The Snake Catcher's Daughter (Mamur Zapt Mysteries)

Someone is running a campaign to discredit Cairo's senior police officials. Is Garvin, the Commandant, playing power games, or is he trying to get to the bottom of the allegations of corruption? What about Garvin's senior deputy, McPhee, a man who might finally be going round the bend? And what of the Mamur Zapt himself? He may be the British head of the city's Secret Police, but is he above suspicion? After all, he does have an Egyptian mistress, placing him not only in the uncomfortable position of possible divided loyalties, but bringing him under her own stern scrutiny. Owen's attempts to get answers and avoid political (and personal) embarrassment take him into uncharted territory, the world of Cairo's female rites. And more terrifyingly, into one of Egypt's traditional crafts. Snake catching. How do you milk a cobra? Do snakes have ears? Can they be tamed? Can a mere woman fill the traditional role of snake catcher without the undying opposition of the Rifa'i--and without loosing the plague of Egypt? The Snake Catcher's Daughter is the eighth in the award-winning Mamur Zapt series highly praised for its elegance, wry wit, telling period detail, and political astuteness.

Is Garvin, the commandant, playing power games, or is he trying to get to the bottom of the allegations of corruption?

Publishers Weekly

British author Pearce again masterfully blends period detail and a compelling plot in his eighth mystery, set in Colonial Egypt, to feature Captain Gareth Owen, the head of Cairo's secret police (aka the Mamur Zapt). When the deputy commandant of police disappears, Owen discovers that the man secretly attended a mysterious women-only exorcism rite known as a Zzarr. The reopening of an old case of bribery involving Owen's predecessor and the then-commandant of the Cairo police casts a shadow on the reputation of the current commandant, who unmasked an extortion racket that may never have existed. Further complicating matters are the various attempts to entice Owen himself to accept graft, which suggest that there may be a concerted campaign to oust the highest-ranking British police officials, who only manage to maintain control by maintaining the appearance of power in the face of local opposition and nascent Egyptian nationalism. Refreshingly, Pearce weaves an engaging tale based on corruption and intrigue, not violence. A captivating character, Owen balances his ethics with keen political savvy and great sensitivity to the native population. As in The Camel of Destruction (2002), there's little genuine suspense about the identity of the figure behind the schemes, but this deficiency doesn't detract from the pleasure of a well-crafted historical. (Mar. 20) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Someone is running a campaign to discredit Cairo's senior police officials. Is Garvin, the Commandant, playing power games, or is he trying to get to the bottom of the allegations of corruption? What about Garvin's senior deputy, McPhee, a man who might finally be going round the bend? And what of the Mamur Zapt himself? He may be the British head of the city's Secret Police, but is he above suspicion? After all, he does have an Egyptian mistress, placing him not only under the uncomfortable suspicion of having divided loyalties, but bringing him under her own stern scrutiny.Owen's attempts to get answers and avoid political (and personal) embarrassment take him into uncharted territory, the world of Cairo's female rites. And more terrifyingly, into one of Egypt's traditional crafts—snake catching. How do you milk a cobra? Do snakes have ears? Can they be tamed? Can a mere woman fill the traditional role of snake catcher without the undying opposition of the Rifa'i—and without losing the plague of Egypt? Someone is running a campaign to discredit Cairo's senior police officials. Is Garvin, the Commandant, playing power games, or is he trying to get to the bottom of the allegations of corruption? What about Garvin's senior deputy, McPhee, a man who might finally be going round the bend? And what of the Mamur Zapt himself? He may be the British head of the city's Secret Police, but is he above suspicion? After all, he does have an Egyptian mistress, placing him not only under the uncomfortable suspicion of having divided loyalties, but bringing him under her own stern scrutiny. Owen's attempts to get answers and avoid political (and personal) embarrassment take him into uncharted territory, the world of Cairo's female rites. And more terrifyingly, into one of Egypt's traditional craftssnake catching. How do you milk a cobra? Do snakes have ears? Can they be tamed? Can a mere woman fill the traditional role of snake catcher without the undying opposition of the Rifa'iand without losing the plague of Egypt? Someone is trying to discredit Cairo's senior police officials, putting Owen in a delicate position as he tries to investigate