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!
*This Cornwall Books Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you.
This post fulfills a prompt for the 2024 reading challenge! It’s not too late to join!
Books Set in Cornwall
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 boyfriend, so she heads to Cornwall to lick her wounds.
Soon, with the help of a charming seaside community and a cute little bakery, she’s back on her feet. Throughout her time in Cornwall, she finds love, a new job, and
Why I Like it: Like all of Colgan’s books, the community takes the book to another level. These characters come to life creating a town I wish was real!
Find this book in Bakery Romance Books / Jenny Colgan Books in Order / Seaside Books
Gigi, Listening by Chantel Guertin
This book about books is such a sweet romance. It’s all about Gigi, a bookstore owner who has a massive crush on the audiobook narrator of her favorite book, Zane. While she’s never met him, she’s so drawn to his voice that she just knows they should be together.
When her book club learns that Zane is leading a 10-day tour through England, they buy her a ticket and send her on her way. But Zane is delayed in running the tour, so she strikes up a friendship with the hunky bus driver in the meantime.
I love the love triangle set up in this book set in Cornwall. I also loved the other tour group passengers and their secondary stories.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
I was a fan of Ware’s hit novel Woman in Cabin 10. I thought it was a unique story and I was anxious to try another of her books. Cornwall is the perfect setting for suspense in the style of Daphne Du Maurier.
This book is dark and gothic and the perfect thriller for a list of books for fall. The premise is that a girl is mistaken for the relative of a recently deceased woman and she goes to the estate to try to capitalize on the error. Obviously, things are not what they seemed.
Fantasy Cornwall Books
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling
If you have read the entire Harry Potter series, you will know that by the time the 7th year comes around, it is nothing like Harry’s first year.
Death Eaters have taken over the school and have taken to using unforgivable curses on some of the students as punishment. If this is not a dark academia novel then I don’t know what is!
A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware
This was my pick for our Reading Challenge. It’s a reread for me, but I’ve always loved Cornwall, so much so that we have a whole list of books set in Cornwall. 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 Mists of Avalon by
Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
Year: 2020
Genre: Historical Fantasy
More info: Locus Award Winner
Spice Rating:đź’‹đź’‹đź’‹
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This is a fairy tale retelling of the story 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 adult fantasy book is wonderful too and well worth the watch!
Why Kirsten loves it
This was my first high fantasy book series, which I routinely think about. I read it in middle school (which I absolutely shouldn’t have) and devoured this tome in days. It captivated my imagination unlike anything I had ever read before.
Find this book in: Books Set in Cornwall / Fairy Tale Retellings / Lake Books / Witch Books
Historical Fiction Novels Set in Cornwall
This book is my favorite book of all time. After reading Du Maurier’s Rebecca, I was eager to read more of her novels. At the time, my grandparents had a home in a Florida enclave by the same name so I picked it up and read it.
Only after I fell in love with this tale of
Find this book in Kirsten’s Favorites, Books set in Cornwall, Pirate Books, Classic Romance Novels
The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Year: 2011
Genre: Magical Realism
Age Range: 16+
Plot
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. She finds herself falling in love with Daniel Butler, a man who lived in the eighteenth century.
As her heart begins to feel again, can she find a way to heal her broken heart and find love? Can she live between two times? This is a wonderful time travel romance book that you will want to read again and again.
Why Kirsten loves it
I read this book set in Cornwall in only a few days because I loved it so much. This is another book that I read this month that is the perfect pick for books like Outlander.
Why Jackie loves it
This historical romance book was such a quick read for me because I loved the plot and characters. I felt invested in Eva’s story and wanted her to get a happy ending.
Find this book in: Books Like Outlander / Books Like A Discovery of Witches / Time Travel Romance Books / The Best Historical Romance Novels
Plot
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 tries to assemble the pieces of her grandmother’s mystery and unlock the secrets of her past.
Trigger Warnings
Child Death, Infertility
Why Kirsten loves it
I was swept away by this story and found myself dreaming of Cornwall while reading. This gothic fiction is a perfect book for fall.
Find this book in: Kate Morton Books / Cozy Books / Family Saga / Books set in Cornwall / Historical Mystery / British Books / Best Cozy Mystery Books
Classic Books about Cornwall
Rebecca
Author: Daphne Du Maurier
Year: 1938
Genre: Thriller
More info: National Book Award Winner, 1938
Anthony Award Winner, 2000
Age Range: 14+
Plot
The OG psychological thriller book, Rebecca is a book set in Cornwall that will leave you checking behind you when you walk down a dark hallway.
The new Mrs. de Winter is haunted by her husband’s first wife, Rebecca. The deceit will have you second-guessing everything you read while you yell at the pages. It is a chilling novel about a naive second wife discovering the truth behind the wife who came before her.
The Netflix book adaptation stars Lily James and it reignited this popular thriller book’s success. If you have not read this book, it is a perfect book for fall.
Why Kirsten loves it
One of the most acclaimed psychological thriller authors, Daphne Du Maurier is at her best in this chilling psychological thriller. Everything about this gothic thriller will make you feel a little bit uncomfortable. I love Du Maurier and I have read this classic more than once.
Why Jackie loves it
I was at least 50 pages into this book when I called Kirsten and asked if I would ever learn the new Mrs. De Winter’s name. The fact that the main character remains nameless throughout the book adds to the thrill of the book. It is a classic that everyone should read at least once.
Find this book in: Best Mystery Novels / Popular Thriller Books / Unreliable Narrator Books / Best Classic Books / British Books / Best Psychological Thriller Books
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
This swashbuckling tale of piracy and treasure is perfect for children and adults alike. Long John Silver is quite a scary villain, whose legacy lives on in Halloween costumes everywhere.
One-legged, parrot-wearing, map-loving pirates everywhere can thank Robert Louis Stevenson for the inspiration. Why not read this book set in Cornwall to your little buccaneer at bedtime?
Find this book in Pirate Books / Best Classic Books / Books Set in Cornwall
Ross Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall by Winston Graham
This epic series of 12 books set in Cornwall 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 Adventure of the Devil’s Foot by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
While on vacation in Cornwall, Sherlock Holmes encounters a case he can’t stay out of! Two insane brothers, a dead sister, and a double whodunnit.
This is the shortest story on our list of Cornwall Books
