This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
My to-be-read pile is massive. I can't stop myself buying beautiful books. Yet, at the same time, I'm re-reading a Liz Fenwick novel. A novel about romance, about a family mystery and about the blue skies and emerald sea of Cornwall. It is my go-to comfort read. I just immerse myself in Liz's descriptions of the Cornish landscape and allow her words to soothe me.
So, this week, I thought I'd find out what other Cornish-based books are out there. Luckily, Liz Fenwick had already asked a number of authors to list their top three Cornish-based books on her blog. These are the ones that stood out for me. That is, besides Daphne du Maurier. Take it as read that she is on the list.
1. A Cornish Stranger by Liz Fenwick – Of course, I had to start with a Liz Fenwick novel. This one is waiting for me to pick it up, tempting me with its gorgeous blue of the sea cover. Gabriel moves into a remote waterside cabin in Frenchman's Creek when her grandmother, Jaunty, can no longer live on her own. Jaunty is haunted by past events, including the sinking of the Lancasteria. Then, a handsome stranger arrives with a mystery of his own to solve.
2. The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher – Based in London and Cornwall, this epic romance is set from World War Two to present day. It's the story of the Keeling family, three decades of their passions and heartbreak, with the thread of an oil painting called 'The Shell Seekers' tying them all together.
3. The Secrets Women Keep by Fanny Blake – Partially set in Cornwall as well as Tuscany, this is the story of Rose, whose world is thrown into disarray when she reads a text on her husband's phone: 'Miss you. Love you. Come back soon.' How well does Rose really know her husband, Daniel? Is he lying in other ways too?
4. The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley – It's a hot summer in August 1939. Five cousins are at their aunt's house for the last summer of their youth and the last summer before war breaks out.5. Escape for the Summer by Ruth Saberton – This gorgeous yellow and blue cover says: Three girls, three dreams and one Cornish holiday. Andi is betrayed, broken-hearted and redundant. Now single and in debt, a summer working in Rock seems very appealing. Angel, Andi's sister, wants to meet a man that can keep her in style. Rock seems the very place in which to do this. And Gemma, a disappointed actress, is hoping to win herself a role on a reality show being shot in Cornwall. Will the women get what they want this summer?
Do you have a favourite landscape to visit through fiction?