I would also put in a plug for the works of M.M. Kaye
She was a woman who was among the last to live the lifestyle of the colonial Englishperson in India -- being born in about 1910, she was sent back to England as a child for education, etc. etc., then returned to India as a very young woman. She LOVED the country and respected its people and it shows in her very detailed, very authentic work.
her three-volume autobiography, though disappointing as it stops at the juicy point she finally in late youth/early middle age meets the love of her life, is well worth a read -- Sun in the Morning, Golden Afternoon and Enchanted Evening.
Those who are my age will recall that in the late 1970s she published basically THE blockbuster fictional historical romance of that decade, The Far Pavillions. I remember sneaking to read it during high school classes because it was un-put-downable; it's a thick tome. Very edge-of-the-seat romantic and exciting. Have re-read a time or two over the years.
She published a few other thick fictional sagas that like the Far Pavilions incorporate real events into the lives of her characteres -- I like Trade Winds the best. Excruciatingly detailed -- you just immerse yourself in the cultures -- admittedly from the English POV but she does make an effort to portray others.
She also published a handful of light mysteries -- I love them and re-read them every year -- in the US they were titled as "Death in...." whatever exotic locale -- again as a well-traveled young woman and later English military wife in the early/mid century she knew locations like Cyprus and Kashmir and Zanzibar firsthand, and she writes interesting forewords to the books about when she was there and how she got the ideas for the plots.
The mysteries are fairly formulaic -- genteel (often orphaned) young woman visiting friends or relatives in exotic locale gets mixed up in mystery and wins the heart of the alpha male. what makes them stand out to me is her ability to create atmosphere and in each novel is at least one suspenseful/scary scene that with no gore or violence whatsoever manages to make hair stand up on the back of my neck -- even upon multiple re-reading! She was very talented. A couple of the mysteries are genuinely surprising in the whodunnit and I say that as one who started devouring Agatha Christie at age 9 and can guess any "surprise twist" plot, usually.
My favorite is "Death in Kashmir" though "Death in the Andammans" and "Death in Berlin" are close runners up. They all are enjoyable.
Hope this helps!