Escape to Mallorca with this great selection of 21 best fiction books about Mallorca for anyone looking for a great beach read, or for those who wish to enjoy armchair travel from the comfort of their own home.
This selection of holiday reads is brought to you from recommendations from the Mallorca Under the Sun Facebook community, from the Writers and Readers in the Balearics Facebook group as well as myself following some research.
Also if you’re looking for a Mallorca-related birthday gift or Christmas present, then browse this great selection of the best 21 best fiction books about Mallorca.
You will also notice many of these books are set in Deia.
If you are unfamiliar with Deia, then check guide to this beautiful hilltop town filmed in Spring 2022 to help set the scene for the location of so many of these books.
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Table of Contents
My recommendations for the 21 Best Fiction Books about Mallorca are in no particular order, however, I will start with author Pete Davies who I met just before filming a live stream in Puerto Pollensa in June 2022.
1. The Mallorcan Bookseller by Pete Davies
The Mallorca Bookseller is the first in a collection of three books by Pete Davies who is a regular visitor to the island.
Pete’s long career in the police force as a former police officer has served him well to write this trio of crime novels, starting with The Mallorcan Bookseller with some thrilling follow-ups including The Pollensa Connection, The Soller Solution and now the Palma Foundation.
Expect some great crime stories, featuring real-life locations and people.
The first in the series of crime novels, the Mallorca Bookseller follows the story of a detective who returns to work in his family’s bookshop in Palma, only to get caught in scams, murders and criminal gangs.
Buy it here.
2. The Pollensa Connection by Pete Davies
A great follow-up to the Mallorcan Bookseller, visitors to Pollensa can immerse themselves in a plot involving kidnap, mystery and intrigue in settings they are familiar with.
It also includes a return to the Coral bar in Puerto Pollensa which actually exists and where visitors can also visit on their Mallorca holiday.
Buy it here.
3. The Soller Solution by Pete Davies
The third crime thriller in the series and as recommended by my Mum who is a huge fan of Pete’s books, the Soller Solution takes readers to the North of the island.
Based in locations around Soller and Pollensa, the Soller Solution is another heart-stopping tale involving rogue gangs, and art thieves, mixed with mystery and intrigue.
If you love the location of this book, you can find out more about Soller and Port de Soller here.
Buy it here.
4. The Palma Foundation by Pete Davies
NEW: Just launched for Summer 2023 – The Palma Foundation – the next in the crime series by Pete Davies.
With a story centred around bribery, corruption, and murder, this looks like an epic read by this Mallorca crime fiction favourite.
Get it now and add it to your Summer holiday reading list here.
5. The Tipping Point by Emily Benet
A great read from island resident Emily Benet tells the story of a couple who following a move to Mallorca realise that life isn’t all it’s made out to be (and how often have I said that!).
But in this wonderful piece of fiction, follow the lives of the key characters who as residents in an apartment block, see their lives become interestingly intertwined with those of their neighbours.
This book highlights the complex and often too real-life plot lines we see time and time again with Mallorca apartment living.
You can buy it here.
6. The Hen Party by Emily Benet
Also by Emily Benet, this is the perfect beach read for your Mallorca summer holiday.
Following the filming of a fictitious reality TV show called the Hen Party, this hilarious adventure takes you through favourite locations around the island, as well as taking a deep dive into Magaluf, with plenty of plot twists to keep you gripped to the very end.
Buy it here.
7. Daughter of Deia by Jan Edwards
Described on Amazon as an “escapist Mediterranean holiday romance set in Spain,” The Daughter of Deia is great armchair travel.
The story transports its main character from a job loss to running a cat refuge in Mallorca.
There is a mystery and lots of twists and turns, making this story a page-turner (check out the Amazon reviews), and is recommended for dark winter nights, or to bring on holiday.
Buy it here.
8. Hotel Hideaway – Louise Davis
While this book is largely autobiographical, I had to include this in my list, as a great insight to the crazy world of public relations (my former career), and a peek behind the gates of one of Mallorca’s most exclusive hotels.
I was delighted to meet Louise one Spring day when I visited my friend who runs the Hair Salon in Deia’s La Residencia hotel.
This book gives in insight into life in this hotel where standard rooms cost in the region of 1,000€ per night, so naturally attracting guest A-listers, models, VIPs and celebrities.
And with this comes the many stories of accommodating the demands of the rich and famous.
This is an intriguing insight away from traditional tourism in Mallorca resorts.
