The best Egypt-inspired thrilling, adventure mysteries that satisfy that ache for the ancient

Why am I passionate about this?

My ache for the ancient is a disease. It’s probably safe to say that I am the creator of the world’s greatest range of Egypt-based fiction by a single author. My depth of knowledge comes from a lifetime spent studying ancient Egypt and Egyptian archaeology and making numerous research trips to Egypt. I am fascinated by the mystery of ancient Egypt and its potency and relevance to today’s world. I have written numerous series and stand-alone adventures. 


I wrote...

The Egyptian Mythology Murders

By Roy Lester Pond,

Book cover of The Egyptian Mythology Murders

What is my book about?

An ancient cycle of love and death returns to modern-day London. A mummy named Isis is taken to a hospital for a noninvasive imaging scan…and so begins a mystery and a string of deaths. An ancient cycle unfolds in modern-day London–and a search for eternal love. 

Can a young museum curator and a police Antiquities detective stop the killings in time before a terrible culmination of events for the world? 

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of She

Roy Lester Pond Why did I love this book?

I feel sadness for readers who haven’t experienced the excitement of this book with its aura of the ancient sacred. Set in the darkest Africa, this Lost Civilization novel, despite its colonialist overtones, stoked a fire of passion in me for thrilling reading and writing. (Rather like the unearthly pillar of fire that She bathed inside to preserve her unworldly beauty!)

For me, the story of an immortal woman and love and death across the eons is unforgettable, as is the terrible and beautiful She herself.

By H. Rider Haggard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked She as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

She (1887), an intoxicating mix of adventure, fantasy, and romance, is an underappreciated classic of English literature. Among his most successful works, She -which was inspired by Haggard's experience living in South Africa-helped the author establish his reputation as a leading writer of his generation and an invaluable pioneer of the lost world genre of fantasy fiction. Horace Holly, a young Cambridge professor, receives an unexpected opportunity from an older colleague: in exchange for knowledge about an ancient secret, Holly must agree to become the caretaker of Vincey's son in the event of his untimely death. Cautious yet intrigued, Holly…


Book cover of The Egyptian

Roy Lester Pond Why did I love this book?

A thrilling read that first sparked my lifelong passion for ancient Egypt with its vivid recreation of a distant past.

Sinuhe’s career as a young Egyptian physician takes him to the center of royal power and secrets and into the lives of unforgettable characters. Like the heartless courtesan Nefernefernefer, a beauty whose name ensured that no man would ever hear it spoken without saying it aloud and remembering it. Just as I remember it today. 

By Mika Waltari, Naomi Walford (translator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Egyptian as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First published in the 1940s and widely condemned as obscene, The Egyptian outsold every other American novel published that same year, and remains a classic; readers worldwide have testified to its life-changing power. It is a full-bodied re-creation of a largely forgotten era in the world’s history: an Egypt when pharaohs contended with the near-collapse of history’s greatest empire. This epic tale encompasses the whole of the then-known world, from Babylon to Crete, from Thebes to Jerusalem, while centering around one unforgettable figure: Sinuhe, a man of mysterious origins who rises from the depths of degradation to get close to…


Book cover of The Mummy or Ramses the Damned

Roy Lester Pond Why did I love this book?

I found this to be a surprisingly elegant and sensuous read for a novel about an ancient Egyptian mummy. Awakening in Edwardian London and consuming the elixir of life, the revivified Rameses is doomed to wander the earth without satisfying his unquenchable desires, pursuing a beautiful aristocrat while desperately longing for the ancient beauty, Cleopatra.

Echoes of She and an ancient, forbidden cycle of love made it irresistible to me.

 

By Anne Rice,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Mummy or Ramses the Damned as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Ramses the Great returns in this “darkly magical” (USA Today) novel from bestselling author Anne Rice

“The reader is held captive and, ultimately, seduced.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Ramses the Great lives!

But having drunk the elixer of live, he is now Ramses the Damned, doomed forever to wander the earth, desperate to quell hungers that can never be satisfied—for food, for wine, for women.

