Reading books and visiting museums are two of my favorite things to do. That’s why it is so delightful to discover a story set in an extraordinary building filled with art, culture, history, or treasures. Today I am extra delighted to curate this roundup of novels set in museums to share with our readers.
As a vital part of society, museums document history, teach us about the world, open our eyes to wonder, and allow us to dwell in possibility. Add in the built-in drama of beautiful art, priceless artifacts, or breathtaking architecture and the result is a fantastic location for an author to weave a story around. It’s no wonder the “truth is stranger than fiction” Louvre heist is so captivating, I for one am hooked. (We honestly had this book list planned way before the heist and more recent ticket scams, but the timing is impeccable!)
Tell me a story focuses on an irreplaceable collection or rare exhibit and my interest is immediately sparked. They truly are bookish catnip for me. Like many fellow readers, my love for stories set in museums began with the classic middle grade book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg. (You mean I am not the only one who wants to run away and live in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art??) The book immediately caught my eye because of how much I enjoyed my family’s occasional weekend visits and school field trips to museums. That delightfully nerdy admiration continued in college when I accidentally minored in Art History after taking so many courses for fun.
Nowadays, museums play a large part in my family’s life. We visit a few each month and seek them out when we travel. Finding a novel with a museum setting is an exciting way to interact with the artifacts, art, and exhibits within, even if you can’t visit in person. In fact, these titles are a great choice for anyone seeking to travel to a museum through armchair literary tourism.
This list includes novels featuring a variety of both genres and museums. Some characters work as curators or art restorers, others are visiting the institution, and a few are even trying to stage a robbery. (A couple of books address the fact that some museums house stolen items, and what follows upon discovery.)
Have a masterpiece recommendation to add? Please chime in below and tell us all about your favorite novels set in museums.
10 novels set at museums
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The first in the Lady Emily Mysteries series, this intriguing tale artistically blends history, suspense, and romance. Not long after marrying Viscount Philip Ashton, Lady Emily is left widowed from a husband she barely got a chance to know before he tragically died on a hunting safari. Emily soon learns that Philip was hunting not only animals but priceless antiquities too. Yearning to learn more about his life, Emily is quickly swept into a twisty art scheme that takes her worldwide with stops at the British Museum and the Louvre. I adored how well researched all the priceless works and locations were, making for an interesting and entertaining read. More info →
What a fantastic and sharp heist novel! Give me a crew with specialized skill sets, intricate getaway plans, and extraordinary targets to steal with a few surprising twists and I am all in. This snappy debut follows mastermind Will, con artist Irene, thief Daniel, hacker Alice, and getaway driver Lily: five college aged Chinese Americans offered a high stakes gig. They’ll get fifty million dollars to recover five priceless artifacts and return them to Beijing. I adored the depth of insight their alternate points of view offer and each of their unique motivations. With scenes at the Sackler Museum in Boston, Drottingham Palace in Stockholm, the Château de Fontainebleau in Paris, and more, museum lovers will have a great time globetrotting along with the action. More info →
Inspired by Belle da Costa Greene’s incredible life, this historical novel tells the moving story of her instrumental work as director of The Morgan Library. Raised in a prominent African American family, Bella began passing as white after moving to New York City, a secret she kept her whole life. The audiobook narrated by Robin Miles is fantastic and full of lush details about New York in the 1920s. Our February 2024 Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club discussion with fabulous authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray added to my enjoyment of the novel. My only regret is discovering the backstory right after a trip to New York. I guess I will just have to go back soon to finally visit the collection. More info →
If you love archeology, fashion, and The Mummy, this historical novel about a stolen Egyptian artifact is for you. Beginning in New York City in the 1970s, Charlotte, an associate curator for the Department of Egyptian Art at The Met, and Annie, a young assistant for the museum’s annual Gala, make an unlikely duo when they team up to recover a stolen artifact. Then they realize Charlotte’s fateful time working a dig in the Valley of the Kings forty years earlier is at the heart of the mystery. While sad in parts, I appreciated the story feeling less heavy than most of the other historical fiction I have read. If you are a seasonal reader, this would be a fantastic book to pick up around the first Monday in May to enjoy all the behind-the-scenes peeks into fashion’s biggest night. (Content warnings apply.) More info →
