For centuries, people have been fascinated with Egypt. From the mystery of the pyramids, to the ancient history of the pharaohs there is an enchanting blend of mysticism and wonder. If you’ve been captivated by this setting, you’ll want to dive headfirst into this roundup of novels that whisk you away to Egypt.

Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez

Inez traveled to Egypt to uncover the truth about her parents’ death but has only found betrayal, heartbreak, and a dark magic that threatens to ruin her. As if she could stand another heartbreak, her Tío Ricardo just informed her an arranged marriage with Whitford Hayes is the only way to secure her inheritance. He has his own hidden reasons for leaving his home in England to head off to Egypt.

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Neferura by Malayna Evans

Neferura is the high priestess and princess of Kermet, her mother was the great Pharaoh, who expected greatness of her daughter. Neferura is supposed to be the one to be consulted about matters of the kingdom, as it is her birthright, but instead she must serve her half-brother as he claims power over her people. When she hears his plot to overthrow her mother’s rule, she must protect her people from her tyrant half-sibling and team up with a network of spies and a powerful women who’s abilities rival Neferura’s.

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Jewel of the Nile by Tessa Afshar

Chariline was raised by her aunt, orphaned by her parents when she was young. She knows nothing about them accept that her father was from the ancient kingdom of Cush. She soon discovers her father could still be alive, and she heads off on a quest to find him, with the clues pointing towards Rome. But her grandfather and the queen of Rome have reason to keep this hidden from her, and will stop at nothing to keep it that way.

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Chronicle of a Last Summer by Yasmine El Rashidi

Follow the life of a girl living in Cairo during President Mubarak’s government and the damage it did to families and individuals for years to come. Starting at age six in 1984 all the way through adulthood, readers will connect with her youthful bliss and exploration of her changing home, her confusion and passion as a film student, and her acceptance and healing as an adult, where she is a film writer.

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Murder Among the Pyramids by Sara Rosett

Blix is a professional lecturer at ladies groups where she tells them all about her travels around the world. She is given the opportunity to go to Egypt as a companion for an older woman, but the moment their trip begins, things start to go awry. Their first encounter is an attempted robbery and ends with a murder at the pyramids, and Blix is certain someone in their tour group is responsible. It is up to her to find out who did it, and why.

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The Automobile Club of Egypt by Alaa Al Aswany

If you are looking for an out of the box historical fiction, you have found the perfect book. Set in the 1950’s in Cairo, the Ottoman rule is coming to its end, and the beginning of social upheaval when an employee is killed at a European Automobile Club after standing up for himself, refusing to act as a servant in his own country. His death leaves his two sons to take his place at the luxurious lodge to serve the European members to support their family, but his death started a ripple that spread to all of Cairo. Will they live in “safety” as servants, or will they fight for their rights and stand up?

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Cairo Circles by Doma Mahmoud

Though they are cousins that grew up together, Sherif “Sheero” and Amir have very different lives. Amir always got the hand-me-down clothes and neglect from his parents, while Sheero was given opportunity after opportunity from a wealthy business mogul to be successful. They were once close, but when Sheero attended the most prestigious private school in Cairo and became best friends with Taymour, son of the business mogul, they soon had nothing in common. When Sherro left Cairo, he felt lighter than air no longer under his family’s judgements, but he was soon called to return after Amir is responsible for a violent act.

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Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

Inspired by the fabled romance between Antony and Cleopatra, enter a world of ancient power, unimaginable wealth, and a monarchy at the precipice of destruction. Princess Calla must enter a fight to the death to become the sole ruler of Talin, and kill her uncle who’s maneuvering to snatch up the kingdom and get rid of her. She then meets another person in the games, an exiled aristocrat, Anton, who is competing to save his comatose lover back home. The two become a powerful force, driven by their passionate love for one another that is both instant and insatiable. But if Calla wants to claim her kingdom, she must remember what, and who, she is fighting for.

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Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie

Dive into an iconic Christie mystery, this one set in 2000 BC in ancient Egypt. The priest’s daughter, Renisenb is investigating the death of one of his concubines, Nofret. Everyone else has ruled this as an act of fate, the Renisenb is suspicious of something much more sinister at play.

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Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi

Born in a poor Egyptian village, Firdaus has never had an easy life. She was forced into sex work to support herself, and in doing so, she had to give up all her childhood dreams that turned out to be truly only fantasies. Now, she is being convicted of a murder and sentenced to a life in prison, when she sees that women are only free if they have given up everything they are.

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