Erica Neubauer envisions her series as a travelogue much like Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series or Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness series, where each novel is set in a new wanderlust-inspiring location. The first book is set in Egypt, the second will take place in England, and the third will occur on a transatlantic cruise similar to the Queen Mary, where Jane is headed back to the United States.

Well-connected in the mystery community, Erica Ruth Neubauer has established a reputation for writing insightful, well-crafted reviews in publications like the Los Angeles Review of Books, Crimespree Magazine, Publishers Weekly, and others. A member of MWA-Midwest and both the National and Chicago chapters of Sisters in Crime, she helps run Murder and Mayhem in Milwaukee, a day-long mystery event for book fans.

Murder at the Mena House is a delightful traditional mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Tasha Alexander, Rhys Bowen and Ashley Weaver. It is also appropriate for fans of the Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries television show.

Murder at the Mena House is set during the period of time known as “Tutmania,” when the discovery of the his tomb in 1922 had a huge impact on popular culture across the globe.

Neubauer has stayed at the Mena House Hotel, a real-life hotel located right next to the pyramids.

Erica Ruth Neubauer spent eleven years in the military, nearly two as a Maryland police officer, and one as a high school English teacher, before finding her way as a writer. She has been a reviewer of mysteries and crime fiction for publications such as Publishers Weekly and Mystery Scene Magazine for several years, and she’s a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Erica Ruth lives in Milwaukee, WI.

Author Residence: Milwaukee, WI

Advance Praise for Murder at the Mena House

With deft characterizations, an engaging plot, and the most compelling heroine I’ve found since Amelia Peabody, Erica Ruth Neubauer’s Murder at Mena House is the best book you’ll read this year. I can’t wait for the next installment of this phenomenal series.”
—Tasha Alexander, author of In the Shadow of Vesuvius

“What a refreshing surprise to be back on the Nile in this confident and accomplished debut. Neubauer pays proper homage to the Golden Age, but her crisp style and witty heroine ensure that Murder at the Mena House zips along in a thoroughly modern manner. I hope plucky Jane Wunderly has a long sleuthing future ahead; I, for one, am already looking forward to her next adventure.”
—Catriona McPherson, author of Go To My Grave

“A thrilling new series!”
—Victoria Thompson, national bestselling author of Murder on Union Square

“It’s no small feat to bring 1920s colonial Egypt to life, but Murder at the Mena House does far more than that. It’s an elegant mystery—written with wit, style, and heart—and Jane Wunderly is an unforgettable sleuth. Erica Neubauer’s debut is an absolute delight.”
—Hilary Davidson, Anthony Award–winning author of Don’t Look Down

“Murder at the Mena House is impossible to put down. A pitch-perfect mystery, with an exotic locale, and an unforgettable main character I hope to encounter again in future books. Erica Neubauer has created one of the most impressive debut novels I’ve read.”
—Alex Grecian, author of The Saint of Wolves and Butchers

“An exotic trip back in time to 1920s Egypt, with a cast of winning characters right out of the Golden Age of crime fiction. Murder at the Mena House is a charming adventure cum murder mystery set in a luxury hotel at the foot of the great pyramids. Gigolos, card sharps, smugglers, rich aunts, and one achingly handsome romantic interest surround our plucky, irresistible, complex heroine, the young widow Mrs. Jane Wunderly. An auspicious start to what promises to be an exciting and compelling series.”
—James W. Ziskin, Anthony and Macavity Award-winning author of the Ellie Stone mysteries