10 Best Archaeological Mystery Books Set in Ancient Ruins!
Roll up those sleeves, grab that dirt-encrusted trowel and join us on a journey into the captivating world of archaeological mystery novels. We got a list that will transport you straight into the heart of ancient ruins, teasing you with whispers of long-gone civilizations and unsolved enigmatic riddles. Dive in head first and let the musty allure of these books seep into you, leaving you hungry for more. When suspense meets history, you know you're in for a ride filled with sudden unexpected twists, tantalizing cliff hangers, and profound revelations. Unearth hidden treasures, decipher cryptic hieroglyphics, and dodge deadly booby traps as you plow through the pages of these spellbinding books we've handpicked just for you. Forget cozy murder mysteries or futuristic sci-fi thrillers—unraveling the secrets of the past is where the real excitement lies. These ten gripping reads are sure to keep the gears of your mind turning long into the night, making every reading session a true archaeological dig of epic proportions. So, come on adventurers, it's time for a heavy dose of CSI—in Babylon! Historical buffs and mystery lovers alike, brace yourselves for thrilling escapades through time! Because who said history has to be dull?
『The Ice Limit』
National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters delivers a moving, classic love story with a coming out theme and a modern twist. The largest known meteorite has been discovered, entombed in the earth for millions of years on a frigid, desolate island off the southern tip of Chile. At four thousand tons, this treasure seems impossible to move. New York billionaire Palmer Lloyd is determined to have this incredible find for his new museum. Stocking a cargo ship with the finest scientists and engineers, he builds a flawless expedition. But from the first approach to the meteorite, people begin to die. A frightening truth is about to unfold: The men and women of the Rolvaag are not taking this ancient, enigmatic object anywhere. It is taking them.
Author | Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child |
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Price | $7.99 |
Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
Release Date | Jul 01, 2001 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Book of the Dead』
An FBI agent, rotting away in a high-security prison for a murder he did not commit... His brilliant, psychotic brother, about to perpetrate a horrific crime... A young woman with an extrodinary past, on th edge of a violent breakdown... An ancient Egyptian tomb with an enigmatic curse, about to be unveiled at a celebrity-studded New York gala... Memento Mori
Author | Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
Release Date | May 30, 2006 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Explorer's Code』
Prominent oceanographer Cordelia Stapleton teams up with archaeologist John Sinclair to find a deed she inherited that is also being sought by a consortium of underworld criminals, a quest that results in a high-stakes chase.
Author | Kitty Pilgrim |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | May 29, 2012 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Seventh Scroll』
BOOK 2 IN THE ICONIC ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SERIES, BY THE MASTER OF ADVENTURE, WILBUR SMITH 'Best historical novelist' - Stephen King 'A master storyteller' - Sunday Times 'Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared' - The Times 'No one does adventure quite like Smith' - Daily Mirror AN ANCIENT SCROLL A 4,000 YEAR OLD LEGACY A BATTLE FOR THE TRUTH It is 4,000 years since the battle for the Egyptian Kingdom, and Duraid and Royan al Simma have just uncovered the tomb of the ancient Egyptian Queen, Lostris, alongside the secret scrolls of the most trusted servant of the Pharaoh, Taita. When the couple are the victims of a vicious attack that leaves Duraid dead, Royan realises that she must continue their joint work: to use the secrets of the seventh scroll to find the hidden tomb of Pharaoh Mamose, and its untold trove of lost Egyptian riches. To do so, she must bury her grief and partner with the eccentric aristocrat Nicholas Quenton-Harper, a man who shares her passion for the ancient world. But the men who killed her husband are not yet finished. As Royan and Nicholas draw closer to the Pharaoh's tomb, enemies are gathering - people who will stop at nothing to ensure the scroll's promised treasures are kept from Royan's hands . . . Book 2 in the Ancient Egyptian series from the master historical adventure writer, Wilbur Smith. Book 3 in the series, Warlock, is available now. And don't miss Wilbur Smith's return to Egypt in The New Kingdom sequence: The New Kingdom Titans of War Testament All available now.
Author | Wilbur Smith |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Bonnier Publishing Fiction Ltd. |
Release Date | Jan 01, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『Thunderhead』
Nora Kelly, a young archaeologist in Santa Fe, receives a letter written sixteen years ago, yet mysteriously mailed only recently. In it her father, long believed dead, hints at a fantastic discovery that will make him famous and rich---the lost city of an ancient civilization that suddenly vanished a thousand years ago. Now Nora is leading an expedition into a harsh, remote corner of Utah's canyon country. Searching for her father and his glory, Nora begins t unravel the greatest riddle of American archeology. but what she unearths will be the newest of horrors...
Author | Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child |
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Price | $7.99 |
Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
Release Date | Jul 01, 2001 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Ape Who Guards the Balance』
Prospects for the 1907 archaeological season in Egypt are looking somewhat dull to Amelia. As a result of Emerson's less-than-diplomatic behaviour, they have been demoted to examining only the most boring tombs in the Valley of the Kings - mere leftovers, really. And then, in a seedy section of Cairo, the younger members of the Peabody Emerson clan purchase a mintcondition papyrus of the famed Book of the Dead, the collection of magical spells and prayers designed to ward off the perils of the underworld and lead the deceased into everlasting life. But for as long as there have been graves, there have also been grave robbers - and so begins a new adventure into antiquity. The season rapidly switches from dull to deadly as Amelia strives to untangle a web woven of criminals and cults, stolen treasures and fallen women - all the while under the unblinking eye of a ruthless, remorseless killer.
