Books with a Volusia County Connection

Books are the next best thing to being here! Immerse yourself in this collection of fiction, memoir, nonfiction, and literary works rooted in Volusia County.

If you have additional recommendations, let us know so we can add them to the list.

Jump to:

Fiction
Memoir
Nonfiction
Literary Works
Volusia County History
Community History

Fiction

  • Bauer, Gerri. Persimmon Hollow Legacy series. Cincinnati: Franciscan Media, 2015. A Catholic historical romance set in 1886 Persimmon Hollow, a frontier-era version of DeLand. Amazon.
  • Bell, Jay. Kamikaze Boys. 2011. A contemporary novel that includes scenes and themes tied to life in and around Daytona Beach.
  • Bond, Stephanie. 3 Men and a Body. New York: HarperTorch, 2002. A mystery–romance that features Daytona Beach as a key setting.
  • Bradshaw, R. E. Take the Damn Cat Back. 2025. The first New Smyrna Beach Stories novel, following sixty-three-year-old Lucy Callas as she returns to her ancestral home in New Smyrna Beach and uncovers long-buried family truths. Amazon.
  • Butterfield, Frank W. Daytona Beach Mysteries 1. Daytona Beach: Butterfield Books Inc., 2017. The first mystery in a series rooted in Daytona Beach.
  • Chicory, Chrissy. Nettles B&B Paracozy series. 2022. Paranormal cozy mysteries about a haunted bed-and-breakfast in Daytona Beach.
  • Clay, Mary. The Turtle Mound Murder. N.p.: n.p., n.d. A light mystery centered on Turtle Mound and local history at Canaveral National Seashore and New Smyrna Beach. Amazon.
  • Clay, Mary. Murder in the Stacks. A New Smyrna Beach library mystery involving Founders’ Day, a library debate, and a local-history grudge match. Goodreads.
  • Dorsey, Tim. Gator A-Go-Go. Serge Storms Series 12. New York: William Morrow, 2010. A satirical crime novel that spends time in Daytona Beach during spring break.
  • DuLong, Terri. Patterns of Change. 2015. Contemporary women’s fiction about a woman starting over in Ormond Beach. Amazon.
  • DuLong, Terri. Stitches in Time. 2016. A novel of life, friendship, and second chances rooted in Ormond Beach. Amazon.
  • DuLong, Terri. Unraveling the Pieces. 2016. Contemporary women’s fiction set in Ormond Beach. Amazon.
  • Elson, Nicki. Three Daves. Chicago: Omnific Publishing, 2010. A coming-of-age novel that includes scenes tied to Daytona Beach’s college and beach culture.
  • Elwood, Danielle A. Crashed. 2013. A contemporary novel that uses Daytona Beach and the surrounding area as part of its setting.
  • Fidel, Gary. Daytona Sands. Rick Sands Series 1. 2013. The first thriller in the Rick Sands series, set in and around Daytona Beach.
  • Jackson, Dave, and Neta Jackson. Defeat of the Ghost Riders. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1995. A youth historical adventure novel that features Daytona’s early days and local legends.
  • McCrumb, Sharyn. St. Dale. New York: Kensington Books, 2005. A NASCAR-inspired novel that treats a trip to the Daytona 500 as a modern American pilgrimage.
  • Miller, Ann Lee. New Smyrna Beach Series 1. 2012. Inspirational romance about four college-age friends in a New Smyrna Beach band as they wrestle with love and faith. Amazon.
  • Moreau, Rita. Murder in Daytona Beach. Ghost & Camper Kooky Mystery 7. 2025. A paranormal cozy mystery set in Daytona Beach. Amazon.
  • Oakes, Dellani. One Night in Daytona Beach. City Nights Series 17. Galway, Ireland: Tirgearr Publishing, 2015. A romance that unfolds over a single night in Daytona Beach.
  • Oakes, Dellani. Under the Daytona Sun. 2012. A contemporary romance set along Daytona Beach’s seaside resort landscape.
  • Owens, Janie. Haircut and Highlights. Daytona Beach Mysteries 1. Next Chapter, 2023. A cozy mystery in which salon-owner Abby searches for a missing friend while her relationship with a Daytona Beach police sergeant deepens. Amazon.
  • Rochon, Valerie. Where Dolphins Fly. Historical fiction tied to the Dummett family and early coastal settlements around New Smyrna Beach. Publisher.
  • Rose, Kristi. The Girl He Needs. A No Strings Attached Novel 1. Daytona Beach, FL: Vintage Housewife Books, 2021. A contemporary romance set in Daytona Beach and the surrounding area.
  • Sharp, Zoë. First Drop. A Charlie Fox Thriller. New York: St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2004. A thriller set in Daytona Beach during peak spring break.
  • Tonyan, Rick. Guns of the Palmetto Plains. DeLand, FL: West Volusia Historical Society. A historical novel grounded in frontier-era West Volusia.
  • Tripp, Valerie. The One and Only: A Maryellen Classic. Middleton, WI: American Girl, 2015. Middle-grade novel set in 1954 Daytona Beach. Amazon.

