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There's something especially juicy about lost letters and diaries. There's a voyeuristic joy in reading someone else's private thoughts, and because they're lost, you get all the fun with none of the guilt. 

It's even more fun when those letters and diaries are encountered in mysterious circumstances. Were they intentionally left to be found? Do they open up a mystery begging to be solved? Or do they tell a story that's long forgotten and now known only to you and the original writer? 

In this post, we take a look at 12 British (or UK-based) novels in which lost and found letters and diaries play a key role in the plot. They range from mystery and horror to romance and historical fiction, so there's a bit of something for everyone.

12 Fascinating British Novels In Which Lost Letters or Diaries Play a Role

The Love Letter | Lucinda Riley

In 1995, London mourns the passing of Sir James Harrison, a revered actor, at 95 years old. Alongside the grief-stricken family, a shocking secret emerges.

Joanna Haslam, an ambitious young journalist, is tasked with covering the funeral. Amidst the glitz and glamour, she uncovers a darker side of the story: the existence of a mysterious letter left behind by James Harrison, a letter whose contents have been fiercely concealed for over seven decades.

As Joanna delves deeper into the hidden truth, she becomes aware of sinister forces determined to keep the secret buried. They will go to any lengths to reach the letter before she does, putting her in grave danger.

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POSSESSION | AS Byatt

This acclaimed, Booker Prize-winning novel takes readers on a journey through the lives of two young academics. Together, they embark on a quest to unravel a secretive affair between two Victorian poets.

The story comes to life as the academics delve into the poets' intimate letters, journals, and poetry, meticulously tracing their steps from the bustling streets of London to Yorkshire to Brittany. Through the forgotten documents and correspondence, they discover two intensely passionate and creative people who burned brighter than most.

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The Light Over London | Julia Kelly

Eager to bury herself in the past and forget her present, Cara Hargraves loves her job working for an antiques dealer. In the course of her work, she encounters an old tin containing a photograph and a WWII-era diary. 

As she digs into the previous owner's life, she quickly realises the realities of war were much harsher than she was prepared for – and that the life of a woman in wartime England might be able to teach her some things about her own situation.

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Begars Abbey | VL Valentine

This gothic mystery begins in 1950s Brooklyn, where a broke young woman is mourning the loss of her mother. Whilst going through her mother's belongings, she comes across a pile of telegrams her mother never mentioned. They suggest she has a family and possible inheritance waiting for her in far-off England. 

Curious as to why her mother was willing to live in poverty rather than accept a familial windfall, she scrapes together the resources to make the trip to Yorkshire. What awaits her, however, is much stranger and darker than anything she had imagined. When she finds her mother's old diaries, things begin to make sense.

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A Great & Terrible Beauty | Libba Bray

It's 1895, and 16-year-old Gemma Doyle has been shipped off to an English boarding school after her mother's suicide. She's lonely, full of guilt, and prone to having visions that end up coming true.

This little glimmer of magic is enhanced when she finds a diary left behind by previous students. She'll use it as her guide to explore a new world of possibilities – but since we don't want to spoil it for you, that's all we'll say.

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The Sea Gate | Jane Johnson

After the death of her mother, Becky begins the difficult task of sorting through her belongings. Beginning with the letters on her doormat, she finds an envelope from Cornwall – and it will change her life forever.

Her mother's elderly cousin, Olivia, has asked for help to save her crumbling home. Olivia is stuck in hospital, unable to be discharged until she has a safe place to return. The resulting project will see Becky uncovering secrets of the past – secrets about danger, WW2, and great romance.

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The Secret Keeper | Kate Morton

In 1959, 16-year-old Laurel Nicolson is in her childhood tree house during a family celebration at Green Acres Farm. She witnesses a stranger approaching the farm and speaking to her mother, Dorothy, before unexpectedly witnessing a crime.

Fifty years later, Laurel, now a successful actress in London, returns to Green Acres for Dorothy's 90th birthday. Memories and unanswered questions flood her mind after years of neglect. Determined to find the truth and ease her guilt, she starts her quest, prompted by a photograph of her mother with an unfamiliar woman named Vivian, her first significant clue. Found letters and other artifacts will guide her investigation.

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A Dangerous Goodbye | Fliss Chester

It's 1944, and Fenella Churche is doing her bit in the English countryside while her fiance Arthur is off at war. When she walks into the farmhouse and finds a letter addressed to her, she fears the worst.

The letter is from Arthur, telling her he fears it will be his final message – but parts of it just don't make sense. Through her tears, she realises he was laying out clues. 

When the war is over, Fenella travels to France to investigate. The trail nearly goes cold, but when she finds another clue and then a local priest is killed, she realises someone is trying to keep a few wartime secrets buried.

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The Lost Letters of William Woolf | Helen Cullen

At East London's Dead Letters Depot, detectives work hard to solve the mysteries of letters that haven't made it to their destinations. They tirelessly work to make out rain-smudged ink, bad penmanship, and missing post codes. 

When letters begin arriving addressed to “My Great Love”, letter detective William Woolf faces his greatest mystery yet – because the letters have been written to a man she hasn't yet met. 

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The Letter | Kathryn Hughes

Tina Craig is trapped with a violent husband, unable to leave because she has no money of her own. She works every hour available to save money, volunteering in a charity shop during her off hours so she won't have to go home. 

When she finds a letter in the pockets of a second-hand suit, she reads it. Two women, decades apart, will see their paths cross in a way that changes both their lives forever.

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The Lost Letter | Mimi Matthews

This Victorian era romance is a tale of crossed wires. Sylvia and Sebastian were once in love, but when letters failed to reach their destinations, each got the wrong idea. 

Now, three years later, the two have become very different people – each hardened and changed by the difficult circumstances they've faced. Will a second chance allow them to rekindle what they had and move on from past hurts?

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The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant | Kayte Nunn

In 1951, Esther Durrant, a young mother, is committed to a remote mental asylum by her husband. Initially a prison, the hospital eventually becomes her sanctuary under the care of an innovative psychiatrist.

Fast forward to 2018, where free-spirited marine scientist Rachel Parker embarks on a research assignment in the Isles of Scilly. Caught in a fierce storm, she seeks refuge on a distant island, stumbling upon a cache of concealed love letters. Enthralled by their intense emotions, Rachel becomes determined to locate the intended recipient.

Meanwhile, in London, Eve assists her grandmother, a renowned mountaineer, in penning her memoirs. An unexpected contact from Rachel sets off a chain of events that risks unveiling long-buried secrets, concealed for over six decades.

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Looking for More British Book Ideas?

We have plenty of suggestions. Check out…

• The Best Locked Room Mysteries
• Gritty Crime Novels Set in Newcastle
• Crime Novels Set in Modern London
• 16 British Railway Mysteries

 

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