Here are 96 books that Sea Haven fans have personally recommended if you like Sea Haven. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of A Murder of Crows

Jane McParkes Author Of A Deadly Inheritance

From my list on UK mysteries that make you think outside the plot.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love mystery novels that both entertain and inform the reader. These books usually conform to the expected tropes of the mystery genre, but have that extra something that makes the reader carry on thinking long after they have finished reading. In my own novels I enjoy including positive eco-friendly role-models, ideas, and solutions all embedded within a traditional mystery, that readers can think about, and then perhaps adopt, in their own lives. I am always delighted when readers tell me that my story has made them look at their own lives and businesses to see what they can do to make them more sustainable

Jane's book list on UK mysteries that make you think outside the plot

Jane McParkes Why Jane loves this book

This is the first in the Nell Ward Mystery Series where, unusually, the main character and amateur sleuth is an ecologist.

What I enjoy about this book is how the author cleverly uses the skills of an ecologist to solve the mystery and thereby draws a parallel with CSI techniques. We also learn a great deal of fascinating ecological detail (particularly about bats and badgers) and environmentalism tangentially to the storyline, which certainly adds another layer to the reading experience and this is what has stayed with me.

By Sarah Yarwood-Lovett ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked A Murder of Crows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dr Nell Ward is an ecologist, not a detective. But when she's the prime suspect in a murder, only her unique set of skills could help to clear her name...

In the sleepy village of Cookingdean, Dr Nell Ward is busy working in the grounds of a local manor house. Whilst inspecting an old tunnel, she did not expect to overhear a murder. As the only person with any clues as to what happened, Nell soon finds herself in the middle of the investigation.

Desperate to clear her name Nell, along with her colleague Adam, set out solving the murder…


If you love Sea Haven...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Book cover of Date with Evil

Jane McParkes Author Of A Deadly Inheritance

From my list on UK mysteries that make you think outside the plot.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love mystery novels that both entertain and inform the reader. These books usually conform to the expected tropes of the mystery genre, but have that extra something that makes the reader carry on thinking long after they have finished reading. In my own novels I enjoy including positive eco-friendly role-models, ideas, and solutions all embedded within a traditional mystery, that readers can think about, and then perhaps adopt, in their own lives. I am always delighted when readers tell me that my story has made them look at their own lives and businesses to see what they can do to make them more sustainable

Jane's book list on UK mysteries that make you think outside the plot

Jane McParkes Why Jane loves this book

This is the seventh book in the Dales Detectives series and, in spite of some of the serious issues covered, is by far the most humorous and action-packed.

What I love about this book is the tremendous sense of community that leaps from the pages and really makes you think about small-town/village life. The quirky characters are all well-drawn and vivid descriptions of wayward sheep, fellside walks and twisty lanes bring the Yorkshire Dales to life.

The characters all come together in a wild west style climax which is some of the best writing I’ve ever read. How I’d love to have a beer with them all in The Fleece.

By Julia Chapman ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Date with Evil as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the eighth novel in the Dales Detective series, Date with Evil, Samson and Delilah are about to discover that all of their new cases may be connected to a network of evil that seems to be surrounding Bruncliffe. Will they solve them all before the danger comes directly to their door?

'A Yorkshire Agatha Raisin' - Dalesman

Evil is stalking the streets of Bruncliffe . . .

From stolen washing to inheritance investigations, Bruncliffe's Dales Detective Agency is being inundated with cases.

But with Samson O'Brien still in London helping the Met Police clear his name, and the newly…


Book cover of The Wrecker's Curse

Jane McParkes Author Of A Deadly Inheritance

From my list on UK mysteries that make you think outside the plot.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love mystery novels that both entertain and inform the reader. These books usually conform to the expected tropes of the mystery genre, but have that extra something that makes the reader carry on thinking long after they have finished reading. In my own novels I enjoy including positive eco-friendly role-models, ideas, and solutions all embedded within a traditional mystery, that readers can think about, and then perhaps adopt, in their own lives. I am always delighted when readers tell me that my story has made them look at their own lives and businesses to see what they can do to make them more sustainable

Jane's book list on UK mysteries that make you think outside the plot

Jane McParkes Why Jane loves this book

This is the first of the Edge Of the World Detective Agency series and is a quirky, unusual, and curiously addictive read which breaks new ground in the mystery genre. 

What I enjoyed about this book is that while the vivid descriptions of familiar Cornish settings keep it within the realms of reality, the slightly eccentric, but believable characters, with their knowledge of herbalism and ancient Cornish customs give it a definite hint of magic and folklore that runs throughout.

This is what stayed with me and made me think that there is very likely another side to Cornwall that tourists are simply unaware of.

