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I have just finished an ARC of The Camel of Destruction: a Mamur Zapt mystery by Michael Pearce, coming in August from Poisoned Pen Press. Urban renewal, land speculation and depressed cotton prices are the background for the death of Osman Fingari in the Department of Agriculture. Did he commit suicide or was it murder? And who are those bankers urging caution in the investigation which leads back to the Department of Finance? Captain Owen, the Mamur Zapt, is charged with the investigation. Cairo in 1910 is awash in intrique and corruption (now as then). Owen enlists the help of all manner of folks, including the local barber (is he a radical nationalist?); the Widow Shawquat (how did Owen get involved in her waqf?) and the Grand Mufti. Is the Khedivial Agricultural Society benign or sinister? I enjoyed the story and the history was very interesting. The office of Mamur Zapt dates back to early days when this office was designed to receive petitions on behalf of the fellahin (the peasants of Egypt). Now Owen serves as a symbol of law and order for the British occupation forces in Cairo. There were a couple of abrupt scene shifts that were not explained which detracted a little from the story, for me. But I recommend reading this if you enjoy historical mysteries and/or mysteries that are character-driven. I also enjoyed the inside joke regarding the title of the book: What is the camel of destruction?" You'll have to read the book to find out!
Reviewed by Viccy Kemp, June 2002
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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