Vacations from Hell

Vacations from Hell

This article relates to The Unveiling

Quan Barry's literary horror novel The Unveiling follows an Antarctic sightseeing expedition that goes horrifically awry. Here are a handful of other thrillers and horror novels about dream vacations gone very, very wrong—perhaps you'll want to pack one on your next holiday?

The Ruins by Scott Smith

Two young couples set out for an idyllic, low-key getaway in the Mexican jungle—only to realize that something terrifying lurks in the ruins they find there.

The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-eun (translated by Lizzie Buehler)

On the more literary/satirical end of the spectrum, a corporate whistle-blower at a "disaster tourism" company is sent off to inspect one of the company's destinations, whose residents are desperate to keep the tourist dollars coming to their island.

The River at Night by Erica Ferencik

A grieving woman decides a rafting getaway in the Maine wilderness with her three best friends is the perfect antidote to her sadness, but a freak accident puts them at the mercy of the elements, and of the menacing strangers who purport to be their saviors.

Getaway by Zoje Stage

Similarly, in this psychological thriller set in the Grand Canyon, a woman recovering from trauma embarks on a hiking trip that's also a friendship reunion of sorts, until the friends realize they have a stalker on their trail.

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

This twist on a classic haunted house novel is enhanced by its setting, as a family vacation to a remote village in Monteperso, Italy, is accompanied by warnings from the local villagers to tread lightly in this place.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

Another haunted house tale, this one is set in an ancient Japanese mansion that a group of friends has selected as the perfect gathering place to reunite in celebration of an upcoming wedding—turns out there's a ghostly bride on site, too.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill

Set in the Arctic Circle in far northern Sweden, this horror novel (now a Netflix original film) is about four university friends on a reunion trip, who discover sinister portents in an ancient forest.

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Another book adapted for Netflix and a National Book Award finalist, about a family getaway to Long Island that turns apocalyptic.

The Troop by Nick Cutter

This old-school horror novel centers on a Scout troop on a weekend camping trip in the Canadian wilderness. What should be just ghost stories around the bonfire turns into something decidedly more deadly.

One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole

This one's not about a dream vacation, exactly, but what some people might view as a dream job in an evocative Gothic setting. A woman with dissociative identity disorder accepts a position as caretaker of a historic coastal estate. When a murder takes place, she's the prime suspect—and she and her multiple identities must crack the case.

Filed under Reading Lists

This article relates to The Unveiling. It first ran in the November 19, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.