By Jo Silva ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Wrecker's Curse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'The sleeper book of the year... so much fun to read that you forget to even try and solve the case. And good luck solving it anyway, with twists within twists within twists'

Donna Nightshade's first rule of composting: shred.
Things rot quicker that way - cabbages, flowers, dead bodies...

When Donna branches out from floristry to private investigation and opens The Edge of the World Detective Agency, the last thing she expects is to have a murder fall into her lap almost immediately. Now, normally she wouldn't be one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but…


If you love J. M. Simpson...

Book cover of Coyote Weather

Coyote Weather by Amanda Cockrell,

Coyote weather is the feral, hungry season, drought-stricken, and ready to catch fire. It’s 1967, and the American culture is violently remaking itself while the country is forcibly sending its young men to fight in a deeply unpopular war.

Jerry has stubbornly made no plans for the future because he…

Book cover of Hell Bay

Jane McParkes Author Of A Deadly Inheritance

From my list on UK mysteries that make you think outside the plot.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love mystery novels that both entertain and inform the reader. These books usually conform to the expected tropes of the mystery genre, but have that extra something that makes the reader carry on thinking long after they have finished reading. In my own novels I enjoy including positive eco-friendly role-models, ideas, and solutions all embedded within a traditional mystery, that readers can think about, and then perhaps adopt, in their own lives. I am always delighted when readers tell me that my story has made them look at their own lives and businesses to see what they can do to make them more sustainable

Jane's book list on UK mysteries that make you think outside the plot

Jane McParkes Why Jane loves this book

In this excellently researched DI Ben Kitto series the author does not shy away from the fact that bad things happen in beautiful places.

I particularly love this first book because it sympathetically captures the essence of living in a small, remote island community, where drugs, violence, and alcohol are not far beneath the surface and the economic hardships these places endure are a daily concern.

The islands in this book are a far cry from the summer Isles of Scilly that many of us know and love and it is a realistic reminder that life anywhere is not always as idyllic and simple as it appears from the outside.

By Kate Rhodes ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hell Bay as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE ISLES OF SCILLY MYSTERIES # 1

'Gripping, clever and impossible to put down' ERIN KELLY

DI Ben Kitto needs a second chance. After ten years working for the murder squad in London, a traumatic event has left him grief-stricken. He's tried to resign from his job, but his boss has persuaded him to take three months to reconsider.

Ben plans to work in his uncle's boatyard on the tiny Scilly island of Bryher where he was born, hoping to mend his shattered nerves. His plans go awry when the body of a sixteen-year-old girl is found on the beach…


Book cover of Please Take Me Home: The Story of the Rescue Cat

Celia Haddon Author Of Being Your Cat: What's Really Going On in Your Feline's Mind

From my list on cat lovers and cat rescuers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I adore cats and am anxious to improve their welfare. Late in life, I took a second degree and a masters in animal behaviour to learn more about feline welfare. People are now researching cats’ needs and discovering more about their welfare. I passionately want to get the message out there to ordinary cat lovers. Purrlease, the more you learn about cats, the more your cats will benefit. 

Celia's book list on cat lovers and cat rescuers

Celia Haddon Why Celia loves this book

I chose this book because it is a history of cat rescue. Rescuing cats was, and still is, a complex and difficult task. The book deals with the struggle to get cat rescue organised in a way that could benefit not just cat rescuers but also cats!

Individual cat lovers have always fed cats on the street, with the resulting increase in feline numbers! At one point, rescuers thought the only answer was to euthanase all street cats, but nowadays, a concerted effort is being made to neuter and spay feral cats rather than try to turn them into unsatisfactory pets. The book deals with the growth of Trap, Neuter, and Return schemes, as well as the growing effort to get more cats adopted.

By Clare Campbell ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Please Take Me Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Please Take Me Home, Clare Campbell takes us on a journey with the nation's rescue cats, from being treated as pests throughout history to being the pet of choice today.

For a long time, stray cats in Britain were seen as a nuisance and hunted down as vermin. Having invited this wild, independent creature into our homes, humans did not extend their welcome for long. Over time, thousands of cats were subsequently abandoned and left to live on the margins of survival.

There were, however, the kind few who sought to help. But these good spirited people were often…


Book cover of Hand Luggage Only: Great Britain: Explore the Best Coastal Walks, Castles, Road Trips, City Jaunts and Surprising Spots Across England, Scotland and Wales

Tonia Hope Author Of Traveling Europe on a Budget: An Insider's Guide to Finding Hidden Gems, Avoiding Tourist Traps and Having the Vacation of Your Dreams on the Cheap

From my list on inspire your next travel adventure.