Memoir

  • Rice, Ron, with Jeff Snook. Great Times & Tan Lines. Daytona Beach: Hawaiian Tropic Publishing, 2011. Memoir of Hawaiian Tropic founder Ron Rice, with many stories from Daytona Beach.

Nonfiction

  • Hinton, Ed. Daytona: From the Birth of Speed to the Death of the Man in Black. New York: Warner Books, 2001. A narrative history of stock-car racing at Daytona.
  • Hinton, Ed. The Daytona 500: The Thrill and Thunder of the Great American Race. New York: Random House, 2004. An illustrated account of the Daytona 500.
  • Johnson, Mark I. Ten Days in Daytona: The Many Faces of Bike Week. 2017. A photo-essay portrait of Bike Week’s people and scene. Amazon.
  • Kenner, Corrine. Gently Haunted: The Ghosts, Spirits, and Historic Haunts of DeLand, Florida. 2024. A revised and expanded collection of true ghost stories tied to DeLand landmarks and West Volusia history. Amazon.
  • Lane, Mark. Legendary Locals of Daytona Beach. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2015. Short biographical sketches of notable Daytona residents.
  • Lane, Mark. Sandspurs: Notes from a Coastal Columnist. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2008. Newspaper columns reflecting life along the Volusia coast.
  • Mott, Lawrence. East Coast Florida. New York: Macmillan, 1926. Period travel writing with significant Volusia coastal material.
  • Redd, Robert. Racing in Daytona Beach: Sunshine, Sand & Speed. 2021. Local racing history from beach runs to the Speedway. Amazon.
  • Schleifer, Jay. Daytona!: Thunder at the Beach. Mahwah, NJ: Silver Burdett Press, 1995. A youth-oriented sports book profiling racing at Daytona International Speedway.
  • Smith, Dusty. Haunted Daytona Beach: A Ghostly Tour of the World’s Most Famous Beach. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing/The History Press, 2007. Documented haunts across Daytona Beach and Volusia County. Amazon.
  • Smith, Dusty. Haunted DeLand and the Ghosts of West Volusia County. Charleston: The History Press, 2008. A century of DeLand ghost tales, from the Putnam Hotel to other landmarks. Amazon.

Literary Works

  • Boyd, Valerie. Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston. New York: Scribner, 2003. A major biography that includes Hurston’s years in Volusia County.
  • Butcher, Lee. Murder in the Fast Lane. New York: Pinnacle True Crime, 1993. A true-crime account involving Daytona Beach.
  • Butcher, Lee. Sex, Money, and Murder in Daytona Beach. New York: Pinnacle Books, 1999. True-crime investigations rooted in Daytona Beach.
  • Crane, Stephen. The Open Boat. New York: Doubleday & McClure, 1897. A fictionalized autobiographical account of Crane’s survival of the wreck of the Commodore off Mosquito Inlet.

