Best Mysteries With a Historical Setting

Boand: Fascinating history and a very twisted tale that keeps you guessing right until the end. Life in a European monastery and the process of writing books is beautifully described.

Maddz: The 1st of the Falco series - a hard-boiled detective in Vespasian's Rome.

lilithcat : Not an historical mystery, as it was set during the era in which it was written.

merrystar: List description specifies that the story need only be set prior to the 1950s; publication date does not matter

: Not an historical mistery

Boand: Simply one of the best crime mysteries ever written with the most shocking denouement if you’re reading it for the first time. Set in 1934, the year it was written so qualifies for this list!

lizzy50usa: The book that introduced the inimitable Phryne Fisher.

al.vick: love that this one has a woman as the detective when it is set so long ago.

ccreads247: Enjoyed reading a well written medieval mystery featuring a woman sleuth. No shrinking violets here!

Boand: My favourite from this wonderful series set in medieval Europe describing medical practices and herbal healing as well as a cracking murder mystery.

Maddz: The first Amelia Peabody.

merrystar: Set before 1950; list description says that books can be published contemporaneously and need only be set before or during the 1950s.

: In my opinion, "The Woman in White" cannot be categorized as a "mystery" per se. Collins' "The Moonstone" fits more into this category but not this book.

Boand: Very hard to choose just one of Ellis Peters’ books, but this is a favourite set in a little known period of English history.

skid0612: The first novel in the marvelous Easy Rawlins series starts with a bang in late 40s Los Angeles

Imprinted: An elegantly constructed mystery novel about a murder in 17th century Oxford, England, told from conflicting points of view.

lorax : This is an alternate history, not set in the actual historical past.

CarltonC: I keep saving Gaudy Night, so may change my opinion once I have read, but love Lord Peter Wimsey’s characterisation and the setting of winter in the fens.

EMS_24: During the goldrush in New Zealand. Each chapter from another protagonist's point of view, in each chapter a changing view on current days and the days around the crime; roles and what happened.

al.vick: an excellent series, not sure which is my favorite.

Boand: SO hard to choose just one of Lindsey’s books but this one also makes me laugh and reminds me that the art of plumbers hasn’t changed in 2000 years!

andyl: First in the Sister Fidelma series. Future books in the series are probably better than this one, but listed because it is the first.

Maddz: A kidnapping in 2nd century Rome.

andyl: First in the Matthew Bartholomew series set (mostly) in Cambridge University in the 14th century.

Dave_Perry: Remarkable account of the aftermath of the fire of London. Mystery solved by pair with exquisite detail of living conditions at the time.

Boand: Wonderful mystery set in Victorian England, full of mists, magic, myths and murder.

andyl: Thomas Chaloner series set just after the restoration of Charles II.

themulhern: A mystery set in Victorian England, clearly inspired by "The Sign of Four".

lilithcat : Not an historical mystery, as it was set during the era in which it was written.

themulhern : I think lilithcat is correct, as far as I know Christie mostly wrote contemporary mysteries, in spite of being the wife of an archaeologist. Her brief foray into historical mystery, "Death Comes as the End" is already listed here.

Boand: Another wonderful murder mystery set in Europe and Egypt. Definitely one of the very best from Agatha Christie. Set in 1937 when it was written so qualifies for this list!

Yuki-Onna: The book needs to be a mystery set before 1950 and this it is. It doesn't need to be intended as historical by the author. @AbigailAdams26 Could we please clarify this matter? It's annoying when people downvote titles all the time on here. It was stated the title could be written any time. A contemporary mystery written in 1937 is historical by now, for heaven's sake! If you see it that way, The Woman in White etc. wouldn't be historical, as Wilkie Collins wrote this as a contemporary mystery in this time. Same with so many Agatha Christie books. Those written after 1950 are NOT historical, yes, but those written BEFORE 1950 are.

Imprinted: A real mystery involving Isaac Newton in 17th century Cambridge, England, is discovered by a present-day scholar.

paradoxosalpha: I could add a raft of Amelia Peabody stories here, but I think this one is my very favorite.