the Hitler Youth and Nazi Gauleiter of Vienna, raises questions on the nature of guilt and the quagmires of moral uncertainty.

 

THE PALACE OF TREASON by Jason Matthews

In a follow-up to his award-winning espionage thriller The Red Sparrow, veteran CIA officer Jason Matthews picks up the story of star-crossed lovers Russian agent-turned-mole Dominika Egorova and her handler, CIA’s Nathaniel Nash. The spies must elude an Iranian assassination ambush, a psychotic boss and even Putin himself — but equally dangerous is their lust for one another. Drawing on his real world experience, Matthews creates an authentic, action-packed tale that could be pulled from today’s headlines.

 

THE MAN WHO WATCHED WOMEN by Hjorth & Rosenfeldt

It’s summer in Stockholm, and a series of women are found brutally murdered, all bearing the hallmarks of Edward Hinde, a serial killer jailed by psychological profiler Sebastian Bergman over a decade before. As the investigative unit scrambles to find the perpetrator, mass murder becomes personal when Bergman learns the murders are actually related to him and his family.

THE ENGLISH SPY by Daniel Silva

Master art restorer and Mossad super spy Gabriel Allon is back this summer in the 15th installment of Silva’s popular international espionage series. This time Gabriel finds himself with a problem of royal proportions when the world’s most famous woman in the world and an ex-member of the British royal family (yes, hints of Princess Diana) is murdered on her yacht.

THE ANGEL OF EDEN by DJ McIntosh

In the conclusion to Canadian author DJ McIntosh’s Mesopotamian trilogy, rakish New York art dealer John Madison goes on a quest to northern Iran in search of a 16th century book about the mysterious powers of angels and the real location of the lost Garden of Eden. At the same time, he uncovers a dark secret about his own birth. Read as part of the series or as a stand alone.

What’s on your reading list? Let us know in the comments!