The Beach Read Murders (2025 Lifetime Movie)
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Cast: Christie Leverette, Rob Mayes, Colton Tapp
Director: Damián Romay
Writer(s): Hilty Bowen
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Lifetime)
Usually, best-selling novelist Jen only writes about murder, romance, and mystery, but when she retreats to her island bungalow for peace and inspiration, her own life soon becomes as deadly, steamy, and twisty as one of her beach reads.
Recap/Wine Thoughts
Jen walks on the beach in broad daylight and is chased and strangled by a man in a hoodie, but don’t worry, she is just using her imagination. Jen is a writer struggling with writer’s block. She posts on social media that she is thriving on the beach, but in reality, she is going through a divorce, selling her dream home, and behind on her pages for her latest beach read.
Roman, Jen’s soon-to-be husband, wants 50% of Jen’s earnings and is living with his new girlfriend, Carly, in their apartment. Jen and her lawyer, Portia, don’t want to fight dirty, but they will have to take action because Jen is getting the short end of the stick.
While Jen jogs, she runs through beach murders in her head. The juxtaposition of the grisly scenes in her mind and the sunny environments is jarring and puts Jen in a weird headspace. Jen thinks a man is following her and uses a docking anchor to defend herself, but gets caught in the rope. A handsome stranger, Logan, played by TV movie bad boy Rob Mayes, helps Jen untangle herself and laughs about the dangers of boating.
Jen goes through her fan mail that Roman has been hoarding and finds one that simply reads. “YOU’RE GOING TO PAY!!” (I wish it had used the wrong your.) Jen vents to her friend/the town bookstore owner Susannah.
Susannah is planning a book signing event and asks Jen if she wants to cancel, but Jen says the letter is just from a hater. Susannah offers to hire her on-again/off-again cop boyfriend (and now fiancé) for security. Jen isn’t a fan of Payson because he has treated Susannah bad in the past. Susannah says she is not a character in one of Jen’s books and NEEDS a man. (I feel you, Susannah!)
Carly and Roman play house in Jen’s apartment. They have a clapper!!!!!!!!???? Wow. Roman can’t sleep and calls Jen to check on her and the house. While they talk, someone takes pictures of Jen with a long-range lens.
At the book signing, the bookstore owner, Nora, handles the mob of fans seamlessly. Jen signs a book as a thank you, and Nora talks about her twin sister, who was a big fan of hers. WAS being the operative word because Ava died a year ago and was an aspiring thriller writer. Jen reads the unfinished manuscript and offers some suggestions. They work together to finish the book. (Which could help Jen get over her writer’s block!) Jen quickly renege on her offer because she is too overwhelmed.
The photographer is back, lurking outside, taking pictures of Jen. Jen grabs some driftwood and goes outside to beat his ass. It turns out to be Logan from he dock. He was hired by Roman as a PI to keep an eye on Jen. She tells him to keep his distance and not to tell Roman she caught him, because he will hire someone competent. (BURN! Haha, love that.)
Nora isn’t taking no for an answer and brings over truffles with words of encouragement to Jen. She goes for the hard sell, but Jen shuts her down. Jen just doesn’t have the bandwidth, and Nora is clearly disappointed. (and maybe Angry, but it is hard to tell because she is so mousey.) Nora starts following Jeb around and generally being creepy. Someone slashes Jen’s tires in the night, and Jen suspects Nora.
Jen tries to flip the script and trails Nora around town. Cop Payton stops Jen and tells her to just be happy for him and Suzannah. Jen is like, “Hello, I’m doing some light stalking, leave me alone.”
Logan helps Jen change her tire and offers to check the area’s security cameras to see if Nora was behind the tire slashing. He is using his PI skills for good now! Yay! This doesn’t stop the spooky things from happening at night, and Jen hears someone outside her house shattering her floodlight. She goes outside and looks around, and the intruder runs right by her.