Why am I passionate about this?

Travel has always been more than just a passion for me; it’s a way of life. As a travel content creator and author, I’ve explored countless destinations, immersing myself in different cultures and uncovering stories that often go untold. I believe in traveling with curiosity, finding hidden gems, and experiencing places beyond the typical tourist spots. My journeys have taken me across Europe and beyond, and I love sharing practical tips and personal insights to inspire others. Travel should be exciting, accessible, and deeply enriching, and I hope this list helps spark that same sense of adventure in you.

Tonia's book list on inspire your next travel adventure

Tonia Hope Why Tonia loves this book

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, but it felt like having two friends guide me through Great Britain in the best way possible. It is not just about the big landmarks; it is packed with little details that make each place feel alive.

I found myself bookmarking spots I had never even considered visiting before. It is the kind of book that makes you want to slow down, explore, and appreciate the beauty of travel in a way that feels personal and exciting.

By Yaya Onalaja-Aliu , Lloyd Griffiths ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hand Luggage Only as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Hand Luggage Only: Great Britain is a travel guide to the amazing places to be found throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Actually, scratch that - it's about so much more than a celebration of Britain's finest travel destinations! This book will actually help get you out there to explore the country yourself.

There's so much about the UK that even Brits don't know, so Yaya and Lloyd of the successful travel blog Hand Luggage Only are here to share all of their insider tips. Featuring stunning photos, their book covers everything from incredible hikes, amazing castles, beautiful road trips and…


If you love Sea Haven...

Book cover of Temple of Dreams: A Novel of Now and Then

Temple of Dreams by Carolyn Mathews,

Homeless following the death of his adoptive parents in a car crash and the subsequent loss of their farm tenancy, Seb decides to enrol as a residential student at the Asklepios Foundation, a College of Natural Medicine, boasting a sanctuary modelled on an ancient Greek healing temple. Spending a night…

Book cover of Titanic: Minute By Minute

Carla Louise Robinson Author Of The Light In The Darkness Book One

From my list on the Titanic.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a bibliophile who loves dogs and prefers the country to the city. I’m the kid who yelled at my kindergarten teacher because she hadn’t taught me to read by the end of the year. That same tenacity followed me when, at seven years old, I learned that James Cameron was making a movie based on the Titanic. With righteous fury, I yelled at my befuddled parents, before asking why they had not told me about this ship. I pleaded with my parents to take me to see the movie for my upcoming eighth birthday, and they relented, with my mum buying my first fictional Titanic novel. That’s how my Titanic obsession began.

Carla's book list on the Titanic

Carla Louise Robinson Why Carla loves this book

I can’t tell you how many times I consulted Jonathan Mayo’s Titanic: Minute By Minute book, checking that the Titanic’s timeline fit in with what my characters were doing at any given time. It’s non-fiction, and it’s nail-bitingly intense. The book is written in present tense, giving you a sense of urgency as Mayo tells you where everyone is, and what is happening at varying parts of the ship at that exact moment. It helps ground you in reality: The truth was, many of Titanic’s crew and passengers didn’t know the ship was sinking. And many of those who did genuinely believed another ship would arrive long before anything serious could actually happen. Mayo uses both accounts from passengers who survived the sinking, as well as the crew member’s testimony from the British and American Titanic inquiries. 

If you’ve ever wanted to know exactly what happened the night

By Jonathan Mayo ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Titanic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

2.20am on 15th April 1912, the Titanic is plunging 12,000 feet to the ocean floor.

Machinery, coal, crystal goblets, pianos and jewellery all tumbled through the dark water. Hundreds of passengers and crew remained trapped below decks - hundreds more would perish on the surface.

This is the definitive chronology of the Titanic's final hours, offering readers a real-time experience of one of the greatest dramas of twentieth century history.


Book cover of A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman: Complete Short Stories

Randy Kraft Author Of Rational Women

From my list on short stories for smart women.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved short stories since I was a young girl introduced to Edgar Allen Poe. There’s something especially exciting about a complete story in few words, and once I had to balance work, children, and personal relationships, stories became all the more cherished for short takes. I especially like tales about and by women, relating to our real challenges, and I review them often so other busy women discover better writers and interesting tales. There is nothing like a short story any time of day, especially in the evening, to soothe the soul. 

Randy's book list on short stories for smart women

Randy Kraft Why Randy loves this book

The one and only collection by this great novelist [and the sister of A.S. Byatt] is one of my most favorite. These short tales explore all sorts of relationships, not only marriage and friendship, but our relationships with personal identity, politics, and the culture which defines us. The writing is absolutely divine – images pop from the page and characters stay with us as if we’ve actually known them. And between the lines there is a lot of philosophical musing, which I love – just enough to make us think but never wear us down. These stories are for women who like to explore the existential. Think of them as a workout for the brain. 

