About
Reviews
Search
Submit
Home

Mystery Books for Sale

[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]


  

MINGRELIAN CONSPIRACY, THE: A Mamur Zapt Mysterty
by Michael Pearce
Poisoned Pen Press, July 2003
201 pages
$24.95
ISBN: 1590580699


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Cairo in 1908 is a city still under foreign occupation. The British were invited to help the King with his financial difficulties and they have expanded their responsibilities in the years since their invitation. Cairo is a city under two governmental systems: the British secret system and the Egyptian system.

The British are responsible for investigating all crimes that have a political base while the Egyptians are to investigate crimes that lack political motivation. As can be imagined, in a splintered city the majority of the crimes have a political basis. The Head of the Secret Police, Gareth Owen, uses this to his advantage when he wants to keep or lose responsibilities.

The Mingrelians are a small group of Christians from the Caucasus. Their homeland has been occupied and they have fled for their own safety. This is not to say that they are not willing to take revenge should the opportunity present itself.

Well luckily for them it has. The Russian Grand Duke is planning on visiting the country in a very public manner. Owen must find the conspirators and stop their plans. While he is battling with that, he must also deal with a protection racket dealing with the cafes.

Pearce does a good job of creating a city that is divided. That is through the eyes of the British occupants. A disappointing part of this book was the lack of focus on the Egyptian characters.

Although the British hint that things might be slightly unfair, they do nothing to change the social stratification. Since civil unrest is such an important part of the book, it would have been interesting to see how the natives felt about their own occupation.

The most disappointing part of the book for me was the fact that it was evident early on who the conspirators were. The majority of the book was spent finding the evidence to prove the guilt of those previously chosen. In addition, the clues were abundant. I felt sorry for them for being so incompetent.

This theme sometimes works but only in mysteries that are intentionally humorous, which this was not. It was evident from the start that they were would be captured and there would not be an assassination. The lack of suspense was unsatisfactory.

THE MINGRELIAN CONSPIRACY is the latest book in Michael Pearce’s Mamur Zapt series.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, October 2003

This book has more than one review. Click here to show all.

[ Top ]


QUICK SEARCH:

 

Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]