Incredible fictional books set in Dordogne

If you’re a fiction fan and love exploring new settings, you’ll want to check out these fictional books set in Dordogne! This picturesque region in southwestern France has long been a popular destination for tourists, with its stunning countryside, medieval villages, and rich history. But did you know it’s also been the backdrop for some truly captivating stories? From historical dramas to romance and mysteries, Dordogne has inspired a wide range of authors to create unforgettable tales that will transport you to another time and place. So grab a croissant and settle in for a journey through the pages of these fantastic fictional books set in Dordogne!

The Dordogne Mysteries by Martin Walker

The Dordogne Mysteries by Martin Walker currently has 16 books in the series, but who knows how many more there may be to come.

The books take place in St. Denis, a small town in the southwest of France, and are inspired by the real-life town of Le Bugue. They follow Bruno Courreges’ adventures and his encounters with various characters.

Bruno, chief of police, embarks on a thrilling crime-solving journey in each book while also providing readers with valuable insights into the culture, cuisine, landscapes, and historical aspects of the Dordogne region. Click here for more info.

Death in the Dordogne by Michelle Wan

Amateur detectives Mara and Julian delve into the intriguing realm of wild orchids while unravelling mysteries and murders in Michelle Wan’s highly-praised Death in the Dordogne series located in southwest France. Click here for more info.

Glint of Gold by Frances Paige

Writer Martin Woodbridge first visited the village of Bernay, in the Dordogne, with his wife Merle, in 1966. They are both captivated by it, and they relish the friendly welcome shown to them by the locals, particularly the manager of the hotel where they stay, Henri Leroy. Henri’s wife Marie is a beautiful young woman, but Martin senses disturbing undercurrents in their relationship and is concerned by Marie’s friendship with a visiting engineer. When Martin returns to Bernay, it is under very different, tragic circumstances. But the village still weaves its magical spell, and he knows he will find it hard to leave… Click here for more info.

Mademoiselle Benoir by Christine Conrad

Abandoning his teaching career in New York to become an artist, Tim Reinhart purchases a farmhouse in rural France, where he encounters the pastoral French lifestyle, his quirky neighbours, and Mademoiselle Benoir, a beautiful, aristocratic woman twenty years his senior. Click here for more info.

A Very French Wedding by Maeve Haran

Steph, Jo and Meredith have been friends since school. Their lives have all taken very different paths across the years, but when Meredith buys a romantic château in an idyllic village in the Dordogne, she finds she can’t do it alone – so who better to enlist for help than her two old friends? Together they hope to bring the château back to life and create France’s most romantic wedding venue.

And it seems that the nearby village of Bratenac has much more to offer than sun, wine and delicious French food when a handsome chef and his equally charming son, a local ladies’ luncheon club, a winemaker from New Zealand, and a British bulldog all join the party. Click here for more info.

The Girl in the Empty Dress by Lise McClendon

Merle Bennett is turning fifty, and her four sisters are helping her celebrate by going to France on a walking tour of the Dordogne. But one sister invites along a law colleague whose annoying ways upset what Merle had hoped would be just ‘wine, women, and walking.’ When Gillian Sargent, the sixth wheel, finds an injured dog beside the road, the idyllic summer vacation turns dark and dangerous. Why is the dog special? Who is after her? And what will they do to get the dog back?

Truffles, wine, romance, and intrigue in the heart of France.

All five Bennett sisters are lawyers. One is writing a blog about their trip, bearing family details. As the intrigue heats up, one of Merle’s boyfriends arrives unexpectedly from New York while her French boyfriend arrives. The delicate karma of sisterhood is rife with bickering, tears, and French law as the questions about Gillian Sargent pile up. Who exactly is she? What is she hiding? And where the hell has she gone with the dog? Click here for more info.

Molly Sutton Mystery Series by Nell Goddin

Boston girl Molly Sutton moves to a small village in France to lick her wounds after a divorce. Castillac is charming, the croissants amazing, and the wine delectable. Molly’s new life is full of contentment, if a bit short on excitement.

But then a girl goes missing…and Molly’s world gets turned upside down.

Truth be told, no one in the village feels safe. They struggle to believe such darkness could exist in a friendly village, where people spend most of their time thinking about nothing more frightening than what to have for lunch.

And when the missing girl’s distraught parents come to stay at Molly’s bed and breakfast, she is drawn into the case, like it or not.

Will Molly and the French detective figure out what happened to Amy Bennett before someone else disappears?

The series includes 11 books. Click here for more info.

Born of Love by Barbara Cartland

Exceedingly lovely, grey eyed-beauty Lady Marcia Woode is the apple of her father’s eye as his only child. But unlike the other Society debutantes, she is reluctant to be pinned down by marriage – indeed, she has refused proposals from countless suitable suitors, the latest being from the richest Duke in the whole of England. Infuriated, Marcia’s father decides to force her to marry the illustrious French Duc de Roux, whose father was his old and distinguished friend.

Arriving in France, Marcia is swept off her feet by the Duc’s awe-inspiring château, the magnificent gorges of the Dordogne and, best of all, his stable of fine thoroughbred horses, if not at first by the Duc himself, who is extremely tall and handsome Impressive though he is, Marcia knows that he is not in love with her, nor is she with him. And she will not marry unless it is for love and love alone.

And yet, almost in spite of herself, she realises that her heart has other ideas. When she finds out that the Duc’s decadent nephew, Sardos, is plotting his murder and then she discovers the Duc at his nephew’s gunpoint amid the stalactites and stalagmites of a prehistoric Dordogne cave, And with a courage born of love, she rushes to the rescue. Click here for more info.

The Chase by Lorna Fergusson

Le Sanglier: an old house buried deep in the woods of the Dordogne, a region steeped in dark history.

Gerald Feldwick buys Le Sanglier as a refuge. He tells his wife, Netty, that they can start afresh in France and escape the unbearable pain of the event that has fractured their marriage. He tells her they can put the past behind them.

Netty is not so sure.

Netty is right.

The Chase – the past will hunt you down. Click here for more info.

Daughters of War by Dinah Jefferies

Deep in the river valley of the Dordogne, in an old stone cottage on the edge of a beautiful village, three sisters long for the end of the war.

Hélène, the eldest, tries her hardest to steer her family to safety, even as the Nazi occupation becomes more threatening.

The rebel Elise is determined to help the Resistance, whatever the cost.

And Florence, the dreamer, yearns for a world where France is free.

Then, one dark night, the Allies come knocking for help. And Hélène knows that she cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. But secrets from their mysterious past threaten to unravel everything they hold dear… Click here for more info.