Travel nightmare mysteries and thrillers

 
The season of holiday travel is upon us, and whoever coined the phrase “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey” was never sandwiched between two large men on a 747 while it bounced around like a kernel in a popcorn maker. No matter how you’re travelling this holiday season, just remember: It could be worse. These mysteries and thrillers that revolve around trains, planes, and cars will make your travel nightmare seem like a walk in the park – or (even better) may distract you from it altogether!

Of course, there’s no mystery-on-the-move that’s more classic than Murder on the Orient Express. Agatha Christie’s chilling novel of suspense finds detective Hercule Poirot on a train from Istanbul to London when he must investigate a murder on board. One of the most famous whodunits of all time and the most popular mystery in the Hercule Poirot series, Murder on the Orient Express will how you how even the most luxurious trip can be wrought with peril.

If you have a fear of flying, these next travel nightmare thrillers are definitely not for you – or for the feint of heart. In Fatal Voyage, Kathy Reichs continues her popular Temperance Brennan series with a mystery of atmospheric proportions. When a jetliner goes down in the North Carolina mountains, the forensic anthropologist heads to the scene as part of a DMORT team. What she discovers when she arrives may lead to her to uncover secrets as old as the hills themselves. Michael Crichton’s Airframe is equally chilling – when a pilot requesting immediate landing also requests 40 ambulances on arrival. What happened on board Flight TPA 545 will have you turn the pages at the speed of a jet engine.

Travelling by car may cut down on delays, but it can increase your travel time and your anxiety level when screaming kids and poor conditions set in. If your car trip has you feeling like you’re on the road to hell, check out Carl Hiaasen’s Skink—No Surrender. Longlisted for the 2014 National Book Award, the crazy car caper follows Classic Malley as she skips town to avoid being sent to boarding school. With a guy she met on the internet riding shotgun, she’ll have to dodge bullets, storms, and of course, Wild Skink – the crazy guy trying to track her down.

No matter how you’re getting there this holiday season, let’s all hope your journey pales in comparison to the travel nightmare woes in these mysteries. Safe travels – and happy reading!