A puzzle-y middle grade title that is entertaining for readers of any age, especially those interested in the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. When strange stuff starts happening at the Robie House in the Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago, students Petra, Calder, and Tommy are on the case. Filled with clever easter eggs, sleuthing adventures, and interactive games, the story has an extra layer built in thanks to illustrator Brett Helquist’s beautiful drawings. Not long after reading this, I visited Chicago and made sure to visit the historic house museum. More info →
I am so glad team member Leigh put this F/NB romantic suspense on my radar. Jillian and Sloane are art thieves that spent a steamy night together years ago. Unfortunately, that night ended in miscommunication, causing them to despise one another. But sparks quickly start to fly again when they both get rival gigs to steal a never-before-seen contemporary photography exhibit from The Art Institute of Chicago. Cue all The Thomas Crown Affair feels. At around 175 pages, this novella packs a banter-filled and action-packed punch! (Open door.) More info →
A magical romance with the ambience of drinking a mug of spicy hot chocolate while listening to an enchanting Olivia Dean album. Dina, a kitchen witch, and Scott, a curator at the British Museum, have a chance meeting at Dina’s cozy London cafe and now they can’t stop thinking about each other. As luck would have it, their best friends are getting married, giving Dina and Scott a whole wedding weekend to fall instantly in love. The chemistry between them is seriously steamy! But they are going to need all the luck they can get because Dina’s romantic life was hexed by her ex-girlfriend, putting Scott in danger. Fortunately Scott’s upcoming exhibit collects good luck charms from all over the world. I really enjoyed listening to the audio format by dual narrators Ferne Marks and Owen Hall. As a superstitious person, I couldn’t help but be swept off my feet by this spicy romance. (Open door.) More info →
“Something is very, very wrong in the British museum.” I liked how this contemporary horror wastes no time dropping right into action. Lewis, a struggling artist dealing with the sudden loss of his mom, accepts a rare opportunity to showcase his art at the famed museum. But when Lewis arrives, he is offered an intense magical quest to hunt and destroy a creepy collection of post-impressionist art created by his great-grandfather. Having read and enjoyed romance titles by Jackson, I was intrigued by both his foray into a different genre and the book’s fascinating magical system. Plus, when I realized the audiobook is performed by a favorite narrator of mine, Kevin R. Free, I knew it was a sign to give it a listen. While there are indeed intense and gruesome parts, it reminded me more of a dark fantasy than horror. Perfect for fans of the often dangerous spells in The Magicians series and the alternate Londontowns in A Darker Shade of Magic. Content warnings apply. More info →
I am a huge fan of a BONKERS premise and this rom-com set at The Art Institute of Chicago delivers one in spades. When Emily, an art museum conservator, is tasked with restoring a statue of Sir Griffin de Beauford, she can’t help but notice his good looks. But surprise, surprise, Griffin isn’t a statue at all but instead a centuries old knight cursed to stone by an evil apprentice to Merlin. (Yes, that Merlin!) Luckily, a kiss from Emily breaks him out of his shell which leads to some wacky fish-out-of-water situations. Think Enchanted and Kate & Leopold meet Hot Frosty. The humor is campy but the story has lovely tender parts, too. The audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley really makes all the sweet, silly, and steamy bits shine. (Open door.) More info →
My favorite book of summer 2024! I couldn’t get enough of this twisty globetrotting thriller with Mr & Mrs. Smith and Killing Eve vibes. Eva and Jonathan are contract killers who cross paths on a sleeper train, spending one passionate night together. Things get wild when they both are tasked with taking each other out but can’t deny their mutual attraction. The powder keg of emotions leads to a couple of very high stakes and steamy situations, including a memorable one in the Palace of Versailles. The pages fly by in this ultimate cat-and-mouse chase. Content warnings apply. (Open door.) More info →
Do you have any favorite novels set at museums? Please share in the comments.
Brigid Misselhorn is our MMD Book Club Community Administrator. Her go-to genres are mystery, romance, and sci-fi. You can find Brigid on Instagram @brigid_emily.
Brigid- you might like All the World is Beautiful by Patrick Bringley, non-fiction, author becomes a museum guard at the Metropolitan Museum Museum in NYC.
Brigid says:
Yes! I have that one on my list of nonfiction, Deborah. I think Ginger really loved it too.
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! Read it as a child, read and re-read to my children. Loved remembering it when visiting The Met recently.
