ISBN: 0-89296-509-6 Order from:
A tale of suspense and politics in English-ruled Egypt, this mystery satisfies the reader with both intellectual puzzle and exotic color.
Reviewed by David on October 20, 2002
Genre: Mystery (Historical, Police Procedural, Politics, Egypt)
Synopsis: Captain Owen, formerly of the Britich Army, is now attached to the English Consulate in Egypt—in fact, if not in name, the government of Egypt. The young man is the Mamur Zapt—the head of the political police in Cairo.
When the body of a young woman is found on the bank of the Nile, it would seem a simple criminal matter. However, the woman was apparently a visitor to the barge of Prince Narouz, possible heir to Khedive, the nominal ruler of Egypt. Thus it becomes the crime for the political branch to solve.
the mamur Zapt's job is made immesurably harder by the fact that the body itself goes missing immediately after the first sighting. Unscrambling the puzzle, tracing the girl's identify, while trying to break an elusive band of arms-smugglers makes Owen's job truly complicated. But it is English politics in Egypt, along with the stormy relationship with his passionate Egyption mistress that make it nearly impossible.
Full Review: Colorful and confusing Egypt is a more than the background—it's the subject of most of Owen's investigations, as well as the root cause of the crimes. From crushing poverty in the villages to enormous wealth of the Pashas and the foreign interests, Egypt is a country of contrasts, contrasts that invite violence while providing fertile soil for the plots of extremists of all kinds.
As the tangled investigation proceeds to imply political motives, the touchy matter of Egyptian politics make the plot both colorful and complicated. In the end, a combination of luck, skill, knowledge of the city and persistence lead the Mamur Zapt to truth, and the reader to a satisfying conslusion.
Overall: 5; Plot: 5.5; Characters: 5.5; Style: 5.5; World-building: 7; Originality: 6.5;
Copyright date 1992, Warner Books (Mysterious Press), December 1994, Cloth, 234 pages
ISBN: 0-89296-509-6 Order from: