57 books like A Heart in the Right Place

By Heide Goody,

Here are 57 books that A Heart in the Right Place fans have personally recommended if you like A Heart in the Right Place. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Rob Cameron Author Of Daydreamer

From my list on children doing the impossible.

Why am I passionate about this?

Maurice Sendak said, "Children do live in fantasy and reality, they move back and forth very easily in a way we no longer remember how to do." In other words, children do the impossible. Growing up, stories where the real and imagined collided were like fresh air when I felt like I couldn't breathe. They've always been important to me, and for many reasons, hold a special place in our literature. Now, as a full-time teacher, writer, and daddy, I get to be on the other side of that joy equation, guiding new readers and writers as they become travelers of the fantastic. 

Rob's book list on children doing the impossible

Rob Cameron Why did Rob love this book?

I love this book because it really erases the line between the real and the fantastic. I’ve been a Neil Gaiman fan since Sandman. This is a middle-grade book written for me. The path I took through this book led me back to my childhood and reminded me of Where the Wild Things Are, with its nearly seamless transition between the “real” world and the imagined.

Neil’s done this before with Caroline and the Graveyard. But Ocean is different. Here, I never lose touch with the real world. The turn to fantasy just makes the real world more dangerous. I think that’s an important change. When I was a child, when I daydreamed or pondered the things and people and dark corners that I didn’t understand, when I added the additional layer of the fantastic, it wasn’t really an escape.

It just made the challenges of being a child…

By Neil Gaiman, Elise Hurst (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked The Ocean at the End of the Lane as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 'BOOK OF THE YEAR'

AN ACCLAIMED WEST END THEATRE PRODUCTION *****

'Neil Gaiman's entire body of work is a feat of elegant sorcery. He writes with such assurance and originality that the reader has no choice but to surrender to a waking dream' ARMISTEAD MAUPIN

'Some books just swallow you up, heart and soul' JOANNE HARRIS

'Summons both the powerlessness and wonder of childhood, and the complicated landscape of memory and forgetting' GUARDIAN

---

'My favourite response to this book is when people say, 'My childhood was nothing like that - and it was as if…


Book cover of The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Donna Norman-Carbone Author Of All That Is Sacred

From my list on soulful connections.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who has experienced a lot of loss in my life, I’ve done a good amount of research and exploration into the soulful nature in all of us (the living and the dead) through reading nonfiction (Laura Lynn Jackson, Brian Weiss, Edgar Cayce, Jane Roberts, John Edward and Suzane Northrop among them) and fiction that deals with strong soulful connections. Through my own work as an author, I seek to provide the message love, in any form, transcends life and death. We only have to be open to the possibility to know it and experience it. Nothing is a coincidence and we are all connected. I hope these selections open you to the possibility.

Donna's book list on soulful connections

Donna Norman-Carbone Why did Donna love this book?

Mitch Albom creates a heavenly world for the main character, Eddie, who has just ascended from earth after saving someone at the carnival where he worked; thus, meeting his own tragic demise.

What strikes me most in this story are the seemingly irrelevant connections we make in life and how those connections could have a deep and lasting impact. Every single thing we do or say or the people we touch is purposeful here, and drives us, our souls, to seek grace in all that we do.

By Mitch Albom,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Five People You Meet in Heaven as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A STUNNING 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF THE MASTER STORYTELLER'S INSPIRATIONAL CLASSIC

To his mind, Eddie has lived an uninspiring life. Now an old man, his job is to fix rides at a seaside amusement park.

On his eighty-third birthday, Eddie's time on earth comes to an end. When a cart falls from the fairground, he rushes to save a little girl's life and tragically dies in the attempt. When Eddie awakens, he learns that the afterlife is not a destination, but a place where your existence is explained to you by five people - some of whom you knew, others…


Book cover of The Wolfman

James Pack Author Of The Hook

From my list on where real-life horror meets the supernatural.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always had a greater interest in supernatural horror compared to the other subgenres of horror. Another way to describe it is fantasy horror. However, sometimes the fantasy can take away from the overall story. I find the best stories with supernatural elements also have a lot of real-life horror to balance with the fantasy. Magic realism is also a trope of Post-Modern Culture and I find myself drawn to stories with post-modern elements versus those that don’t. These are my top five pics for the best “Real-Life Horror Meets Supernatural Horror” novels.