Brigid says:
I need to read it to my kids! Thank you for the reminder, Marie!
Lisa Castellano says:
I think The Cloisters by Katy Hays is one that should have been on this list.
Kristen Williams says:
I agree!
Brigid says:
Will be moving it up my TBR!
Suzannah says:
I just finished Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Throw back to the 1990s!
Brigid says:
Suzannah, I had Relic on my list to check out but haven’t got around to it. Love a throwback!
Meredith Estes says:
I was thinking of these exact books! They are some of my favorite authors and characters.
Nancy Kohn says:
Check out this beautiful nonfiction book – All the Beauty in the World: A Museum Guard’s Adventures in Life, Loss and Art by Patrick Bringley. The author leaves his job at The New Yorker and becomes a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for ten years.
Brigid says:
Nancy, I heard he is making it a play as well!
Sis says:
Lovely as an audio book as the author is the reader
Emilyrose says:
Add to the list The Art of Vanishing by Morgan Pager! Museum novel with a bit of fantasy.
Brigid says:
I love the premise of that novel, Emilyrose!
Heather O. says:
Seconding this recommendation!! The Art of Vanishing was such a delight!
Deb V says:
I read The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay, last month, and really enjoyed it! It was set in the 1970s at the Tate, in London. It is historical fiction combined with mystery and mild suspense.
Brigid says:
Oooh, that one sounds great Deb!
Jeannine Loftus says:
I can’t think of the specific titles but several by Jeffrey Archer’s in the William Warrick series are about Art and at least partially set in Art Museums in London and other parts of Europe.
Lisa says:
I was just looking through book recommendations from my library and found “Nothing Ventured”, the first in the series by Jeffrey Archer. William Warwick investigates the theft of a Rembrandt painting from the Fitzmolean Museum. I immediately added it to my “want to read” list.
Shawn Hayden says:
Great list! I just finished a middle grade title that was delightfully set in a museum-A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall.
Books that came to mind are
Mona’s Eyes by, Thomas Schlesser and Hildegarde Serle (wonderful book)
Several tiles in Jeffrey Archer’s William Warrick Series are about Art and set in museums in London and across Europe.
Brigid says:
Going to look these ones up! Thanks Jeannine!
Lisa says:
I just started reading Mona’s Eyes, a Christmas gift from my son. I’m really enjoying it so far, even pulling up each piece of art as they come up in the book – very interesting!
Carolyn says:
Thank you for this list! I love museums and The Art Institute of Chicago and The British Museum are my favorites. I look forward to reading the books I didn’t know about set in those places.
Brigid says:
So happy to hear you enjoyed the list, Carolyn!
Kathleen Myles says:
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
Monica Wilson says:
Yes, I was just going to recommend this one. It is a true story that seems like fiction as it is so unbelievable, about a man who lived to steal artworks from museums and got away with it for years!
Brigid says:
Yes, I LOVED that book! Sounds like I may need to do a nonfiction round up as well!
Kathleen Myles says:
Also, The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro. And another of hers is the Lost Masterpiece!
Christi says:
I’ve enjoyed The Amelia Peabody Series (Elizabeth Peters): Set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these, starting with Crocodile on the Sandbank, feature a witty, unconventional, and wealthy Englishwoman who dominates the Egyptian excavation scene while solving mysteries.
Brigid says:
Christi, I have a copy of this one on my nightstand! It is one of Holly’s favorites but I didn’t even realize it would have museums in it.
Courtney says:
While not fiction, The Art Thief is a very compelling memoir about a man’s theft of over 300 pieces of artwork from a variety of museums across Europe. Highly recommend!
Teri says:
One of my book groups read this one last year. It got a bit tedious in places but…OMG! The number of museums he visited all over Europe and the things he managed to get away with stealing. It was amazing!
You might like The Museum of Modern Love, by Heather Rose, which uses the Marina Abromovic show at MoMA as the backdrop for a man’s journey to understanding himself.
Brigid says:
Oh that sounds fascinating, Bushra!
Chris C says:
Fun list! I read this so long ago that I can’t remember the details, but I enjoyed Murder at the Gardner, by Jane Langton. It was published in 2012, as part of the Homer Kelly series, and I just bought a Kindle copy for 99 cents. I’m looking forward to rereading it, and to discovering the titles on your interesting list.
