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This page lists crime novels and short story collections set wholly or partly in the English county of Cornwall.

His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes

Arthur Conan Doyle

John Murray

A collection of 8 stories. Published by John Murray in the UK and by George H. Doran Co in the US.

The contents are:

• Preface by John H. Watson M.D.
• The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge
• The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
• The Adventure of the Red Circle
• The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
• The Adventure of the Dying Detective
• The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax
• The Adventure of the Devil's Foot
• His Last Bow

Peril at End House

Agatha Christie

1932

A Hercule Poirot novel.

"Nick Buckley was an unusual name for a pretty young woman. But then she had led an unusual life. First, on a treacherous Cornish hillside, the brakes on her car failed. Then, on a coastal path, a falling boulder missed her by inches. Later, an oil painting fell and almost crushed her in bed. Upon discovering a bullet-hole in Nick's sun hat, Hercule Poirot decides the girl needs his protection. At the same time, he begins to unravel the mystery of a murder that hasn't been committed. Yet."

Enemy Unseen

Freeman Wills Crofts

1945

An Inspector French novel.

"A quiet Cornish village and its law abiding community are rocked by a series of strange events in the summer of 1943. While on a standard Home Guard training manoeuvre, Arthur Wedgewood discovers that supplies of explosives are missing from his stores. When the local police fail to take the necessary steps, Inspector French takes charge to untangle the threads of the crime perpetrated by an Enemy Unseen."

Skytip

Eliot Reed

1950

"Peter Ackland is ordered to rest by his Doctor. He travels to Cornwall and is greeted by Henry Braddock at the door of a cottage below the 'skytip'. Braddock has a revolver in his pocket. Ackland also comes across Nathan Murrison and his valet, who divide their time between exploring the 'skytip' and propping up the bar of the Green Dragon; a charming young lady who, on behalf of a Member of Parliament, tries her hand at burglary; other less charming characters who try their hand at blackmail; and a stage that is all set for murder."

Dead Water

Ngaio Marsh

1964

"Times are good in the Cornish village of Portcarrow, as hundreds flock to taste the healing waters of Pixie Falls. When Miss Emily Pride inherits this celebrated land, she wants to put an end to the villagers' exploitation of miracle cures, especially Miss Elspeth Cost's gift shop. But someone puts an end to Miss Cost, and Roderick Alleyn finds himself literally on the spot."

Poirot's Early Cases

Agatha Christie

1974

Hercule Poirot short stories.

"Hercule Poirot delighted in telling people that he was probably the best detective in the world. So turning back the clock to trace eighteen of the cases which helped establish his professional reputation was always going to be a fascinating experience. With his career still in its formative years, the panache with which Hercule Poirot could solve even the most puzzling mystery is obvious. Chronicled by his friend Captain Hastings, these eighteen early cases - from theft and robbery to kidnapping and murder - were all guaranteed to test Poirot’s soon-to-be-famous 'little grey cells' to their absolute limit."

• The Affair at the Victory Ball
• The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
• The Cornish Mystery
• The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
• The Double Clue
• The King of Clubs
• The Lemesurier Inheritance
• The Lost Mine
• The Plymouth Express
• The Chocolate Box
• The Submarine Plans
• The Third Floor Flat
• Double Sin
• The Market Basing Mystery
• Wasps' Nest
• The Veiled Lady
• Problem at Sea
• How Does Your Garden Grow?

The Ampersand Papers

Michael Innes

1978

A John Appleby novel.

"While Appleby is strolling along a Cornish beach, he narrowly escapes being struck by a body falling down a cliff. The body is that of Dr Sutch, an archivist, and he has fallen from the North Tower of Treskinnick Castle, home of Lord Ampersand. Two possible motivations present themselves to Appleby - the Ampersand gold, treasure from an Armada galleon; and the Ampersand papers, valuable family documents that have associations with Wordsworth and Shelley."

The Sting of Death

Jessica Mann

1978

"Two worlds collide: one is the tranquil landscape of Grebe Bay in South Cornwall. The other belongs to international terrorist killers. Grebe has disagreements of its own. These range from rival claims to inheritance to the protection of the Large Blue Butterfly. A clash is in progress between ‘simple-life’ preservationists and some casual exploiters. But when an unidentified body is found drowned in the bay, international conflict becomes a local issue. "

A Bird in the Hand

Ann Cleeves

1986

A George and Molly Palmer-Jones novel.

