I love Tuesdays in book blogger land.  Why?  Because that's when my favorite weekly meme happens!  If you haven't participated in Top Ten Tuesday before, you really should.  It's a fun way to grow your TBR list (because you can NEVER have too many books in the queue—ha ha), find fabulous new book blogs, and spread the comment love.  To join in, click on over to The Broke and the Bookish for some easy instructions, then have a great time hopping all over the book blogosphere!

Not surprisingly, today's prompt has to do with summer reading.  In fact, it's a Summer Reads Freebie.  I've mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of heat and summer.  I live in a suburb of Phoenix, so I basically spend 9 months out of the year hibernating inside my house with the air conditioning cranked down as low as it can go.  I do, however, love the beach.  Not so much its bright, sunny side; it's dark, dreary beach days that I love.  My list today reflects that preference.

Top Ten Moody, Broody Beach Reads:


1. Almost anything by Peter May—Many of May's novels are set by the sea.  My favorites are Entry Island and his Lewis Trilogy.


 2. The Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths—Ruth is a forensic archaeologist who lives near the sea in Norfolk.  She solves all kinds of mysteries, most (all?) of which boast moody, broody beach settings.  Start with The Crossing Places.


3. The Jess Tennant series by Jane Casey— This YA mystery/suspense series by Irish crime writer Casey is set on the English coast, where there's plenty of blustery atmosphere to be had.  Start with How to Fall.


4.  Almost anything by Kate Morton—Morton is one of my all-time favorite authors.  Many (most?) of her novels are set near water of some kind or another.  My favorites are The Lake House and The Secret Keeper although I've loved all her books.


5.  The Edge of the Earth by Christina Schwarz—This novel, about a newlywed couple who impulsively decide to take a job tending a lighthouse on a remote California island, is the only one on my list that is set wholly in the U.S.


 6.  Broadchurch by Erin Kelly—Based on a popular English tv miniseries, this novel is all kinds of moody/broody.


7.  Shetland series by Ann Cleeves—This mystery series is set in the Shetland Islands, an unforgiving landscape that lends a dramatic air to each story.  Start with Raven Black.


8.  At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen—I loved this dreary novel about a trio of disgraced American socialites who go Lochness Monster hunting in the Scottish Highlands on a lark—and get a lot more than they bargained for.


 9.  The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne—This eerie suspense story will keep you turning pages all night long.


10.  Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton—This twisty thriller is set in the Falkland Islands, another harsh landscape that lends a dramatic backdrop to a gripping story.

So, that's my twist on this week's topic.  What's yours?  Do you have any favorite books that I should add to my list?  Leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!