Brigid says:
Chris, I love learning about the Gardner heist and how interesting that it may be the inspiration for that mystery series installment! Hope you enjoy your reread!
Chris C says:
Forgot to say I loved your phrase “accidentally minored in art history.” I loved my minor (French) but art history might have been even more fun.
Suzy says:
Well, isn’t The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, set at the Louvre?
Brigid says:
It sure is! I have listened to that one on audio so many times cause it was one of the only selections available to “rent” on CD from Cracker Barrel years ago. I really should have included it in my intro cause I think the amount of hours I have spent listening to it makes me a museum thriller expert. LOL
Janice says:
I loved Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey by Kathleen Rooney. It is so unusual as Cher Ami is a homing pigeon and war hero who is preserved in the Smithsonian. I never expected to love a book partly narrated by a pigeon. It blew me away.
Brigid says:
Oh I remember hearing about this one a while back and need to check it out again. Thanks Janice!
Barb Blom says:
I came here to recommend All the Beauty in the World, but there are many ahead of me on that rec. I would also suggest Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson. It doesn’t reach the height of Bringhley’s book, but has some fun short stories in which some of the archived items at the Met are anthropomorphized. Also anyone looking for a picture book could try Kate and The Starry Night by James Mayhew, part of a series. This one was a favorite of my granddaughter.
Brigid says:
I adore Christine Coulson’s One Woman Show but didn’t include it on this list cause it is a fictional museum in the book. But I will make sure to check out Metropolitan Stories! And love a picture book rec, thank you!
Samone says:
” Meet Me at the Museum” by Anne Youngson. An epistolary novel.
Peggy J Kressin says:
I loved Meet Me At the Museum by Anne Youngson. It’s also an epistolary novel.
Suzy says:
Oh, and The Feather Thief by Kirk Johnson takes partly in a museum, it’s a true crime. Fascinating!
Brigid says:
I have that one on my TBR list!
Teresa K Ahrenholtz says:
The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle was a fun and quirky read
Anne says:
that’s a great one!
Brigid says:
I didn’t realize that novel was quirky! Going to have to check it out. Thank you!
Emily Schoenhals says:
I will throw in another young adult novel about the stolen Mona Lisa!
“The Mona Lisa Vanishes” by Nicholas Day. I read it with my 10 year old and we loved it.
Brigid says:
Emily, I have got a copy of that on our bookshelf to read! Thank you for the nudge to pick it up.
Lin says:
I’m enjoying Jim Eldridge’s Museum Series.
Comments are closed.
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59 comments
Brigid- you might like All the World is Beautiful by Patrick Bringley, non-fiction, author becomes a museum guard at the Metropolitan Museum Museum in NYC.
Yes! I have that one on my list of nonfiction, Deborah. I think Ginger really loved it too.
Yes, it is fantastic.
So good.
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! Read it as a child, read and re-read to my children. Loved remembering it when visiting The Met recently.
I need to read it to my kids! Thank you for the reminder, Marie!
I think The Cloisters by Katy Hays is one that should have been on this list.
I agree!
Will be moving it up my TBR!
I just finished Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Throw back to the 1990s!
Suzannah, I had Relic on my list to check out but haven’t got around to it. Love a throwback!
I was thinking of these exact books! They are some of my favorite authors and characters.
Check out this beautiful nonfiction book – All the Beauty in the World: A Museum Guard’s Adventures in Life, Loss and Art by Patrick Bringley. The author leaves his job at The New Yorker and becomes a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for ten years.
Nancy, I heard he is making it a play as well!
Lovely as an audio book as the author is the reader
Add to the list The Art of Vanishing by Morgan Pager! Museum novel with a bit of fantasy.
I love the premise of that novel, Emilyrose!
Seconding this recommendation!! The Art of Vanishing was such a delight!
I read The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay, last month, and really enjoyed it! It was set in the 1970s at the Tate, in London. It is historical fiction combined with mystery and mild suspense.
Oooh, that one sounds great Deb!
I can’t think of the specific titles but several by Jeffrey Archer’s in the William Warrick series are about Art and at least partially set in Art Museums in London and other parts of Europe.
I was just looking through book recommendations from my library and found “Nothing Ventured”, the first in the series by Jeffrey Archer. William Warwick investigates the theft of a Rembrandt painting from the Fitzmolean Museum. I immediately added it to my “want to read” list.
