If your favorite thrillers are the kind that whisk you away on vacation before pulling the rug out from under you, Bad Honeymoon is a fun, fast-paced mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Jessie Garcia has quickly developed a signature style, and fans of The Business Trip and Fair Weather Friend will feel right at home here. Once again, she delivers a story told through multiple points of view, creating a twisty mystery that keeps the pages flying.
Television reporter Becca is desperate for a story that will boost ratings during sweeps week when she’s contacted by a woman named Eve. Eve claims that what should have been a romantic honeymoon in Florida has turned into a nightmare, complete with mold-infested hotel rooms, dead mice in the closet, and a resort refusing to make things right. It sounds like the perfect consumer investigation, so Josie flies to Florida to meet her source.
Only Eve never shows up.
Her phone turns out to be a burner, the hotel insists there was never a guest by that name, and there is no record that the wedding Eve described ever happened. Suddenly, Josie finds herself chasing a mystery that is far stranger than a bad honeymoon. Who is Eve? What is she trying to accomplish? And why choose Becca?
One of the things I continue to enjoy about Garcia’s books is her cast of characters. Her female leads are intelligent, resourceful, and easy to root for, while the male characters are equally well-rounded with motivations and personalities of their own. No one feels like a caricature, which gives the story a balanced, believable dynamic.
The twists aren’t designed to leave your jaw on the floor, and experienced thriller readers will probably predict a few of them. The premise also requires a healthy suspension of disbelief. But honestly, that’s part of the charm. This is the kind of thriller you read for the entertainment value, not because every detail is perfectly realistic. It’s an engaging, escapist mystery that’s simply a lot of fun.
While there is a murder, this isn’t an especially dark or graphic thriller. The body count stays low, the violence remains in the background, and the emphasis is on uncovering the truth rather than shocking the reader. It lands much more firmly in the psychological suspense category than horror.
I also have a feeling this will make an excellent audiobook. Garcia’s multiple-POV format has translated well to audio in the past, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one receives another strong multi-narrator production.
Who should read this?
- Fans of Liv Constantine, Jeneva Rose, and Robyn Harding.
- Readers who enjoyed Jessie Garcia’s The Business Trip and Fair Weather Friend.
- Thriller readers looking for an entertaining, fast-paced mystery with multiple POVs, vacation vibes, and enough twists to keep the pages turning—even if you guess a few along the way.
Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted electronic ARC. Publication date: January 27, 2027.
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