Cop Payton takes Jen’s story and verifies Nora’s whereabouts; she was with a customer in the bookstore. Nora does show up to a house showing and wants to buy Jen’s house. Jen is like, “Absolutely not.”
Everyone is worried about Jen, and Roman discovers that Nora’s sister was killed in an abusive relationship. Nora approaches Jen on the beach and confronts her. Through tears, Nora tells Jen the percentage of domestic violence victims who are killed while trying to leave is 75%. (This stat is heartbreaking!) Nora blames Jen for giving Ava false hope. Jen throws a book at Nora and literally runs away.
Jen goes to the open house for safety. There, Susannah is showing the house and eats some of the truffles. They have soy sauce in them, and Susannah has a gluten allergy and collapses. Susannah will be fine, but Jen is convinced it was intentional. That is, until Nora is found dead on the beach.
Cop Payson arrests Jen and interrogates her until her lawyer shows up and busts her out of there. Payson makes a home visit later, and Jen hides from him.
Roman and Jen make a video for social media announcing their separation. Then he doolishly goes in for a kiss. Jen tells him that he just wants what he can’t have. Carly is also upset with Roman because there is a secret account with money that he has been hiding. When they fight, Roman accidentally calls Carly, “Jen.” (That pretty much says it all!)
Jen calls Logan to come over and talk. He is a good listener and has been reading Jen’s books. Logan fixes some things around his house and spends the night??? They at least make out. The honeymoon is short-lived when Jen sees pictures on Logan’s camera of Payson having an affair and steping out on Susannah. Susannah explains that she is in an open relationship and doesn’t want Jen’s judgment.
Roman watches Jen from the window and is knocked out from behind. Jen also gets messages on her social media that lead her to think someone is reenacting scenes from her latest book.
Logan notices something while reviewing footage on his camera and calls Portia to talk to a lawyer. They meet at the dock, and while Logan is waiting, he finds Roman knocked out in his car. Someone comes up behind him and holds him at gunpoint.
Jen rushes to the dock after realizing Portia has been orchestrating things right before her eyes. Portia slashed the tires, smashed the flood lights, and killed Nora. Portia shoots Jen, and she falls to the dock. Then we see it is just Jen working through a scenario. It doesn’t quite add up.
Jen goes to the dock for REAL this time, and Roman wakes up from the car. Portia is unconscious in the sand. Roman and Jen help her up, and Carly literally comes out of the woodwork. Carly is tired of living in Jen’s shadow.
Roman and Carly struggle over the gun, and it goes off, shooting Roman in the stomach. Jen and Portia jump on a boat to get away and find Roman tied up and gagged. They untie him, but Carly also jumps on the bus and pistol whips Logan, and he falls off the boat.
Jen eventually just pushes Carly overboard, and Payson shows up on the scene. He finds evidence that links Carly to the murder. Payson apologizes to Jen, and they reach a mutual understanding. Jen pays her final respects to Nora and Ava.
Later, Logan and Jen celebrate her finishing her next book, a memoir about all this crazy stuff that happened to her. The end!
STRAY Thoughts
This is the second movie to rely on matches as a plot point? Am I missing something? I thought we all just had lighters now.
Stacked cast didn’t disappoint, but where were my shirtless hunks? We ARE at the beach after all.
The domestic abuse storyline was very compelling and informative. Thank you for that, classic Lifetime
Overall rating
Number of Kills: 🔪🔪 (2 knives)
Lifetime Tropes: Breakup/Divorce, BFFs, Abusive Relationships,
Enjoyment Level (1-5 scale)
🍷🍷🍷🍷 (4 Glasses of Wine)
Should you watch it?
Pour it Up (Give it a shot!)
Put a Cork in It (Skip It!)
What did you think of t e movie? Let me know in the comments or on social media at @LifetimeUncorked and @patrickmiguel.
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*Photo Credit: © 2025 A&E Television Networks, LLC
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