I was so excited to read BAD TOURISTS. Not because of all the buzz it received leading up to its release, but because Caro Carver is a pseudonym for C. J. Cooke, whose gothic horror/thriller novels I have thoroughly enjoyed.

On September 10, 2001, a student named Kate checked into the Spinnaker Guesthouse where her professor and others were staying. The creepy man at the front desk said something odd to her and handed her the key to her room. She then discovered the dead bodies of the other six residents of the Guesthouse and would forever wonder why the killer who sat behind the desk let her live.

"Caro Carver provides twist upon twist that will have readers’ heads spinning. The suspense is almost unbearable... BAD TOURISTS is so well done and the perfect thriller for the summer season that I am confident all those who dive in will eat it up."

Jumping ahead 22 years, Darcy is thrilled to be heading out for a celebratory vacation to the Maldives for a post-divorce retreat. She is flying with her friend, Camilla, and they are connecting with Kate along the way. Darcy is a mother of three who recently divorced her extraordinarily wealthy husband, Jacob, who owns an AI company. Camilla is a famous online Pilates instructor, and Kate works as a ghostwriter for various authors and personalities.

At the Sapphire Island Resort, we are introduced to the employees and other tourists. One couple, Rob and his much younger wife Jade, are on their honeymoon. Rob is aggressive, abusive and quite possessive of his bride. He also springs on her the idea that they try to get in the family way while they’re vacationing. Jade is not thrilled with this suggestion as she is still struggling to cover up her most recent black eye from all the people she meets. Jade hits it off right away with the three ladies, much to Rob’s chagrin, and Darcy has a weird feeling about Rob, who keeps staring at her as if he knows her.

Out of the blue, Jacob emails Camilla and wants to speak with her. His second message asks if she knows a man named Adrian Clifton. She sends back a terse response that causes Jacob to reach out to Kate. Camilla and Kate don’t know why Jacob is contacting them or even how he got their email addresses. They also wonder how he found out about Adrian.

One of the many brilliant surprises that Carver has in store for readers occurs fairly early on in the book. It revolves around how and when Darcy, Camilla and Kate met and became friends. All I will say is that Darcy and Camilla were also impacted by the murder spree that took place over two decades ago.

Darcy is horrified by Jacob’s messages and believes that it’s a tactic he’s using in their messy divorce. She also has no clue how he learned about Adrian, the private investigator they hired to look into the Spinnaker case as they believe a second killer was involved and is still out there. Hugh Fraser, the front desk employee, went down for the murders and died in prison.

When a guest at the resort goes missing and is later found dead, the ladies believe they are in the presence of a killer who also may be linked to the 2001 murders. To make matters worse, Kate receives a strange floral delivery that convinces her that Hugh’s potential accomplice knows she is there, putting her safety in serious jeopardy.

Caro Carver provides twist upon twist that will have readers’ heads spinning. The suspense is almost unbearable, and the location is ideal for any killer to easily strike against their victims. BAD TOURISTS is so well done and the perfect thriller for the summer season that I am confident all those who dive in will eat it up. Carver also shows that she is no one-trick pony, as this outing clearly displays her immense talents for providing her audience with plenty of thrills and chills.