Volusia County History

  • Clark, Nancy, ed. Florida Cracker Cooking. DeLand, FL: West Volusia Historical Society, n.d. A regional study of pioneer foodways relevant to West Volusia.
  • Dreggors, Bill, and Stephen Hess. A Century of West Volusia County 1860–1960. DeLand, FL: West Volusia Historical Society. A foundational regional history.
  • Francke, Arthur E., Jr., Alyce Hockaday Gillingham, and Maxine Carey Turner. Volusia: The West Side. DeLand, FL: West Volusia Historical Society. A broad regional history.
  • Haase, Ronald. Classic Cracker Architecture. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1992. A study of cracker buildings that shaped Volusia’s architectural character.
  • Hartley, Marion P. The St. Johns River Guidebook. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2008. A guide to the river corridor that shaped West Volusia communities.
  • Pettengill, George R., Jr. The Story of Florida Railroads. DeLand, FL: West Volusia Historical Society. A history of Florida rail lines with significant Volusia coverage.
  • St. Claire, Dana. Cracker Culture in Florida History. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1998. An overview of cracker culture that underpins early settlement patterns.
  • Turner, John W. The Volusian: Horatio S. Dexter. DeLand, FL: West Volusia Historical Society, 2007. Biography of one of Volusia’s significant early figures.
  • Waitley, Douglas. Florida History from the Highways. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press, 1995. A motoring history with substantial Volusia content.
  • West Volusia Historical Society. Crow’s Bluff (1883–1900). DeLand, FL: WVHS. A focused history of an early settlement.
  • West Volusia Historical Society. Steamships of the Two Henrys: Henry Plant & Henry Flagler. DeLand, FL: WVHS. Steamboats, railroads, and transit networks that influenced Volusia.
  • West Volusia Historical Society. Volusia County Schools 1854–2000. DeLand, FL: WVHS, 2000. A comprehensive educational history.

Community History

Barberville

  • Brotemarkle, Benjamin D. Barberville. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2005. A pictorial history with emphasis on rural life and community landmarks.

Cassadaga

  • Palmer, Mary Jane. Cassadaga: History and Memoirs from America’s Oldest Spiritualist Community. Lake Helen/Cassadaga: Cassadaga Bookshop Press, 1990. A combined history and memoir.
  • Slawson, Elmer T. The Cassadaga Story. Lake Helen, FL: Slawson Publications, 1937. An early account of the spiritualist settlement.

Daytona Beach

  • Atwell, Cheryl, and Vincent Clarida. Daytona Beach and the Halifax River Area. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 1998.
  • Cambre, Dale. Daytona Beach, Florida: A Postcard Tour. Postcard History Series. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2008.
  • Cardwell, Harold D., Sr. Daytona Beach: 100 Years of Racing. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2002.
  • Cardwell, Harold D., Sr. Historic Photos of Daytona Beach. Nashville: Turner Publishing, 2007.
  • Cardwell, Harold D., Sr., and Priscilla D. Cardwell. Historic Daytona Beach. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2004.
  • Nylander, Justin A. Florida’s Historic Victorian Homes. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2010. Includes Volusia examples.
  • Punnett, Dick, and Yvonne Punnett. Thrills, Chills and Spills. New Smyrna Beach, FL: Tomoka Press/Luthers, 1990. Early aviation history on Daytona’s beach-runway.

DeLand

  • Austin, Hettie M. Minutes and Memorials of the Old Settlers of DeLand, Florida. Edited by Louise Ball Caccamise. DeLand, FL: WVHS. Early settler reminiscences.
  • Bauer, Gerri G. The Parce Letters. DeLand, FL: WVHS, n.d. Letters illuminating early DeLand.
  • Caccamise, Louise Ball. Echoes of Yesterday: A History of the DeLand Public Library (1912–1995). DeLand, FL: WVHS, 1995.
  • Caccamise, Louise Ball. Memory Lane: A History of the Street Names of DeLand. DeLand, FL: WVHS.
  • DeLand, Helen Parce. The Story of DeLand and Lake Helen. Reprint. DeLand, FL: WVHS. Originally published 1928.
  • Hall, Maggi Smith, Michael Justin Holder, and WVHS. DeLand. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003.
  • Hall, Maggi Smith, Michael Justin Holder, and WVHS. DeLand Postcards. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing.
  • Hall, Maggi Smith, Michael Justin Holder, and WVHS. Stetson University. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003.
  • Ryder, Karen. Better Country Beyond. DeLand, FL: WVHS, 2019.
  • West Volusia Historical Society. History of Florida Military School, DeLand. DeLand, FL: WVHS.