Buy it here.
9. The Silk Pavilion by Sarah Walton
Not the usual Mallorca read you would expect, but this novel is a thrilling, yet dark addition to this list of 21 Best Fiction Books about Mallorca.
Set in Deia, this novel draws on the Spanish Civil War and is a voyage of self-discovery centred around a British woman and her narcissistic lover.
Buy it here.
10. The Perfect Holiday by T.J. Emerson
If psychological thrillers are more your thing, check out this epic read from Tracey Emerson.
Set in the backdrop of Mallorca, this thriller has been brilliantly written to pull a dark curtain over the island in a tale of murder and intrigue.
Buy it here.
11. The Devil’s Horn by Anna Nicolas
Anna turns to crime writing in her first thriller based on the escapades of her leading character Flores Montserrat.
Resigning from her role in the police force to lead a more sedate life running her mother’s business, Flores Montserrat realises her crime-fighting days aren’t over just yet, as murder, mystery and intrigue follow in the first of this exciting series of books.
Buy it here.
12. Blood and Oil: A Celebration of Majorcan Culture by Tomás Graves
Taking a fascinating look at Mallorcan culture by Tomás Graves, who is the son of British poet Robert Graves (check out my videos in Deia to find out why he was so famous here).
This book gives interesting insights into language, food and Mallorcan life.
So if you are looking to get a little more out of your Mallorca holiday, then this is an essential read.
Buy it here.
13. Wild Olives: Life in Majorca With Robert Graves by William Graves.
An autobiographical account of what life was like growing up with Robert Graves by his son who recounts his childhood in Deia, and experiences with this famous father.
A fascinating insight not only into life on the island but also into one of Deia’s most prominent residents.
Buy it here.
14. Snowball Oranges and One Mallorcan Winter by Peter Kerr
Although this is more autobiographical, Snowball Oranges is a great Mallorca read and had to make this list.
Set in the South West of Mallorca, this book is the story of a couple moving to Mallorca and living and working on an orange farm.
This is the perfect escapism to highlight the often harsh realities of trying to fit in, run a farm and battle with language and customs over the winter season.
It’s Mallorca but not as many holidaymakers know it.
Buy it here.
15. The Mallorca Connection by Peter Kerr
This is a classic who-dun-it will take you from Scotland to Mallorca with detective Bob Burns at the forefront.
If you like crime blended with humour, then this will make the perfect summer read.
Buy it here.
16. The Lemon Grove by Helen Walsh
As with so many books in this recommended list, this novel is also set in the picturesque town of Deia.
However, this isn’t your usual summer read, as it explores relationships over different generations and the challenges this presents on holiday. A fab read to be enjoyed around the pool.
Buy it here.
17. The Vacationers by Emma Straub
Transport yourself to rural Mallorca, and throw yourself into a story involving the complex family relationships coming together under the Mallorca Sun.
Buy it here.
18. Death in Deia by David Coubrough
This is David’s second book and has been reviewed as being even pacier than the first. Set in the novel-perfect location in Deia, this crime novel is full of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Buy it here.
19. A Summer Reunion by Fanny Blake.
Join four friends on a five-day reunion in the beautiful Fornaltux (not Deia!) for a tale of friendships revisited and coming to terms with the reality that things are not as perfect as they seem.
Buy it here.
20. The Island of Second Sight by Albert Vigoleis Thelen
It took decades for this wonderful book to be translated from German to English, but this is an alternative read about Mallorca set in the 10 years preceding World War II.
While largely autobiographical this novel has been fictionalised to highlight the lives of a German couple surviving hunger and the perils of Nazism, and tour-guiding German holidaymakers.
It’s also packed full of history and philosophy.
Buy it here.
21. A House in the High Hills: Dreams and Disasters of Life in a Spanish Farmhouse by Selina Scott
If you watched UK breakfast TV in the 1980s, you will remember presenter Selina Scott.
To escape the media glare, Selina purchased an escape in the form of a farmhouse in the southwest of Mallorca.
This book tells of her Mallorca adventure and her encounters with locals and neighbours and her experience of life on the island.
Buy it here.
I hope this great list of fiction reads helps you through the autumn and winter months before booking your next holiday.
These 21 best fiction books about Mallorca are also great potential beach reads for your next holiday.
And with all the books set in Deia, I would love to see a book set in a popular tourist resort such as Palmanova, Cala d’Or or Alcudia. Maybe this book is waiting to be written!
