Historical Mystery Authors

There are many authors who write historical mysteries. Here is a list of both well-known and lesser-known authors, but you reading choices are not limited to just those on this page. Try out an author new to you and discover your new favorite.

Go back to sub-genres

Well-Known Authors for Historical Mysteries

Jacqueline Winspear

Jacqueline Winspear is the author of eighteen novels in the award-winning, and bestselling series featuring psychologist-investigator Maisie Dobbs.

Read any of her historical mystery series featuring the following character.

Maise Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs Series)

Anne Perry

Anne Perry is the bestselling author of two acclaimed series set in Victorian England: the William Monk novels and the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels, Read any of her historical mysteries featuring the following characters.

William Monk (William Monk Series)

Charlotte and Thomas Pitt (The Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Series)

Rhys Bowen

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of two historical mystery series, each very different in tone. The Molly Murphy mysteries are multi-layered and complex, while the Lady Georgie are lighter and funnier and poke fun at the British class system.

Read any of her historical mystery series featuring the following characters.

Lady Georgie (Her Royal Spyness Series)

Molly Murphy (The Molly Murphy Series)

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie books have now sold over a billion copies in English and another billion in over 100 foreign languages. Yet Agatha Christie was always a very private person, and though Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple became household names, the Queen of Crime was a complete enigma to all but her closest friends.

Read any of her historical mysteries featuring her beloved characters.

Hercule Poirot (Hercule Poirot Series)

Miss Marple (Miss Marple Series)

Caleb Carr

Caleb Carr is the author of ten books, several of which, most notably the historical thriller The Alienist, have become international best-sellers and prize-winners, and his work has been translated into over two dozen languages. Read any of his historical mysteries featuring the following character.

Dr. Lazlo Kreizler (The Alienist,
2-book Series)

C. S. Harris

C. S. Harris, aka Candice Proctor, is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series.

An Air Force brat who grew up exploring castles in Spain and fishing in the mountains of Oregon and Idaho, Candy later worked as an archaeologist and earned a PhD in European history. Read any of her historical mysteries featuring the following character.

Sebastian St. Cyr (Sebastian St. Cyr Series)

John Lawton

John Lawton is an English television director, producer and author of bestselling crime/historical and espionage novels set in Britain during the Cold War and the Word War II. Lawton spent most of his 1990’s years in New York and visited more than half of the 50 states. Read any of his historical mysteries featuring the following character.

Inspector Troy (Inspector Troy Series)

Ellis Peters

Ellis Peters, was an English author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, but she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. She is well known for her medieval-detective series The Cadfael Chronicles. Read any of her historical mysteries featuring the following character.

Brother Cadfael (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Series)

Other Historical Mystery Authors to Explore

Check out the work of some of these other historical mystery authors. Some you may know, so give a new-to-you author a chance.

Clive Cussler (Isaac Bell Series)

Susan Elia MacNeil (Maggie Hope Series)

James R. Benn (Billy Boyle WWII Mystery Series)

Lynn Brittney (Mayfair 100 Series)

Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody Series)

Walter Mosely (Easy Rawlins Series)

C. J. Archer (Cleopatra Fox Series)

The Resurrectionist (A. Rae Bunlap)

The Stolen Queen (Fiona Davis)

A Death in Diamonds (S. J. Bennett)

The Serpent Under - A Sherlock Holmes Adventure (Bonnie Macbird)

The Case of the Missing Maid (Rob Osler)

Rebellious Grace (Jeri Westerson)

The Lotus Shoes (Jane Yang)

The Queen of Fives (Alex Hay)

The Queens of Crime (Marie Benedict)

Last Twilight in Paris (Pam Jenoff)

The Wolf Tree (Laura McCluskey)

The Ghosts of Rome (Joseph O'Connor)

Junie (Erin Crosby Eckstine)

Dead in the Frame (Stephen Spotswood)

The Quiet Librarian (Allen Eskens)

Death Upon a Star (Amy Patricia Meade)

Best Sellers in Historical Mysteries

Have you read any of these best-sellers in the historical mystery genre?

(click the arrows to move between slides)

Hooked to Books

Reading Challenge