I love historical mysteries because when they’re done well you not only get a great whodunit, but you get to learn about another time. And while there are hundreds of historical mysteries set in England and the US, I though it would be fun to round up some of the more unusual settings in the genre. Because there’s nothing wrong with another Tudor mystery, but it’s fun to virtually visit someplace new.
I know so little about Africa, so I thought I would round up all the historical mysteries I could find set on that continent. Aside from the expected slew of titles set in Ancient Egypt, I was happy to find some other choices as well.
Because I always like a graphic, here it is in a map (click to embiggen), followed by a list.
African Historical Mysteries by Country
Egypt
- Flesh of the God (Mystery of Ancient Egypt, book 1)
by Lauren Haney – 14th c. BC
- The Mask of Ra
by Paul Doherty – 14th c. BC
- Out of the Black Land
by Kerry Greenwood – 13th c. BC
- Nefertiti
by Nick Drake – 13th c. BC
- The Tree of Life (Mysteries of Osiris, book 1)
by Christian Jacq – 13th c. BC
- Murder in the Place of Anubis (Lord Meren Book 1)
by Lynda S. Robinson – 13th c. BC
- Ramses: The Son of Light
by Christian Jacq – 13th c. BC
- Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody, Book 1)
by Elizabeth Peters – 19th century
- The Mamur Zapt & the Return of the Carpet: A Mamur Zapt Mystery (Mamur Zapt Mysteries)
by Michael Pearce – early 20th century
Algeria
- The First Wave (Billy Boyle, Book 2)
by James Benn – WWII
Morocco
- Garment of Shadows (Mary Russell, book 12)
by Laurie R. King – 1920s
- The Torch of Tangier: A Lily Sampson Mystery (Lily Sampson Mysteries Book 2)
by Aileen G. Baron – WWI
Kenya
- Strange Gods
by Annamaria Alfieri – early 19th c.
- Mark of the Lion (Jade Del Cameron, book 1)
by Suzanne Arruda – 1920s
Belgian Congo
- The Witch Doctor’s Wife
by Tamar Myers (1950s)
South Africa
- Scarlet Sash: A Novel of the Zulu Wars
by Garry Douglas Kilworth – 19th c.
- A Beautiful Place to Die (Emmanuel Cooper, Book 1)
by Malla Nunn – 1950s