I’m taking part in Nonfiction November this month and this week’s topic is one I always enjoy: book pairings! Our host for Week 3 is Liz of Adventures in Reading, Running and Working from Home and here is the prompt:
This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. Maybe it’s a historical novel and the real history in a nonfiction version, or a memoir and a novel, or a fiction book you’ve read and you would like recommendations for background reading. Or maybe it’s just two books you feel have a link, whatever they might be. You can be as creative as you like!
For my nonfiction book, I’ve chosen Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie, which I read earlier this year. It’s her memoir describing her trips to Syria in the 1930s accompanying her archaeologist husband, Max Mallowan, on digs. I can think of three fiction books that would make good pairs, so I have listed all three below.
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie is the most obvious choice. It’s a Poirot mystery published in 1936 and is set on the site of an archaeological dig near Hassanieh, Iraq. Apparently Christie drew on her own experiences of visiting an excavation at Ur and she based some of the characters on people she and Max knew.
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters is the first in the Amelia Peabody mystery series and also features a narrator who participates in archaeological digs, this time in 19th century Egypt. I’ve enjoyed the first three books in the series and am looking forward to the next one.
The Gabriel Hounds by Mary Stewart isn’t about archaeology, but it is set in Syria – and also in Lebanon, where our narrator, Christy, goes to visit her eccentric Great-Aunt Harriet, a character based on the real-life adventurer and explorer Lady Hester Stanhope. I love Mary Stewart’s books and this is a very entertaining one!
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Have you read any of these? Can you think of other novels about archaeology or set in Syria?
She Reads Novels 
Excellent set of books! I always love the variety of choices this week. My host post is up now here: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/nonfiction-november-2025-week-3-pairings-2/ and I’ve added a link to this one there.
Thanks, Liz! I’ve linked directly to your post now.
That’s a fun theme to pair: I think that’s the only Peters mystery I read (I don’t think I could find the earlier ones and then was put off my reading out of order) but I enjoyed it! It does seem to be handy to have archaeologists digging around when it comes to mysteries, doesn’t it.
I really need to read more of the Elizabeth Peters books. I have so many series that I’ve started and then forgotten to continue with!
Ugh, i’m so terrible about starting series and then leaving them unfinished. My current goal is to finish just ONE each year and, even so, I sometimes don’t manage that. What is a lower goal to set?! hehe
Ugh, i’m so terrible about starting series and then leaving them unfinished. My current goal is to finish just ONE each year and, even so, I sometimes don’t manage that. What is a lower goal to set?! hehe
Kamila Shamsie’s historical novel A God In Every Stone features a female archaeologist in 1919 or thereabouts!
I’ve read that one but had forgotten about it. Thanks!
The only Syria based book I can think of is ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’ from 2019 by Christy Lefteri. It deals with the plight of refugees from Aleppo in Syria to Europe during the Syrian Revolution.
I picked up a copy when it came out but, typically, haven’t read it yet.
I haven’t read that, but I’m interested in reading more books set in Syria. I hope it’s a good one!
I thought of The Gabriel Hounds when you were reviewing Come Tell Me How You Live, too.
Yes, it was one of the first books that came to mind because of the similar setting.
I love the way you’ve paired one book with three. Thanks for sharing
Happy Nonfiction November
Thanks! I couldn’t just choose one.
I didn’t realize Agatha Christie already wrote nonfiction, so I learned something new today. 🙂 I can’t think of any books I’ve read about Syria, but I’m currently reading The Kite Runner where I’m learning more about Afghanistan.
I read The Kite Runner years ago, but can’t remember much about it – I think I preferred his other book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, but both were good.
I have read one novel by Mary Stewart and enjoyed it so will happily try The Gabriel Hounds but the Amelia Peabody one sounds fun, and intriguing. I have downloaded a sample of the biography of Lady Stanhope already. I read a biography by Mary S. Lovell of Bess of Hardwick and it was of a similar, dynamic, revolutionary aristocratic woman. Thank you for these choices.
I love Mary Stewart’s books – I’ve read nearly all of them and I think Nine Coaches Waiting and Madam, Will You Talk? are my two favourites, but The Gabriel Hounds is also very good. The Bess of Hardwick book sounds interesting. I’ve read some fiction about her, but have never read a biography.
I loved the Amelia Peabody books.
They’re so entertaining! I’m glad you love them too.
I always think of Elizabeth Peters when I’m reminded that Agatha Christie spent time around archeological digs.
Yes, I thought the Elizabeth Peters book was a perfect one to pair with the Christie!
I’ve read almost every novel Dame Agatha wrote. Come, Tell Me How You Live is on my to-read list, which is also a to-put-on-my-Amazon-wishlist list! I like how you extended the theme to three novels to pair with the nonfiction account. I’m looking forward to meeting Mr. Mallowan in those pages.
If you like Agatha’s novels, I’m sure you’ll enjoy Come, Tell Me How You Live. Her personality really comes through strongly and it’s a surprisingly funny book.
It would be intriguing to match up an Agatha Christie nonfiction title with an Agatha Christie fiction title set in the same location.
Well, Murder in Mesopotamia and Come, Tell Me How You Live are both set in the Middle East, but not in the same exact location. I can think of one or two other fiction books she set in that part of the world too, so I could have made a pairing with one of those.
I clicked through to your review… I did not realize that “Come, Tell Me How You Live” had been published before. That makes me want to read it even more.
Yes, it’s an older book reprinted in a modern edition. I really enjoyed it – it was surprisingly funny!
Cool topic! I remember Amelia Peabody. I read a ton of those books when I was a teenager.
I loved the first three Amelia Peabody books! I must read the next one soon.