Historical mystery books are located at the intersection of the historical fiction and mystery genres. Historical mysteries revolve around a mystery being solved in an era before the one from which the author is writing.
From amateur sleuths in the Roman Empire, to tales of undercover espionage during the War of 1812, there are historical mysteries set throughout all of human history. Interesting historical settings inform and interact with the plots of these books to further enhance the mysterious atmospheres.
Follow the clues to these excellent historical mysteries set across every time period.
A historical mystery is a mystery book that takes place in a time before the author’s own. For example, Ann Granger’s A Rare Interest In Corpses, a mystery story that takes place in Victorian times but was written in 2006.
Examples of great historical fiction books include Agatha Christie’s Death Comes As the End which is set in ancient Egypt, Ellis Peters’ Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series which centers on a 12th century monk, and John Dickson Carr’s Regency-era mystery The Bride of Newgate.