"Young Tom French was found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom had put the village of Rushy on the birdwatching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they? George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher who decided quietly to look into the brutal crime, discovered mixed feelings aplenty. Still, he remained baffled by a deed that could have been motivated by thwarted love, pure envy, or something else altogether. But as he and his fellow "twitchers" flocked from Norfolk to Scotland to the Scilly Isles, in response to rumours of rare sightings, George-with help from his lovely wife, Molly-gradually discerned the true markings of a killer. All he had to do was prove it . . . before the murderer strikes again."

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Sea Fever

Ann Cleeves

1991

A George and Molly Palmer-Jones novel.

"Even if there had been no murder, the last trip of a small band of dedicated bird-watchers aboard the Jessie Ellen would still have been news. For George Palmer-Jones and the other avid crew members achieve every bird-watcher's dream when they sight a sea bird which has never before been recorded. In the subsequent excitement, however, no one notices the sudden absence of the most fanatical birder of them all . . . Later, Greg Franks' corpse, the head bludgeoned, is found floating in the sea. Had it not been for Greg Franks, amateur detective George Palmer-Jones would not have been on the bird watching trip in Cornwall in the first place. He had been hired by Greg Franks' anxious parents to try and persuade their errant son to return home. George would have turned the case down flat but the offer of a free weekend's bird watching was too tempting to resist. Now, he must unhappily shoulder the burden of finding why the young man had been murdered."

Faith Hope and Homicide

Jessica Mann

1991

A Tamara Hoyland novel.

"Former undercover agent Tamara Hoyland thinks she’s left murder and mayhem behind when she retires from the British government’s secret department E to return full time to archaeological work. When a botanist Louise Dench, is found dead, apparently by suicide, Tamara wants to believe that her boy-friend, Louise’s colleague, isn’t involved. But he had a motive; he and Louise were fighting over the publication of ground-breaking discoveries made during the Brazilian expedition where Waugh mysteriously met his death. It had been funded by the Grail Foundation, and it is in its fortress on the north Cornish coast that the dangerous truth is revealed ."

A Private Inquiry

Jessica Mann

1996

"Barbara Pomeroy led a busy life as a Planning Inspector but when an anonymous caller threatens the life of her son, Toby, her world is thrown into disarray. With his mother often away from their home in St. Ives, Cornwall, Toby is cared for by his retired father and his glamorous new friend,  Clarissa Trelawny, who  soon becomes Toby’s surrogate mum. When  Clarissa is murdered, the shocked little community must find the killer. Could Barbara have killed Clarissa in a jealous rage? Who was the fancily named Clarissa Trelawny anyway? And is there a link between the murder and the sinister telephone threat? "

Hanging Fire

Jessica Mann

1997

"Tess Redpath has been with The Argus nearly all her working life. But within minutes of meeting the paper’s new proprietor, she is out of a job. Tess had been working on the anniversary coverage of a horrific cult massacre in the USA, and on the tragic suicide of a feminist icon. Trying to drag herself back from despair Tess decides to work as a freelance on the stories she has already started. Some strange connections begin to appear, particularly in Cornwall where Tess comes from. When her flat is ransacked and set on fire Tess  begins to realise she has stumbled on something dangerous, sinister and huge ."

Goldengrove Unleaving

Jill Paton Walsh

1997

"Once a year cousins Madge and Paul visit Goldengrove, their grandmother's idyllic Cornish home. But one year as Summer turns to Autumn and as they are drawn from childhood to maturity, their seemingly indomitable grandmother turns to Winter, and the precious moments of innocence begin to be leached away... Years later Madge, now living at Goldengrove, reflects on her own grandchildren and the events and revelations which disturbed the tranquill idyll that was her childhood."

The Serpentine Cave

Jill Paton Walsh

1997

"When Marion's mother is silenced, first by a stroke, and then by death, she is left confronting the chaotic detritus of a life obsessively devoted to art. she has left it too late to ask the crucial questions about scenes confusedly remembered from her childhood, and above all about the identity of her own father, 'lost in the war'. Out of the hundreds of paintings in her mother's studio, one, a portrait of a young man, is inscribed 'For Marion'. Is this her father? And who was he? Marion's search takes her to the Cornish town of St Ives. In the remote and closeknit town where communities of fisherfolk and artists have coexisted for many years, she learns of a tragedy which is intrinsically tied up with her father's life. Over fifty years before, the St Ives lifeboat went down with all hands bar one. Marion must delve deep into the past to discover the identity of a man she never knew,a nd in so doing confront the demons which have tortured her own adult life."

