Murder Mystery weekends are quite the thing aren’t they? You head off to a scenic location to solve a fake murder, it’s almost like being inside a book and is a great way to spend a few days, and so we’re taking that as our inspiration for our next literary road trip!

First we need a scenic location, so we’re choosing the West Country, always the perfect holiday destination and a popular destination in many murder/mystery novels. The great thing is, I’ve chosen this selection from prolific authors, so if you like one, you may have a new favourite author to read the back catalogue for too!

Dorset

The Skull Beneath the Skin – P. D James

P.D James was the grandmother of mystery, and The Skull Beneath the Skin doesn’t disappoint. This 1982 detective novel is set on the imaginary Courcy Island, Dorset but while the island doesn’t exist outside the book, you are still offered some great imagery of this beautiful county.

The Skull Beneath the Skin US
The Skull Beneath the Skin UK

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Somerset

Gone Away – Hazel Holt

An estate agent goes missing from her Somerset hometown, and her friend, Sheila Mallory looks into the crime, giving us the first book in the prolific Mrs Malory investigates series.

Gone Away US
Gone Away UK

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Cornwall

Name to a Face – Robert Goddard

Goddard is well known for writing gripping thrillers, in a career spanning more than 20 years. This tale of intrigue and murder spanning events of 300 years will have you on the edge of your seat.

Name to a Face US
Name to a Face UK

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Devon

And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie

This murder mystery, set on an Island off the Devon coast is, by many, considered to be Christie’s finest work and has never been out of print since November 1939 (though it has seen a name change to keep up with the times).

And Then There Were None US
And Then There Were None UK

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Wiltshire

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time – Mark Haddon

I’m breaking with tradition for Wiltshire because The Curious Incident definitely isn’t a traditional mystery novel, but it is a mystery and it’s a compelling read!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time US
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time UK

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Gloucestershire

The Eight of Swords – John Dickson Carr

The Eight of Swords features detective Gideon Fell, the lead character in a series of novels published in the 1930s. The Eight of Swords takes place from a Gloucestershire country house and is a great introduction to the series.

The Eight of Swords US
The Eight of Swords UK

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The West Country is always a delightful place, and discovering it through literature is the next best thing to visiting, and if you really want to go the whole hog, grab some cream teas and Cornish pasties to snack on while you read.