Books Set in Cornwall: 12 Delightful and Exciting Tales
Do you love Cornwall, England as much as I do? Then these books set in Cornwall are perfect for you!
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier is my all-time favorite book because of the story and the vivid descriptions of the Cornish coast. Now, more than ever, I need an escape.
These 12 books offer the perfect escape to Cornwall, England. Transport yourself to this gorgeous place with any of the books below. You might even want to binge on more than one!
Looking for more books set at the beach or beach reading? Head to the Beach Read Hub.
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Books Set in Cornwall
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier
Bored housewife finds a hidden cove with pirate inhabitants. Adventure ensues.
A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware
This was my pick for our Reading Challenge. This romance is part historical fiction, part contemporary romance as Blythe Barton retreats to an estate in Cornwall after her high-profile divorce. Suddenly she can get glimpses into her ancestor’s past and the mystery of her disappearance. The winner for
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
A young girl is abandoned on a ship headed to Australia. When she arrives, the only thing in her possession is a suitcase with some clothes and a book of fairy tales. The dock master and his wife adopt Nell and tell her the story of her arrival in Australia on her 21st birthday. She goes back to England on a quest to find her lost identity.
Unsuccessful, her granddaughter later takes up the search and tried to assemble the pieces of her grandmother’s mystery and unlock the secrets of her past.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure maps, a boy on the edge of manhood and the most nefarious pirate in literature- Long John Silver.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The queen of gothic Cornwall novels strikes again. The second Mrs. DeWinter arrives at Manderlay shortly after her wedding and discovers the hold her predecessor still has over the estate. A mystery unfolds. A true literary classic.
If you love historical fiction check out our Ultimate List of Historical Fiction Books
The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
I read this book in only a few days because I loved it so much. This is another book that I read this month that is perfect for fans of Outlander.
After Eva’s sister dies, she heads back to Cornwall England to find peace and rest. What she discovers is more than she expects when she finds herself inexplicably back in time. As her heart begins to feel again, can she find a way to heal her broken heart and find love?
The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Two insane brothers, a dead sister and a double whodunnit.
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
An alternative telling of the tale of King Arthur, featuring the Lady of the Lake, Paganism vs. Christianity, and an epic struggle for power.
Merlin and the Lady of the Lake practice pagan witchcraft, as they try to keep the old ways alive against the new religion gaining popularity, the choices they make for Arthur’s kingdom inspire the tale we know so well.
The mini-series adaptation of this book is wonderful too and well worth the watch!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
A footnote in the story is Shell Cottage, where Ron and later Hermione and Harry stay to plot against Voldemort.
Ross Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall by Winston Graham
This Epic series of 12 books started in 1945 and wasn’t finished until 2002. It is also a hit series! When Ross Poldark return to England, things are not how he left them and he has to start his life over.
The Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
The Little Beach Street Bakery #1
Jenny Colgan is known for her heartwarming tales of self-discovery and this book is no different. Our main protagonist loses her job and her boyfriend and heads to Cornwall to lick her wounds.
Soon she finds love, a new job, and
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
Cornwall is the perfect setting for suspense in the style of Daphne Du Maurier. Inheritance is the center of this thriller.
You will be swept away by the hidden coves, secret caves, and overflowing gardens in these books. What literary places have stolen your heart and taken over your bookshelves?