Death on the Rocks

Eric Wright

1999

A Lucy Trimble Brenner novel.

"When private detective Lucy Trimble is retained by Greta Golden to find the identity of the ominous lurking stranger who Greta is certain is following her, it doesn't appear to be too challenging a mystery. Lucy has no trouble learning who her client's pursuer is: a British investigator has been engaged to probe into Greta's life. But the question of what he is trying to discover about Greta, and why, begins to truly complicate the case. This revelation soon opens up further questions about Greta's own identity and, more specifically, the identities of her mother and father. Lucy's investigation leads her to Cornwall, England, where there still live witnesses to Greta's birth and her father's death. Lucy slowly begins to put the fragments of the puzzle together, but it is only when Greta joins Lucy in England that she is able to find the missing piece, and begins to confront her own rapidly evolving and more complicated personal life."

Under a Dark Sun

Jessica Mann

2000

"When Victoria agreed to be the executor of her Aunt Elena’s will she thought it would be a simple task. But as she gradually uncovers the truth about a long hidden act of vengeance, Victoria is led to question the rights and wrongs of retribution, as well as her own relationship with the family whose influence has overshadowed her life. A compelling novel of secrets and betrayal, it reaches a thrilling climax on August 11th, 1999, as the total eclipse of the sun darkens the Cornish sky."

Days Without Number

Robert Goddard

2003

"Nick Paleologus is summoned to resolve a dispute that threatens to tear his family apart. His father, Michael, is a retired archaeologist and supposed descendant of the last Emperors of Byzantium. Michael has received a hugely generous offer for the family home in Cornwall, but refuses to sell - and refuses to divulge why. But soon the stalemate between Nick's siblings and their father is tragically broken. And only then do they discover why their father was bound to protect the house at all costs. Their desperate efforts to conceal the truth drag them into a deadly conflict with an unseen and unknown enemy. Soon, Nick realises the only chance they have of escaping from their persecutor's trap is to hunt this ruthless adversary down. But the hunt involves excavating a terrible secret from their father's past. And once that secret is known, nothing will ever be the same again."

The Lighthouse

P.D. James

2005

An Adam Dalgleish novel.

"Combe Island off the Cornish coast has a bloodstained history of piracy and cruelty but now, privately owned, it offers respite to over-stressed men and women in positions of high authority who require privacy and guaranteed security. But the peace of Combe is violated when one of the distinguished visitors is bizarrely murdered. Adam Dalgliesh is called in to solve the mystery quickly and discreetly, but at a difficult time for him and his depleted team. Dalgliesh is uncertain about his future with Emma Lavenham, the woman he loves, Detective Inspector Kate Miskin has her own emotional problems and the ambitious Anglo-Indian Sergeant Francis Benton-Smith is worried about working under Kate. Hardly have the team begun to unravel the complicated motives of the suspects that there is a second brutal killing and the whole investigation is jeopardised when Dalgliesh is faced with a danger more insidious and as potentially fatal as murder."

Darkness and Light

John Harvey

2006

A Frank Elder novel

"A phone call intrudes on retired Detective Inspector Frank Elder’s solitary life in Cornwall. It’s his estranged wife and she needs a favour. A friend’s sister, Claire Meecham, an unassuming widow in her fifties, has gone missing. Elder agrees to return to Nottingham to try and track her down. Then Claire is found, dead. The killer has arranged her body meticulously, almost lovingly, forcing Elder to remember another dead woman, arranged in an almost identical way. It was his first case with the Serious Crimes Unit. His first case and never solved. It’s clear to Elder that this is the work of the same unbalanced individual and, to find the killer, Elder must shine a light into the darkest recesses of human behaviour, the dark and twisted recesses of a disturbed human mind."

The Mystery Writer

Jessica Mann

2006

"In 1940, two boys from Cornwall, one the heir to an estate called Goonzoyle, the other the gardener’s son, are on board a ship full of evacuees travelling to safety in America. When their ship is torpedoed, only one survives. Six decades later, a rich widow who was the sister of one the boys, buys the estate and begins to investigate what actually happened when SS The City of Benares was sunk – and why human bones have been found buried at Goonzoyle ."

