A few historical mysteries, set in various locations around the world, selected by our librarians:
Palace of Justice by Susanne Alleyn
While Madame Guillotine is still in action in 1793, a serial killer, who cuts the heads off his victims, is loose in Paris. Aristide Ravel, freelancer to the
Paris police, is the only one who can see the killer’s agenda.
The Crocodile’s Last Embrace by Suzanne Arruda
In this 1920s Kenyan adventure, Jade del Cameron, explorer and solver of mysteries, must confront her painful past when she receives a letter from her dead fiancé and a rival is released from prison.
The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby
Nico, an Athenian investigator, tries to catch whoever killed an eminent statesman while young, aspiring politician, Pericles, avoids political landmines and his pesky little brother, Socrates, in this humorous and historically detailed mystery set in the 5th century, B.C.E.
Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie
Though Gaius Ruso would rather practice medicine, once again he’s sent to Roman England to find a missing tax collector and his brother—not to mention the King’s money!
An Evil Eye by Jason Goodman
The Sultan’s harem may be at the center of a puzzling series of murders and the defection of the Ottoman’s naval admiral, a man who strikes fear in Yashim’s heart as he navigates a tangled web of baffling clues.
Dead and Buried by Barbara Hambly
Benjamin January, a free Black man in 1830s New Orleans, goes undercover as a piano player in a bordello, despite his French physician’s degree, in order to investigate a plot involving embezzlement, family secrets and murder.
The Illusion of Murder by Carol McCleary
While on a trip to break Jules Verne’s fictional around-the-world record, reporter Nellie Bly stops over in Egypt only to witness a fatal stabbing. Is it part of a terrorist plot to drive the British out of Egypt?
The Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn
Lady Julia Gray and detective Nicholas Brisbane’s honeymoon in the Himalayas is cut short when news of a shocking death takes them to India to investigate.
The Holy Thief by William Ryan
Captain Alexei Korolev of Moscow’s Criminal Investigation Division finds that the brutal murder of an American nun may have been politically motivated. This thriller set in 1936 Russia marks the beginning of a new series to keep your eye on.
The Fifth Servant by K. J. A. Wishnia
In 16th-century Prague, a Christian girl is found murdered in a Jewish shop and new sexton Benyamin Ben-Akiva has three days to discover the culprit and save his already persecuted community.
See these and 22 more suggestions for historical mysteries right in our catalog in the Seattle Picks: Historical Mysteries list. And if you love mysteries, you might also want to sign up for our free monthly email NextReads Mystery newsletter.
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