James' book list on where real-life horror meets the supernatural

James Pack Why did James love this book?

This is perhaps my favorite book of all time. Marlowe Higgins is a werewolf who uses his monthly change to hunt and kill the worst of criminals. The setting mostly takes place in 1993 with a few flashbacks including some time the main character spent in Vietnam during the war. There’s a serial killer targeting young women and Marlowe is hunting for him. He needs a scent or a name before the wolf can find them. And some people suspect Marlowe is the serial killer. The real tragedy of this story is the author died a few months before the book was published. The story is well written. There are plenty of funny moments to go along with the scary parts. If you like werewolves and anti-heroes, you’ll love this novel.

By Nicholas Pekearo,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Wolfman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Marlowe Higgins is a hard man; a wanderer. Since being dishonourably discharge after a tour in Vietnam, he's been in and out of prison, moving from town to town, going wherever the wind takes him. He's not really the kind of guy who can stay in one place too long. Every full moon he kills someone. Marlowe Higgins is a werewolf. For years he struggled with his affliction, until he found a way to use his unfortunate curse for good - he only kills really bad people. After years of being on the road, Higgins has found a home in…


Book cover of The Things We Learn When We're Dead

Janet Philp Author Of The Lama Drama 2019 (The 3rd Sphere)

From my list on that make you think ‘what if…’.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a freelance anatomy educator, artist, author, mother, and dog owner. I like to fill my time by engaging the public with science, meeting them where they are and exploring their boundaries. If they are interested in zombies, or flying unicorns then let's start there and mix fantasy and reality to make them think.

Janet's book list on that make you think ‘what if…’

Janet Philp Why did Janet love this book?

In quite a challenging tale Lorna Love finds herself dead and on a spaceship. As the memories of her life return we find a question being posed; does the way you remember things affect the influence they have on your life? It’s quite a quirky book but generates a lot of thought about the way you view events and the way you let them affect you.

By Charlie Laidlaw,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Things We Learn When We're Dead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Things We Learn When We're Dead is about how small decisions can have profound and unintended consequences, but how we can sometimes get a second chance.

On the way home from a dinner party, Lorna Love steps into the path of an oncoming car. When she wakes up she is in what appears to be a hospital - but a hospital in which her nurse looks like a young Sean Connery, she is served wine for supper, and everyone avoids her questions.

It soon transpires that she is in Heaven, or on HVN, because HVN is a lost, dysfunctional…


Book cover of Single Malt Murder

Mary Karlik Author Of Hickville Crossroads

From my list on contemporary romances with a Scottish accent.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love everything Scottish. My grandfather was Scottish. I never met him, but mom passed the pride of her heritage and culture to me. Mom used to throw out an occasional phrase or poem that I thought was Gaelic. (I later learned it was Scotts but that’s another story.) I decided I wanted to learn the language and found a short course at a small college on the Isle of Skye and it changed my life. After that short course I committed to learning the language and enrolled in the distance learning program. I travel to Skye for the short courses between my semesters and have made lifelong friends.  

Mary's book list on contemporary romances with a Scottish accent

Mary Karlik Why did Mary love this book?

This is the first in the Whisky Business Mystery series. I loved this series and was sad to see it end. I swear I know at least two of the characters personally. There is enough romance to make this romance reader happy but there was also a great murder mystery sprinkled—or should I say—splattered with humor. I loved it.

By Melinda Mullet,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Single Malt Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Abigail Logan never expected to inherit a whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands. But in the first novel of an engaging new series blending fine spirits with chilling mystery, Abi finds that there are secrets lurking in the misty glens that some will go to any lengths to protect...even murder.