Reawakened in opulent Edwardian London, he becomes Dr. Ramsey, expert in Egyptology. He also becomes the close companion of voluptuous, adventurous Julie Stratford, heiress to a vast shipping fortune and the center…


Book cover of Mara, Daughter of the Nile

Roy Lester Pond Why did I love this book?

I value this book as a lesson in engrossing story-building.

While ostensibly 'a young Egypt read,’ this novel is a consuming and thrilling read for anyone who loves intrigue and historical adventure. It's about a slave girl hungry for her freedom. Mara is a spy story of dangerous love and a central character torn by a monstrous dilemma. 

It's a gem to discover.

By Eloise Jarvis McGraw,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mara, Daughter of the Nile as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

This compelling story of adventure, romance, and intrigue, set in ancient Egypt, was written by the three-time Newbery Honor and Edgar Award winning author Eloise Jarvis McGraw.

Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom in ancient Egypt, under the rule of Queen Hatshepsut. Mara is not like other slaves; she can read and write, as well as speak the language of Babylonian. So, to barter for her freedom, she finds herself playing the dangerous role of double spy for two arch enemies-each of whom supports a contender for the throne of Egypt.

Against her will,…


Book cover of The Jewel of Seven Stars

Roy Lester Pond Why did I love this book?

This book was required reading for me as an Egyptophile and mystery thriller writer. 

Ancient horror, an archaeological plot to revive the dead Queen Tera, a mummy with extra fingers. What’s not to love? It's an atmospheric genre I just can’t shake.

By Bram Stoker, Deborah Kevin (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Jewel of Seven Stars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the author of Dracula comes one of the first mummy novels ever written.

An Egyptologist discovers a tomb at the exact moment his daughter is born.

In a house full of Egyptian antiquities—

A jeweled scarab, mummified cat, and severed hand …

Unexplained claw marks and comas …

A mysterious stranger’s wild tales of a hidden tomb and ancient warnings …

Of violent deaths to everyone who sought the jewel …

All linked to a forgotten queen’s 5,000-year quest for reincarnation …

Malcolm Ross, pulled by his adoration of Margaret Trelawny, finds himself embroiled in a centuries old story…


You might also like...

The Others

By Evette Davis,

Book cover of The Others

Evette Davis Author Of Woman King

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve worked in journalism, politics, and public policy for 30-plus years and watched as the extreme voices gained the most traction on either side of a debate. On social media, these minority views often dominate the discussion. 48 States is a stand-alone novel highlighting the problems of extremist viewpoints in a civil society. I also have another book series that features a political consultant who discovers she's a witch and joins a secret society that uses magic to manipulate elections to protect humanity. Bottom line: if I can’t fix political discourse for a living, I can write science fiction novels that contemplate how to do it.

Evette's book list on dystopian stories for the bada** feminist in us all

What is my book about?

True Blood meets Supernatural in the kickoff of this urban paranormal fantasy series from an acclaimed author. Readers enter a dystopian San Francisco filled with empaths and vampires embroiled in political unrest—and Book 1 is just the beginning.

Much as she wishes otherwise, superstar political consultant Olivia Shepherd was born a powerful empath. It’s a legacy she walked away from long ago—but when she wakes up one morning to find Elsa, a tenacious time-walker, standing in her kitchen, she realizes she can no longer ignore her gifts. She is quickly plunged into the hidden world of powerful “Others” and drafted…

The Others

By Evette Davis,

What is this book about?

True Blood meets Supernatural in the kickoff of this urban paranormal fantasy series from an acclaimed author. Readers enter a dystopian San Francisco filled with empaths and vampires embroiled in political unrest—and Book 1 is just the beginning.

Much as she wishes otherwise, superstar political consultant Olivia Shepherd was born a powerful empath. It’s a legacy she walked away from long ago—but when she wakes up one morning to find Elsa, a tenacious time-walker, standing in her kitchen, she realizes she can no longer ignore her gifts. She is quickly plunged into the hidden world of powerful “Others” and drafted…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Egypt, mummies, and Africa?

11,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Egypt, mummies, and Africa.

Egypt Explore 212 books about Egypt
Mummies Explore 18 books about mummies
Africa Explore 255 books about Africa