Angel with Two Faces

Nicola Upson

2009

A Josephine Tey novel.

"Inspector Archie Penrose invites Josephine Tey down to his family home in Cornwall so she can recover from the traumatic events depicted in An Expert in Murder. Josephine welcomes the opportunity, especially since Archie's home is near the famous Minack open-air theatre perched on the cliffs overlooking the sea. However, Josephine's hopes of experiencing a period of rest are dashed when her arrival coincides with the funeral of a young man from the village who had drowned when his horse inexplicitly leapt into the nearby lake. When another young man disappears and the village's curate falls from the cliffs of the Minack Theatre onto the rocks below, Josphine and Archie begin to suspect the involvement a cold-blooded murderer. As Josephine and Archie try to unravel the mystery, they begin to see death as an angel with two faces - one gazing at the violence in the present, the other looking back to the crimes hidden in the past."

Far Cry

John Harvey

2009

"Ruth and Simon Pierce's rare romantic break is shattered by devastating news: their daughter, Heather, on holiday in Cornwall with a friend's family, has disappeared. The loss is more than they - or their marriage - can bear. But time does heal and slowly Ruth builds a new life for herself. A new husband, Andrew - even a second daughter, Beatrice. The chances that history could repeat itself are next-to-impossible - that is until, years later, a desperate phone call launches DI Will Grayson and his partner, DS Helen Walker, into an investigation which will test their professional and emotional resources to the very limit. Yet as Grayson becomes increasingly obsessed with a recently released child-abuser and Helen is drawn deeper into a destructive love affair with a married colleague, there is a real danger that their most demanding investigation yet will slip fatefully through their hands."

Blotto, Twinks and the Dead Dowager Duchess

Simon Brett

2010

A Blotto and Twinks novel.

"The extremely aristocratic but extremely thick Blotto and his extremely brainy sister Twinks are attending a weekend house party when the inevitable happens. Their hostess, the Dowager Duchess of Melmont, is murdered. An amateur detective, conveniently staying for the weekend, deduces that the Lyminster family chauffeur Corky Froggett must have done it. For Blotto and Twinks, the only way to prove Corky's innocence is by finding the real perpetrator. So begins the second investigation for the daring duo... one which takes them via an opium den in Limehouse, a Scottish castle and a disused Cornish tin mine, to a thrilling final confrontation at the nerve-centre of the evil League of the Crimson Hand."

Sherlock Holmes and the Swedish Enigma

Barry Grant

2011

"A corpse in a sarcophagus, a headless macaw, and a stolen slice of Black Forest gateau alert Sherlock Holmes to a macabre international crime in progress, and lead him through London's backstreets to the gloomy moors of Cornwall. People vanish, Greek statues vanish. Even Holmes vanishes - to the distress of his companion, James Wilson, whose emails and text messages go unanswered. But Holmes is in top form, fully recovered from his journey through ice to the twenty-first century and ready to reveal a multitude of secrets."

Good Bait

John Harvey

2012

"When a seventeen-year-old Moldovan boy is found dead on Hampstead Heath, the case falls to DCI Karen Shields and her overstretched Homicide & Serious Crime team. Karen knows she needs a result. What she doesn't know is that her new case is tied to a much larger web of gang warfare and organised crime which infiltrates almost every aspect of London society. Several hundred miles away In Cornwall, DI Trevor Cordon is stirred from his day-to-day duties by another tragic London fatality. Travelling to the capital, Cordon becomes entangled in a lethally complex situation of his own. A situation much closer to Karen's case than either of them can imagine."

Panic Room

Robert Goddard

2018

"High on a Cornish cliff sits a vast uninhabited mansion. Uninhabited except for Blake, a young woman of mysterious background, currently acting as housesitter. The house has a panic room. Cunningly concealed, steel lined, impregnable - and apparently closed from within. Even Blake doesn’t know it’s there. She’s too busy being on the run from life, from a story she thinks she’s escaped. But her remote existence is going to be threatened when people come looking for the house’s owner, rogue pharma entrepreneur, Jack Harkness. Soon people with questionable motives will be asking Blake the sort of questions she can’t - or won’t - want to answer."