Historical Mystery Reads for When Summer Is Calling Your Name

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Whether you spend the summer lounging at the pool, hopping on a plane, or sweating it out on the train as you slog through your daily commute, you require a good book as temperatures climb. These historical mysteries are the perfect accompaniment to anything from blazing mornings to sultry summer nights, and all will draw you into mysteries even hotter than the temperature.

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

This Austen-meets-Christie imagining of the circumstances surrounding one of the most reviled of Austen’s character’s murders is a top pick for summer. A summer house party is a classic setting, not to mention we get plenty of nostalgia as we revisit not only Wickham but a slew of Darcys, Tilneys, Knightleys, and Brandons, who are all suspects in the murder. A bonus: the recently released second in the series, The Death of Mrs. Willoughby, is the perfect fall companion book, set in October.

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

There’s nothing hotter than a scandalous Harlem speakeasy in summer, proven by this fun 1920’s series opener. Louise Lloyd is forced to help solve the murders of Black women in her neighborhood, forcing herself to reexamine her greatest trauma. If you’re looking for a hot book, both in terms of sultry temperatures, steamy dances, and a mystery that turns up the heat with every page, this book should be on your TBR.

Treachery on Tenth Street by Kate Belli

Speaking of summer heat, Kate Belli’s third Gilded Gotham mystery has it in spades. Every page of this Gilded Age New York novel is dripping with atmosphere as intrepid journalist Genevieve reunites with her erst-while lover and fellow sleuth Daniel to solve the murders of artists and models. Along with the steamiest summer New York has had in decades, the pressure of finding the murderer before one of Genevieve’s closest friends is targeted causes the team to sweat it out.

Secret Identity by Alex Segura

If you’re in a summer blockbuster mood, Alex Segura’s Secret Identity will scratch that itch. Set in the 1970’s, this novel follows Carmen, an assistant at a comic book giant who is invited to help design their first female superhero. But Carmen soon is embroiled in mystery when one of her colleagues is found dead. Creative ego, competition, and sexism battle it out in the workplace as Carmen tries to unravel the mystery. A refreshing and more literary take on a historical mystery.

Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer 

If you’re like me, summer encourages visions of exotic travel. The first of Erica Ruth Neubauer’s Jane Wunderly Mysteries, the 2021 winner of the Agatha Award, offers a perfect escape from everything but the heat. Wealthy widow Jane and her somewhat eccentric aunt venture to Egypt in 1926, where the sand burns with the sun and passions burn hotter. The murder of an insufferable socialite points a finger at Jane, and she, along with a handsome stranger, solve the crime before Jane can take the fall for it. If you loved Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile or Murder in Mesopotamia, this is perfect.

The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

Set in another unusual location, the vibrant depiction of 1936 in the Crown Colony of Singapore in this series opener is enough to make anyone forget where they’re actually sitting. Su Lin’s missionary education and traditional cultural knowledge make her the perfect person to solve the murder of the nanny to the Acting Governor‘s daughter, a position which Su Lin now fills. This novel will transport you through time and across cultures, ideal for indulging in summer escapism.

The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O’Donnell

If you wish to avoid summer heat all together, I suggest this wintery read from Pariac O’Donnell. It opens on a cold, blustery night in 1893 when a seamstress with a mysterious message stitched into her skin falls from a window and doesn’t end until all three of the sleuths caught up in the mystery are led on a twisty ride that is at once riveting and surprising. There’s a reason this novel has been praised by the likes of Oprah and Publisher’s Weekly.

A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari

Another 1920’s book, my second Saffron Everleigh mystery will take you from blooming summer wildflowers to damp fall leaves. Research botanist Saffron is asked to consult on a series of murders marked by the bouquets found in the victims’ homes. Alongside her insufferably handsome and irritating partner, Dr. Lee, Saffron discovers that there’s more than just nasty flowers contained in the bouquets, but hidden messages that send Saffron and Lee to a jazz club, a high society parties, and glittering theatre. A book that seamlessly takes you from summer into fall.

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