Author | Elizabeth Peters |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | C & R Crime |
Release Date | Sep 01, 2011 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Janus Stone』
Dr Ruth Galloway's forensic skills are called upon when builders, demolishing an old house in Norwich, uncover the bones of a child - minus the skull - beneath a doorway. Is it some ritual sacrifice or just plain straightforward murder? Ruth links up with DCI Harry Nelson to investigate. The house was once a children's home. Nelson traces the Catholic priest who used to run the place. He tells him that two children did go missing forty years before - a boy and a girl. They were never found. When carbon dating proves that the child's bones predate the home and relate to a time when the house was privately owned, Ruth is drawn ever more deeply into the case. But as spring turns into summer it becomes clear that someone is trying hard to put her off the scent by frightening her to death...
Author | Elly Griffiths |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | |
Release Date | Jun 02, 2016 |
Source | Google Books |
『Haunted Ground』
The dazzling, award-winning debut in a series that delivers mystery, romance, suspense, and fascinating forensic detail. When farmers cutting turf in an Irish peat bog make a grisly discovery—the perfectly preserved head of a young woman with long red hair—Irish archaeologist Cormac Maguire and American pathologist Nora Gavin must use cutting-edge techniques to preserve ancient evidence. Because the bog’s watery, acidic environment prevents decay, it’s difficult to tell how long the red-haired girl has been buried—two years, two centuries, or even much longer. Who is she? The extraordinary find leads to even more disturbing puzzles. The red-haired girl is not the only enigma in this remote corner of Galway. Two years earlier, Mina Osborne, the wife of a local landowner, went for a walk with her young son and vanished without a trace. Could they, too, be hidden in the bog’s treacherous depths, only to be discovered centuries from now? Or did Hugh Osborne murder his family, as some villagers suspect? Bracklyn House, Osborne’s stately home, holds many secrets, and Nora and Cormac's inquiries threaten to expose them all.
Author | Erin Hart |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | Apr 08, 2003 |
Source | Google Books |
『Seeing a Large Cat』
No villain is safe in 1903 Egypt as feisty archaeologist Amelia Peabody embarks on her ninth adventure. According to an ancient Egyptian papyrus, dreaming of a large cat means good luck. And that's just what Amelia Peabody could use, as her growing family matures in the new century. What's more, Amelia's dashing husband Emerson has received a mysterious warning not to enter the Valley of the Kings. To Emerson's annoyance, Amelia's meddling distracts her attention as she exposes a fraudulent spiritualist, saves a marriage, and plays matchmaker. But diabolical forces are at work when an unknown tomb reveals a shocking murder -- and the Peabody family dodges bullets from an assassin determined to put an end to their discoveries.
Author | Elizabeth Peters |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
Release Date | Nov 29, 2009 |
Source | Google Books |
『Lake of Sorrows』
A magnificent tale of death and destiny, past and present, in an Ireland rich with tradition, myth, and mystery: “Lake of Sorrows has a heft and richness uncommon in contemporary suspense novels” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune). American pathologist Nora Gavin has come to the Irish midlands to examine a body unearthed at a desolate spot known as the Lake of Sorrows. As with all the artifacts culled from its prehistoric depths, the bog has effectively preserved the dead man's remains—his multiple wounds suggest he was the victim of an ancient pagan sacrifice known as “triple death.” But signs of a more recent slaying emerge when a second body, bearing a similar wound pattern, is found—this one sporting a wristwatch. Someone has come to this quagmire to sink their dreadful handiwork—and Nora soon realizes that she is being pulled deeper into the land and all it holds: the secrets to a cache of missing gold, a tumultuous love affair with archaeologist Cormac Maguire, and the dark mysteries and desires of the workers at the site. As they draw closer to the truth, Nora and Cormac must exercise the utmost caution to avoid becoming the next victims of a ruthless killer fixated on the gruesome notion of triple death.
Author | Erin Hart |
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Price | $15.99 |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | Mar 14, 2006 |
Source | Google Books |
In conclusion, what's better than losing yourself in the vast untamed world of archaeological mystery books set in ancient ruins? Nothing, that's what! These novels bring together the thrilling prospects of danger, discovery, suspense, and the allure of the unknown all wrapped into one. They hold the power to transport you back in time while keeping you at the edge of your chair with the unwavering tension. The plots are mind-blowing with authors masterfully interweaving facts and fiction to create masterpieces that are as informative as they are captivating. So, whether you're a history buff, a fervent mystery reader, or just a newbie looking for a different kind of thrill, this list has got you covered. Get ready to dig into these pages and unearth some truly mesmerizing tales set against the backdrop of fearsome ruins and lost civilizations. Trust me, these books will leave you craving for more. Who knows, you just might catch the wanderlust bug and find yourself drawn to the thrill of archaeology. Go on, dive in! Adventure awaits you in these brilliantly crafted archaeological mystery novels. Don't just read about the adventure, live it!
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