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Five Great Books set along the CAMINO DE SANTIAGO pilgrim routes
11th October 2026
Five Great Books set along the CAMINO DE SANTIAGO pilgrim routes
The Camino de Santiago is an ancient network of pilgrim routes converging at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where the remains of the apostle Saint James are traditionally believed to be buried.
For over a millennium, millions of travellers have journeyed on foot, bicycle, or horseback along the famous routes. Modern pilgrims undertake the trek for diverse reasons, including spiritual reflection, physical challenge, or cultural exploration, finding deep camaraderie, simplicity, and breathtaking landscapes along the way.
Here are five great books set along the way.
The Camino by Anya Niewierra (Eileen Stevens, translator)
From the Netherlands’s most popular crime writer, a gripping literary thriller about a widow who retraces her husband’s final journey along the Camino de Santiago to uncover the truth about his death.
Forty-four-year-old chocolatier Lotte Bonnet has been living happily in South Limburg for years with her husband Emil, a former refugee from Bosnia. But when Emil unexpectedly dies by suicide while walking the Camino de Santiago, or Way of Saint James, Lotte is devastated.
Shocked and confused, Lotte resolves to follow Emil’s exact path on the Camino one year later, hoping for answers, or at least insights into what could have compelled him to take his own life. While walking the arduous trail through central France, passing idyllic villages and meeting fellow pilgrims, Lotte is inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds her, forming new friendships, and possibly a romantic connection on the Camino.
However, Lotte’s thoughts are also elsewhere, in Sarajevo, as she learns the terrors of the Bosnian War and shocking secrets about her husband—who it turns out was not the man she thought he was. As the trail grows more treacherous, it becomes clear to Lotte that someone is following her—someone who does not want her to find the answers she’s seeking.
Murder on the Camino by Will Bidder
The bet? Walk 500 miles across Spain on the Camino de Santiago.
The hitch? Zero contact with the outside world.
The problem? One accidental murder.
Twenty-seven-year-old James Pollock, unemployed and lacking direction in London, accepts a bet to walk the Camino without his phone or social media.
The challenge comes at exactly the right time for James after sleeping with the woman he’s in love with — Jessica, his brother’s girlfriend.
However, when James meets a wild pilgrim who forces him into a dare, his life changes forever.
As rumours of a Camino murder become front-page news, can James reach Santiago before the Spanish police and other pilgrims catch him, or will his own demons find him first?
Murder On The Camino is a gripping adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to Santiago.
Grab your backpack. But watch your back.
The Pact by Lisa Walker
Tess enters the prestigious and exclusive Ravensthorpe Writing College with dreams of literary greatness, but soon discovers that ambition comes at a cost.
Drawn into a tight-knit group with fellow writers Ethan, Theo, and Jaz, Tess’s world is upended when their charismatic tutor is found dead. Believing someone in their circle is responsible, Tess flees the elite literary world and abandons the future she once craved.
Three years later, an enigmatic invitation to walk the Camino de Santiago offers Tess a chance to uncover the truth. Reunited with her former friends, including Ethan, now a literary star, Tess realises the past isn’t finished with her. Someone knows what really happened that night, and they’ll do anything to keep it buried.
Call of the Camino by Suzanne Redfearn
Reina Watkins lost her father when she was eight. Seventeen years later, she still carries that grief. When her budding journalism career takes an unexpected turn, it leads her to the ancient five-hundred-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain. Now she finds herself embarking on the same pilgrimage that her father made at her age, unaware of how profoundly it will change her.
Back in 1997, Isabelle Vidal is a teenager on the run. Fleeing from her boarding school, she heads straight for the Way of Saint James. She’s heard the Camino will provide. And so it does, in the form of a handsome young American and the promise of a new life. But it could all fall apart if her troubles catch up with her.
One woman is coming to grips with her past; the other is grasping for her future. But as each treads the same hallowed trail, it will knot their destinies together in a most miraculous way.
A Week to Remember by Ruth O’Leary
When Strangers Collide, Lives Are Forever Altered.
Paula
Paula has an anxiety attack at her 60th birthday party and realises that her life must change. While her friends are settling into retirement, she craves adventure. Then a shock discovery forces her to question everything she thought was sure in her life.
Rachel
Rachel is about to go into business with boyfriend Craig when he betrays her in the worst way possible. She is desperate to get away and figure out how to move forward. Can she forgive and forget, in order to have everything she has dreamed of?
Cathy
Cathy’s world is turned upside down by a life-altering event. Struggling with her feelings, she sets out to follow in the footsteps of her favourite film, The Way, hoping to find the courage to plan a new life free from fear.
As the three women set out on journeys of healing and self-discovery, on the ancient path of the Camino de Santiago, fate causes their paths to cross. Will the Camino provide the answers they seek and the strength to pursue the lives they desire?
Enjoy our selection of books set along the Camino de Santiago
Tony for the TripFiction Team
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