When Abi inherits her uncle's quaint and storied single malt distillery, she finds herself immersed in a competitive high-stakes business that elicits deep passions and prejudices. An award-winning photojournalist, Abi has no trouble capturing the perfect shot - but making the perfect shot is another matter. When she starts to…


Book cover of Highlander's Christmas

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Author Of Highland Christmas

From my list on holiday historical romances set in the Highlands.

Why am I passionate about this?

Historical romance author Emmanuelle lives on the bonny banks of Loch Fyne with her husband and beloved haggis pudding Archie McFloof—connoisseur of bacon treats and squeaky toys. She’ll never tire of dreaming up brooding, kilted heroes. 

Emmanuelle's book list on holiday historical romances set in the Highlands

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Why did Emmanuelle love this book?

A heart-tugger ‘secret baby’ medieval romance, featuring a ruthless mercenary assassin and another heroine disguising herself, this time as a widow to protect her illegitimate daughter. When the brooding Scot appears—with the goal of murdering her father no less—our heroine can no longer hide. There’s a whole lot of dark alpha warrior deliciousness going on, and chemistry that had me cheering for a happy ending. 

By Mariah Stone,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Highlander's Christmas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

He’s a Highland assassin. She’s the noblewoman he abandoned nine years ago. Can forgiveness give them a second chance at love this Christmas?

The Scottish Highlands, 1308. Infamous mercenary Hamish Dunn betrayed a powerful clan and is now pursued by killers almost as ruthless as himself. Deep in the snowy wilderness, a Highland faerie convinces Hamish to travel to the Border Lands for one last job.

Deidre Maxwell has a dangerous secret. She’s not the widow she claims but a disowned noblewoman with an illegitimate daughter. After being cast aside by Hamish, the man she loved, she’ll never let herself…


Book cover of Highland River

Kenneth Steven Author Of Iona: New and Selected Poems

From my list on spiritual places.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a different kind of life. I was brought up by two writers who took me to magical places, far away from cities, to meet magical people. I spent my childhood searching for horse chestnuts and looking for otters. I wasn’t interested in electronic games and loud music: I wanted instead to be out in nature, watching for wild things and listening to the song of birds. It comes back to Iona, to this tiny little island on the west coast of Scotland which I will feel always is my spiritual home. In that place, I have everything I need. Nothing that a big city can offer tempts. Ever.

Kenneth's book list on spiritual places

Kenneth Steven Why did Kenneth love this book?

I choose this book because it gives me the most haunting sense of landscape and place. The author was from the northeast corner of Scotland and it was in his blood. I find it incredible that he’s able to capture it so deeply. We can feel these things, but to put them on paper is something else, a different skill. But somehow he manages to take you with him and to bring that landscape to life in the most incredible and powerful way. I suppose my greatest compliment to this book is that I wish I’d written it myself.

By Neil M. Gunn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Highland River as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Kenn returns to the Highlands of his youth, back to the river which has haunted his dreams since boyhood. Determined to walk all the way back to its source, Kenn embarks on a journey that will lead him deep into the wilderness of his own heart.

Profound and moving, Highland River is a stirring tale of what is lost and what endures, and the unexpected ways we can be renewed.


Book cover of The Hunting Party

T.O. Paine Author Of The Excursion

From my list on secluded and trapped survival thrillers.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in a snowy, rural mountain town of less than 500 people, I became fascinated with humanity's will to survive the elements at an early age because I often had to do so myself. Add in a mysterious force or an escaped killer wandering through the hills outside a secluded cabin, and you've got my favorite thriller subgenre: Trapped and secluded. It wasn't until my third novel, The Excursion, that I realized my longtime dream of writing a survival thriller influenced by dozens of books and movies. Today, I live in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, but the mountains are close. And so are the secluded cabins.

T.O.'s book list on secluded and trapped survival thrillers

T.O. Paine Why did T.O. love this book?

