Books Like Secret of the Scarab

There’s no denying that Victorian-era England was utterly obsessed with Egypt. There are numerous written accounts of travel to the country, and plenty of writers and artists traveled to Egypt for inspiration. Naturally, this also means that mysteries set in Egypt during the Victorian era have remained very popular. For example, in Sercret of the Scarab by Isabella Bassett, Lady Caroline is embroiled in murder and mayhem during a jaunt up the Nile. For more mysteries set in Egypt during the Victorian era, check out the following books like Secret of the Scarab.

Crocodile on the Sandbank

By Elizebeth Peters

Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first novel in the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. The story is set during the Victorian age and sees Amelia deciding to travel the world after receiving a large inheritance. On her way to Egypt, she encounters a young woman named Evelyn Barton-Forbes, who has been abandoned by her scoundrel lover in Rome. Amelia takes pity on  Evelyn and asks her to accompany her on a trip up the Nile to check out an archeological site. Unfortunately, Evelyn becomes the target of a botched kidnapping as well as other suspicious incidents. This prompts Amelia to investigate why her new travel companion is being targeted. 

The Case of the Purloined Pyramid

By Sean McLachlan

The Case of the Purloined Pyramid is the first book in The Masked Man of Cairo series by Sean McLachlan and is set in early 20th-century Cairo. The protagonist, Sir Augustus Wall, is a horribly mutilated veteran of the Great War. Leaving Europe behind, Wall purchases a decaying mansion in Cairo, which he restores to use as a home and antiquities shop. Wall’s reclusive lifestyle is interrupted when a priceless inscription is stolen. To make matters worse, people who know the secrets of the inscription start turning up dead. Since the local police have their hands full with riots and protests, Wall teams up with an Egyptology expert named Moustafa Ghani and a street urchin named Faisal to unravel the mystery.

Cairo Rose

By C.G. Oster

Cairo Rose is the first book in the Rowan Pierce Mysteries series by C.G. Oster. Rowan Pierce is an Inspector who leaves London behind to work with the police in Cairo. It is set in the early 20th century when the political situation made things tense in Cairo. Pierce is out of his depth in this foreign environment, unfamiliar with the customs, language, and city itself. However, for his first case, he is tasked with solving the murder of a young Egyptian woman who was found floating in the Nile. Aided by his Egyptian colleague, Captain Salid, Pierce must solve the case. Unfortunately, some influential people would like the murder to be swept out of sight, which complicates Pierce’s job.

Covert in Cairo

By Kelly Oliver

Covert in Cairo is the second novel in the Fion Figg & Kitty Lane Mystery series by Kelly Oliver. The series sees file clerk turned spy Fiona Figg teaming up with a new sidekick to solve cozy mysteries. Covert in Cairo is set during Christmas of 1917 in Cairo, where Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane of British Intelligence find themselves after a top-off from notorious spy Fredrick Fredricks. The duo investigates the murder of a young French archeologist who was found dead in a tomb in the desert. Unfortunately, the long list of suspects includes jealous husbands, secret lovers, competing excavators, and even belligerent spies. 

Nile Cat

By Angela Cecil Reid

Nile Cat by Angela Cecil Reid is the first novel in her The Nile Mysteries series of books. The story is set in 1871, when fourteen-year-old twins, Rose and Lily, are on their way to Egypt to stay with their aunt in Cairo. Rose is immediately suspicious when a sinister Egyptologist, Mr. Baxter, joins their ship, but not even Lily heeds her warnings. Rose’s dreams also become haunted by the spirit of a long-dead temple cat after she receives a stone cat amulet. Rose also stumbles across an ancient mystery that could see her and Lily sacrificed to the Egyptian gods unless they can work together to put the past to rest. 

Sands of Deception

By Micah Crosbie

Sands of Deception by Micah Crosbie is an Egyptian Mystery novel set in the 1920s. Six strangers are brought to the edge of the Egyptian desert to attend a lavish dinner party hosted by the wealthy Englishman, Sir Archibald. However, upon arrival at the enigmatic desert mansion, the guests find themselves swept up in a treasure hunt for the fabled Ankh of Osiris. The mansion has hidden passages, so the guests forge unexpected alliances to search for the legendary artifact. Unfortunately, they also encounter an unforeseen danger that will require all of them to work together to overcome their challenges.

Secrets of the Nile

By Tasha Alexander

Secrets of the Nile is part of the Lady Emily Mysteries series by Tasha Alexander, and it shows Lady Emily and her husband visiting the exotic treasures of Egypt. The two, whom Lady Emily’s formidable mother-in-law joins, embark on a lavish cruise up the Nile towards the home of their host, Lord Bertram Deeley, at Luxor. Unfortunately, Deelay, who is a renowned amateur British collector of antiquities, falls victim to poison on the first night of the journey. Since he only invited his closest friends for the trip, Lady Emily is baffled as to why his nearest and dearest would want him dead. However, as Emily and her husband continue to investigate, they discover that there are plenty of reasons why someone would want to kill Deelay.