- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; New Ed edition (10 April 1995)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006478921
- ISBN-13: 978-0006478928
- Product Dimensions: 17.5 x 10.9 x 1.5 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,049,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
The suicide of a clerk in the Ministry of Agriculture hardly seemed to warrant the attention of the head of Cairo's political CID in Edwardian Egypt, but Captain Owen soon found his investigation more concerned with controversial property developments than with the effects of too much prussic acid.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
Cairo, 1910: the end of the boom and everyone seems to have money troubles. Then one day a civil servant dies at his desk. Was it pressure of work or something nastier? The whiff of corruption is in the air, with even Gareth Owen, the Mamur Zapt, seen to live beyond his means – and he's the one who's supposed to be investigating the affair.
Owen's attempts to do so, aided by unlikely allies, the Grand Mufti and the monstrous Ali, take him to the heart of such sinister organisations as the Khedival Agricultural Society. But he soon realises that money speaks louder than words in Edwardian Cairo, and that the rich are notoriously tricky. Will the Mamur Zapt be up to taking them on? And will he be in time to stop the Camel of Destruction running through the city?
‘This series continues to be the most consistently delightful in current detective fiction’
GERALD KAUFMAN, 'The Scotsman'
‘Another sparkling recreation in which Pearce's heart and art drily in the right place’
JOHN COLEMAN, 'Sunday Times'
‘A plot that flexes its coils as innocently as an asp’
PHILIP OAKES, 'Literary Review'
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
strong historical who-done-it
17 Aug 2002
Format:Hardcover
In 1910, Gareth Owen serves as the Mamur Zapt in the British colony Egypt. Gareth's job is to resolve crimes with political implications. When the economy was booming, Gareth often looked the other way. The recent economic collapse makes those cases he pursues that much harder as no one wants to cooperate.
When A Ministry of Agriculture civil servant dies at his work desk, Gareth claims potential political problems with this death. He leads the official inquiry even as pressure mounts for him to end the investigation immediately. Normally, Owen would heed the advise of the local establishment including his peers and superiors, but this time he stubbornly follows the money trail of the deceased though his actions places his position in jeopardy.
This historical who-done-it will excite readers on several levels. The story line contains an engaging police procedural, a fabulous look at a rarely seen time and locale (at least in western novels), and a glimpse into the hierarchy of the Empire where the sun never set. Historical, mystery, and political fans will enjoy THE CAMEL OF DESTRUCTION as Michael Pearce provides a triumphant look back into a bygone era through the microscope of a strong investigative tale.
riet Klausner
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Fine writing, fascinating era, author still ignored in the USA
8 Jun 2007
Format:Paperback
Michael Pearce does it again in this mystery, part of his Mamur Zapt series set in Egypt during British Rule. An additional mystery is why this series isn't readily available at bookstores. I have searched for years and not found them; only Amazon came to the rescue.
The series is a treasure. Intelligent mysteries that are really novels, charmingly written, tongue in cheek dialogue, an engaging hero in an exotic time and place that is generally little known. Descriptions of the hero's contact with the local population outrageously funny. Every discerning reader will enjoy these. Thankfully, he's written a lot.
The series is a treasure. Intelligent mysteries that are really novels, charmingly written, tongue in cheek dialogue, an engaging hero in an exotic time and place that is generally little known. Descriptions of the hero's contact with the local population outrageously funny. Every discerning reader will enjoy these. Thankfully, he's written a lot.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Terrific writing, great plot, wonderful setting
22 April 2008
Format:Paperback
This book is a gem! The writing is excellent, the plot is engaging, the characters' dialogue is witty, and the setting is so real you feel as though you're walking right along with Captain Owen as he navigates the various neighborhoods of Cairo hunting down a lead. Best of all, the book is filled with that droll, dry British sense of humor. There are some laugh-out-loud moments as Owen has to negotiate/cajole/lightly threaten a number of haughty civil servants and bureaucrats.
I like this series much more than Michael Pearce's "Dead Man" series (A Dead Man in Istanbul, A Dead Man in Athens, etc). The writing is much better and the plots are more interesting. So if any of you out there weren't impressed by the "Dead Man" series, I highly recommend you give this Mamur Zapt series a try. I'm so glad my local library has this series. It's a real shame that these books aren't more readily available.
I like this series much more than Michael Pearce's "Dead Man" series (A Dead Man in Istanbul, A Dead Man in Athens, etc). The writing is much better and the plots are more interesting. So if any of you out there weren't impressed by the "Dead Man" series, I highly recommend you give this Mamur Zapt series a try. I'm so glad my local library has this series. It's a real shame that these books aren't more readily available.
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