Great list! I just finished a middle grade title that was delightfully set in a museum-A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall.
That one sounds fun, Shawn!
Author is Jasmine Warga
Books that came to mind are
Mona’s Eyes by, Thomas Schlesser and Hildegarde Serle (wonderful book)
Several tiles in Jeffrey Archer’s William Warrick Series are about Art and set in museums in London and across Europe.
Going to look these ones up! Thanks Jeannine!
I just started reading Mona’s Eyes, a Christmas gift from my son. I’m really enjoying it so far, even pulling up each piece of art as they come up in the book – very interesting!
Thank you for this list! I love museums and The Art Institute of Chicago and The British Museum are my favorites. I look forward to reading the books I didn’t know about set in those places.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the list, Carolyn!
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
Yes, I was just going to recommend this one. It is a true story that seems like fiction as it is so unbelievable, about a man who lived to steal artworks from museums and got away with it for years!
Yes, I LOVED that book! Sounds like I may need to do a nonfiction round up as well!
Also, The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro. And another of hers is the Lost Masterpiece!
I’ve enjoyed The Amelia Peabody Series (Elizabeth Peters): Set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these, starting with Crocodile on the Sandbank, feature a witty, unconventional, and wealthy Englishwoman who dominates the Egyptian excavation scene while solving mysteries.
Christi, I have a copy of this one on my nightstand! It is one of Holly’s favorites but I didn’t even realize it would have museums in it.
While not fiction, The Art Thief is a very compelling memoir about a man’s theft of over 300 pieces of artwork from a variety of museums across Europe. Highly recommend!
One of my book groups read this one last year. It got a bit tedious in places but…OMG! The number of museums he visited all over Europe and the things he managed to get away with stealing. It was amazing!
You might like The Museum of Modern Love, by Heather Rose, which uses the Marina Abromovic show at MoMA as the backdrop for a man’s journey to understanding himself.
Oh that sounds fascinating, Bushra!
Fun list! I read this so long ago that I can’t remember the details, but I enjoyed Murder at the Gardner, by Jane Langton. It was published in 2012, as part of the Homer Kelly series, and I just bought a Kindle copy for 99 cents. I’m looking forward to rereading it, and to discovering the titles on your interesting list.
Chris, I love learning about the Gardner heist and how interesting that it may be the inspiration for that mystery series installment! Hope you enjoy your reread!
Forgot to say I loved your phrase “accidentally minored in art history.” I loved my minor (French) but art history might have been even more fun.
Well, isn’t The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, set at the Louvre?
It sure is! I have listened to that one on audio so many times cause it was one of the only selections available to “rent” on CD from Cracker Barrel years ago. I really should have included it in my intro cause I think the amount of hours I have spent listening to it makes me a museum thriller expert. LOL
I loved Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey by Kathleen Rooney. It is so unusual as Cher Ami is a homing pigeon and war hero who is preserved in the Smithsonian. I never expected to love a book partly narrated by a pigeon. It blew me away.
Oh I remember hearing about this one a while back and need to check it out again. Thanks Janice!
I came here to recommend All the Beauty in the World, but there are many ahead of me on that rec. I would also suggest Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson. It doesn’t reach the height of Bringhley’s book, but has some fun short stories in which some of the archived items at the Met are anthropomorphized. Also anyone looking for a picture book could try Kate and The Starry Night by James Mayhew, part of a series. This one was a favorite of my granddaughter.
I adore Christine Coulson’s One Woman Show but didn’t include it on this list cause it is a fictional museum in the book. But I will make sure to check out Metropolitan Stories! And love a picture book rec, thank you!
” Meet Me at the Museum” by Anne Youngson. An epistolary novel.
I loved Meet Me At the Museum by Anne Youngson. It’s also an epistolary novel.
Oh, and The Feather Thief by Kirk Johnson takes partly in a museum, it’s a true crime. Fascinating!
I have that one on my TBR list!
The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle was a fun and quirky read
that’s a great one!
I didn’t realize that novel was quirky! Going to have to check it out. Thank you!
I will throw in another young adult novel about the stolen Mona Lisa!
“The Mona Lisa Vanishes” by Nicholas Day. I read it with my 10 year old and we loved it.
Emily, I have got a copy of that on our bookshelf to read! Thank you for the nudge to pick it up.
I’m enjoying Jim Eldridge’s Museum Series.
Comments are closed.