Books Set in Cornwall
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!
The Best Books Set in Cornwall
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre of novels set in Cornwall. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
Best Contemporary Fiction Book Set in Cornwall
Little Beach Street Bakery- Click here to see the review and read more books in the category
Best Fantasy Book Set in Cornwall
Deathly Hallows – Click here to see the review and read more books in the category
Best Historical Fiction Book Set in Cornwall
Frenchman’s Creek – Click here to see the review and read more books in the category
Best Classic Book Set in Cornwall
Rebecca- Click here to see the review and read more books in the category
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Contemporary Fiction Books Set in Cornwall
The Little Beach Street Bakery
Author: Jenny Colgan
Year: 2014
Genre: Fiction
More info: The Little Beach Street Bakery #1
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
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 Kirsten loves 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 / Books set at the Beach
Gigi, Listening
Author: Chantel Guertin
Year: 2023
Genre: Romance
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This is sweet romance is 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.
Trigger Warnings
Grief
Why Jackie loves it
I love the love triangle set up in this book. I also loved the other tour group passengers and their secondary stories.
Find this book in: Books Set in Cornwall / Books About Books
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
Author: Ruth Ware
Year: 2018
Genre: Mystery Thriller
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
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. 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.
Why Kirsten loves it
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 fall.
Find this book in: Books Set in Cornwall
Daisy Darker: A Novel
Author: Alice Feeney
Year: 2022
Genre: Thriller
More info: Instant New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Daisy’s family is gathering for Nan’s birthday on a tiny, private, tidal island after not seeing each other for years. When the tide comes in, they will be cut off from everybody for 8 hours.
When Nana’s body is found dead with a creepy poem written on the wall beside her, they each begin to suspect each other- after all, one of them is a murderer. Soon, everybody’s secrets start to come out as the members of the family die one at a time.
Why Jackie loves it
This book had me guessing until the very end and definitely has the feeling of “And Then There Were None”. In the true Alice Feeney style, I had no idea what was going to happen next so, I stopped trying to guess so I could just enjoy the thrill of the ride.
Find this book in: Isolation Books / Locked Room Mystery / Books With Flowers in the Title
Fantasy Books Set in Cornwall
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author: J. K. Rowling
Year: 2007
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
More info: Harry Potter #7
Age Range: 9 – 12
Plot
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!
Trigger Warnings
Death, Violence
Why Kirsten likes it
While the conclusion was epic, this was not my favorite book in the series. I think it drags in the middle a little bit, but the epilogue wraps up the series nicely.
Why Jackie loves it
I felt elated at the ending and devastated that the series was over. It took me 10 years to read these books and when I finished the last page, I was so sad to say goodbye to the characters and the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
Thankfully, this last book was just the beginning of what would become an empire. Whether you watched the movies, have visited Universal Studios, plan to watch the TV show or none of the above; I think that these books have opened up the world of books to an entire generation of readers.
Find this book in: Books Set in Cornwall / Dark Academia Books
A Cottage by the Sea
Author: Ciji Ware
Year: 1996
Genre: Romance
More info: Time Slip #1
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
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.
Why Kirsten loves it
The winner for
Find this book in: Books Set in Cornwall / British Books
The Mists of Avalon by
Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
Year: 2020
Genre: Historical Fantasy
More info: Locus Award Winner
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
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
Plot
This tale of Lady Dona St Columb has escaped to Cornwall in search of adventure and a change of scenery. There, she meets a band of thieving pirates and quickly falls for the captain. Will she give up everything to be with him and live a life of adventure, or will she let the calls of motherhood bring her back home?
Trigger Warnings
Infidelity
Why Kirsten loves it
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 did I learn that it was the namesake for their Florida home. It captured my imagination in the best way.
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 / Books With Flowers in the Title
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
Plot
In this classic story, Jim Hawkins is on his way to adventure – and treasure. When he gets to the locale of his quest, he encounters Long John Silver – one of the most famous villains in literature.
Why Kirsten loves it
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 / Best Books for 10-year-olds
More Books Set in Cornwall
Expert Tip
Are you trying to pick a book set in another country? This is the perfect way to get away. Books set in Cornwall are perfect for you if
- You are in the mood for something gothic
- You love a book set by the sea
- You are nostalgic for some very readable classics
Related Content
Epilogue
Which of these Cornwall books do you like best?