By Margaret Drabble ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Margaret Drabble is one of the major literary figures of her generation. In this collection of her complete short fiction from across four decades, she examines the intense private worlds and passions of everyday people.

From one man's honeymooning epiphany in 'Hassan's Tower' to the journeying fantasies of 'A Voyage to Cythera', and from the sharp joy of 'The Merry Widow' to the bloody reality of the collection's title story, these are moving, witty and provocative tales, exploring cruel and loving relationships, social change and personal obsessions, and confirming her status as a leading practitioner of the art of the…


Book cover of The Horrible Peace: British Veterans and the End of the Napoleonic Wars

Roger Knight Author Of Convoys: The British Struggle Against Napoleonic Europe and America

From my list on history to change your ideas on the Napoleonic Wars.

Why am I passionate about this?

For fifty years I've studied the British sailing navy, fascinated by its workings, the slow communications, the vagaries of the winds and tides. In parallel with my work in archives, I've sailed in most of the European waters described in Convoys. I worked at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, for 27 years, leaving as Deputy Director in 2000. Since then, I've taught postgraduates and written about Nelson and the British government (Britain against Napoleon), and became convinced that Britain came very close to being defeated by Napoleonic France. If Napoleon had not thrown it all away by his invasion of Russia in 1812, I might be writing this in French, with a very different script! 

Roger's book list on history to change your ideas on the Napoleonic Wars

Roger Knight Why Roger loves this book

This is a fine new study looking at the lasting impact of the wars from 1815, particularly at the tens of thousands of men who had served in the army and navy.

Although Britain was in much better shape than the Continental economies, more than twenty years of warfare had changed life and industry, and there were few jobs for the returning soldiers and seamen. It led to domestic protest and violence on the streets, sometimes with veterans fighting regular troops and militia. You could not get further from the glossy fiction of C.S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian.

By Evan Wilson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Horrible Peace as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Few battles in world history provide a cleaner dividing line than Waterloo: before, there was Napoleon; after, there was the Pax Britannica. While Waterloo marked France's defeat and Britain's ascendance as an imperial power, the war was far from over for many soldiers and sailors, who were forced to contend with the lasting effects of battlefield trauma, the realities of an impossibly tight labour market, and growing social unrest. The Horrible Peace details a story of distress and discontent, of victory complicated by volcanism, and of the challenges facing Britain at the beginning of its victorious century.

Examining the process…


If you love J. M. Simpson...

Book cover of Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS

Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS by Amy Carney,

When I was writing this book, several of my friends jokingly called it the Nazi baby book, with one insisting it would make a great title. Nazi Babies – admittedly, that is a catchy title, but that’s not exactly what my book is about. SS babies would be slightly more…

Book cover of Out to Get You: 13 Tales of Weirdness and Woe

David Neilsen Author Of Lillian Lovecraft and the Harmless Horrors

From my list on spooky middle grade books.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been writing Spooky Middle Grade for a number of years, and before that, I wrote horror for Hollywood. Living in Sleepy Hollow, spooky is in my blood, and if I didn't write creepy stories, they'd kick me out. I'm also a professional storyteller and have scared the bejeebus out of kids and adults in places like Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, and Washington Irving's Sunnyside. Halloween is my favorite time of year. It more or less becomes a month-long village-wide celebration in October. Being inundated with all this crazy rubs off on you, and I have been well-steeped.

David's book list on spooky middle grade books

David Neilsen Why David loves this book

Writing a really good spooky short story is hard. Writing 13 of them is near-impossible. Yet Allen has put together an anthology of sheer terror, with each story hinging on something simple and mundane. Basically, Allen makes you afraid of everything, and does it with a smile.

By Josh Allen , Sarah J. Coleman (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Out to Get You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Thirteen ordinary kids. Thirteen ordinary towns. Danger lurks around every corner!

"Wonderful and weird, compelling and unsettling." - Gary Schmidt, two-time Newbery Honor author

Get ready for a collection of thirteen short stories that will chill your bones, tingle your spine, and scare your pants off. Debut author Josh Allen masterfully concocts horror in the most innocent places, like R.L. Stine meets a modern Edgar Allan Poe. A stray kitten turns into a threatening follower. The street sign down the block starts taunting you. Even your own shadow is out to get you! Spooky things love hiding in plain sight.


Book cover of A Murder of Crows
Book cover of Date with Evil
Book cover of The Wrecker's Curse

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Interested in the United Kingdom, Wales, and French travel?

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