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DEATH OF AN EFFENDI
by Michael Pearce
Poisoned Pen Press, May 2004
207 pages
$24.95
ISBN: 1590580664


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The Mamur Zapt, or Gareth Owen, has gone to Crocodilopolis in order to protect Tvardovsky. At Crocodilopolis, there is a special meeting of the Egyptian government and a Russian delegation to explore the idea of a monetary loan. Tvardovsky is a Russian, who is attempting to help the Egyptians rebuild their country.

Unlike other members of the delegation, Tvardovsky lives in Egypt; hence, he has an understanding of the importance the Nationalist movement has in everyday life. It is his goal to help Egypt rebuild its power base and then step out ­- he does not want to maintain occupation of the country.

While on a hunt, Tvardovsky is murdered and the local government attempts to cover it up as an accident. Gareth Owen is assigned to assist Mahmoud in this investigation as Owen was at the conference. Owen and Mahmoud find themselves hunting down a murderer and a conspiracy that will threaten their own lives.

DEATH OF AN EFFENDI does a much better job of tackling the tensions that existed in Cairo during this period than Pearce's previous books. In this book, the 12th in the series, some of the hostilities between the Effendi, or the elite, and the masses are more evident.

In addition, the book demonstrates the hatred many Egyptians felt for the English. While the English are supposed to be there merely to help the Prince deal with his finances, many of the population saw them as unwelcome guests attempting to occupy their country. The history of Cairo has always been a power struggle and this book finally presents this image.

The writing style of this book is rather dry, although the other stylistic elements of this book are much stronger. The characters are well drawn and well developed and the plot moves along smoothly. Pearce does a good job of creating an atmosphere of tension and confusion. The book contains token cultural elements ­- just enough to give the book a slightly exotic feel -­ without making it feel too foreign.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, June 2004

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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