Many of my favorite secluded thriller novels have a high degree of complexity—multiple point-of-view chapters, complex subplots, and morally ambiguous characters. This book had all these elements and a super plus: An immersive and authentic setting in the Scottish Highlands.

I disappeared into the snowbound setting and felt like a part of the group of old friends, caught up in their personal dramas and driven to finish the book to see who did what, when, and why. It was a great escape for me, but not so much for them.

By Lucy Foley,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Hunting Party as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*The Sunday Times No.1 bestseller*

EVERYONE'S INVITED.
EVERYONE'S A SUSPECT.
AND EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT IT.

'Ripping, riveting' A. J. Finn
'Clever, twisty and sleek' Daily Mail
'Unputdownable' John Boyne
'Foley is superb' The Times
'Chilling' Adele Parks
'Terrific, riveting' Dinah Jefferies

In a remote hunting lodge, deep in the Scottish wilderness, old friends gather for New Year.

The beautiful one
The golden couple
The volatile one
The new parents
The quiet one
The city boy
The outsider

The victim.

Not an accident - a murder among friends.


Book cover of The Turn of the Key

Gail Lukasik Author Of The Darkness Surrounds Us

From my list on modern gothic mystery.

Why am I passionate about this?

While an adjunct professor at a local Midwestern college, I taught a night course in gothic literature. It was winter and my drive was over an hour to the satellite location. The wintry journey seemed apropos of the gothic’s dark themes, eerie atmosphere, and supernatural world. Though I’d enjoyed gothic novels in the past, this course cemented my love of all things gothic. By teaching the course, I enhanced my understanding of gothic fiction through such stories as, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, and Where are you going, where have you been by Joyce Carol Oates.

Gail's book list on modern gothic mystery

Gail Lukasik Why did Gail love this book?

I’m always intrigued by books that re-envision a classic novel or play.

This updated version of Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw is cleverly told in first person by a nanny who relates the story of a child who died under her care. A smart house stands in for the creepy gothic mansion. Its surveillance system creates a feeling of paranoia and fear. The twist at the end is worthy of James.

By Ruth Ware,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Turn of the Key as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THEIR DREAM HOUSE WILL BECOME HER WORST NIGHTMARE

'Ruth Ware just gets better and better' Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of The Family Upstairs

'The queen of creepy crime' Metro

When Rowan comes across the advert, it seems too good to be true: a live-in nanny position, with an extremely generous salary.

What she doesn't know is that she's stepping into a nightmare - one that will end with her in a cell awaiting trial for murder.

She knows she's made mistakes.
But she's not guilty - at least not of murder.
Which means someone else is...

THE TURN OF THE…


Book cover of The Highland Fling

KC McCormick Ciftci Author Of We Were Inevitable

From my list on romance about falling in love in another country.

Why am I passionate about this?

I spent the majority of my twenties living and working abroad, and I've always been a sucker for a love story that crosses borders. I met my husband while living and working in Turkey, and now I write lighthearted romance novels inspired by the idea that you don't have to choose between catching flights or catching feelings - why not both? While I'm doing less traveling these days, I feel like I still get to experience different countries, cultures, and settings thanks to so many wonderful books that feel like vacations.

KC's book list on romance about falling in love in another country

KC McCormick Ciftci Why did KC love this book?

I adored the premise of this novel so mucha wee Scottish cafe needs a volunteer to come run it? Yes, please.

The setting was utterly delightful, and I just love a small town full of colorful characters. It made me want to travel back to Scotland as soon as possible.

By Meghan Quinn,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Highland Fling as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this steamy tale by USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn, an American searching for her purpose escapes to a Scottish town but finds more questions than answers when she meets a brooding yet handsome handyman.

Freshly fired from her third job in a row, Bonnie St. James has lost her way. So when she and her best friend stumble upon a "help wanted" post to run a coffee shop in the Scottish Highlands, they apply on a whim. Who knows? Maybe traveling to a new place is just what she needs to figure out her next move.

When the…


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