Deltona

  • Clark, Lawrence J. Deltona: A Saga of Dreams and Realities. Deltona, FL: Deltona Historical Society, 1999.
  • Deltona Historical Society. Deltona. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2010.
  • French, Harry T., and Bernice French. The Deltona Story: A City With a Vision. Deltona, FL: Deltona Historical Society, 2001.

Edgewater

  • Edgewater Historical Society. Edgewater. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2007.
  • City of Edgewater. Edgewater: A Pictorial History. Edgewater, FL.
  • Edgewater Historical Society. A History of Edgewater’s Founding Families. Edgewater, FL: EHS Press.

Holly Hill

  • Holly Hill Historic Preservation Board. Holly Hill. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2008.
  • Holly Hill Historic Preservation Society. A Pictorial History of Holly Hill. Holly Hill, FL: HHHS Press.

Lake Helen

  • Chase, Mary L. The Story of Lake Helen. Lake Helen, FL: Lake Helen Public Library Association, 1950.
  • Lake Helen Heritage Society. Lake Helen: Images of the Past. Lake Helen, FL: LHHS Press.
  • Lake Helen Methodist Church. A History of the Lake Helen Methodist Church, 1886–1986. Lake Helen, FL: LHMC, 1986.

New Smyrna Beach

  • Cooley, Dean Richard. History of New Smyrna. New Smyrna Beach, FL: New Smyrna Beach Centennial Committee, 1960.
  • Cooley, Dean Richard. New Smyrna: An 18th Century Enterprise. New Smyrna Beach, FL: New Smyrna Beach Bicentennial Commission, 1968.
  • Dreggors, William J., and Alice Strickland. New Smyrna Beach. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2008.
  • Griffin, Roger Eric. New Smyrna Beach: World War II. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2016.
  • Mays, David B. The Lost Colony of New Smyrna. New Smyrna Beach, FL: Private Press, 1976.
  • New Smyrna Museum of History. New Smyrna Beach: A Pictorial History. New Smyrna Beach, FL: Southeast Volusia Historical Society.

Orange City

  • Dreggors, William J., and Alice Strickland. Orange City. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 1997.
  • Orange City Blue Spring Heritage Festival. Blue Spring: The History of a Natural Landmark. Orange City, FL: BS Festival Committee.
  • Orange City Woman’s Club. Orange City: A Centennial Tribute. Orange City, FL: OCWC, 1982.

Ormond Beach

  • Atwell, Cheryl. Ormond Beach. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2006.
  • Atwell, Cheryl. Ormond Beach: A Centennial History. Ormond Beach, FL: Ormond Beach Historical Society, 2004.
  • Clary, Ken. Ormond Beach: A Brief History. Charleston: The History Press, 2011.
  • Ormond Beach Historical Society. The Ormond Hotel: The Queen of Florida’s East Coast. Ormond Beach, FL: OBHS.
  • Ormond Beach Historical Society. Birthplace of Speed. Ormond Beach, FL: OBHS.
  • Turner, Paul A. Ormond Beach: Reflections of a Resort Town. Ormond Beach, FL: Plantation Oaks Press, 1998.

Ponce Inlet

  • Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association. Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Ponce Inlet, FL: PILLPA.
  • Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association. The Keepers of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Ponce Inlet, FL: PILLPA.
  • Jackson, Abbie M. The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003.
  • Small, Eleanor Phillips. Ponce Inlet and Its Lighthouse. Daytona Beach, FL: Small Publishing, 1982.
  • Ponce Inlet Historical Museum. Ponce Inlet: A Coastal Community History. Ponce Inlet, FL: Ponce Inlet Historical Museum.
  • Smith, Rick. Lighthouse Lure. Ponce Inlet, FL: Coastal Heritage Press, 1995.

Port Orange

  • Atwater, Mary. Port Orange. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003.
  • Port Orange Historical Trust. Port Orange: A Pictorial History. Port Orange, FL: POHT Press.
  • Strickland, Alice. Spruce Creek: A Tale of Old Port Orange. Daytona Beach, FL: Self-published, 1972.
  • Gamble Place Historic District. Gamble Place. Port Orange, FL: Gamble Place Foundation.
  • Port Orange Family History Project. Founding Families of Port Orange. Port Orange, FL: POHSP.