The House at Magpie Cove: A gripping and emotional page-turner full of secrets and second chances

The Cornish beach house creaked in the salty sea wind and, from the weathered wooden porch, Mara watched a lone magpie circle above. It was silly to think that it somehow represented her mother’s spirit, but she had the feeling that her mother was with her, somehow. That she still hadn’t moved on: there was something keeping her here. A secret that needed to be told.

When Mara Hughes inherits her late mother’s tumbledown beach house overlooking the bright, sandy sweep of Magpie Cove, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. With her marriage on the rocks and her husband threatening to take the family home, the beach house – with all the bittersweet memories it holds – might be the thing that finally sends Mara’s world crashing down around her. She tells herself she’ll only spend a few days there: sell it and move on to figuring out how to rebuild her life.  

When Mara arrives, the house is in a worse state than she feared – holes in the bedroom ceiling, birds’ nests in the attic and the beautiful, wrap-around porch on the brink of collapse… but she loves it anyway. With all its history it feels like the last link to her late mother and, determined to do whatever it takes to keep it in the family, Mara strikes a deal with local handyman – and town heartthrob – Brian Oakley to save the crumbling cottage from ruin.

But when a box of unopened old letters arrives on her new doorstep – a bequest from her mother’s will – Mara’s resolves to save the beach house will be tested to the limit. Because Mara’s mother’s perfect childhood in Magpie Cove was forever spoiled by one haunting day in July, and the letters contain a secret about her family that Mara can scarcely believe to be true… 

A story of secrets, family and forgiveness, this heartfelt summer read is perfect for fans of Pamela Kelley, The Hideaway and Liz Fenwick.

What readers are saying about The House at Magpie Cove:

‘Absolutely beautiful and perfect read!!... Completely swept me away… compelling and addictive, heart-lifting read that kept me turning the pages until late at night… absolutely fantastic!’ Bookworm86, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Delightful… lots of lovely characters, gorgeous setting… There are plenty of laugh out loud scenarios, a few heartbreaking revelations and lots of love, too, making this a marvellous read to escape into… highly recommend!’ Splashes into Books

‘Lovely… This story has all the feels, it was a wonderful escape and a charming read… I absolutely loved this. The well-developed characters felt like old friends, while plot twists and turns kept me completely engrossed in the book… A wonderful story. I loved it!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘All the feels, this was a wonderful escape and a charming read… I absolutely loved this… The characters felt like old friends, while the plot twists and turns kept me completely engrossed.’ Page Turners Blog, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Oh my goodness, what a story. I want to visit Magpie Cove and Serafina's Cafe!’ @karen_loves_reading, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️