The Point in the Market

As always, Pearce paints a great picture of Egypt under the British during the early 20th century. In this novel, he doesn't seem as sure of himself as he did in the past, perhaps because World War I outside of Europe is difficult to bring into sharp focus, laying as it does in the shadow of World War II.

Another Mamur Zapt mystery will appeal both to prior fans and newcomers; for you needn't be a Mamur Zapt expert to pick up The Point In The Market as an introduction to the mystery setting. The changing Mamur Zapt is head of the Secret Police in Egypt, currently fielded by Welshman Gareth Owen, who has married his longtime lover Zeinab but finds both social and political dangers abound in his actions. Blend cultural conflict, romance, and intrigue and you have a novel packed with intriguing sub-plots and action.

"The Point in the Market" is a succinct novel set in 1915 Egypt in the middle of the Gallipoli campaign of World War One. Egypt has been ruled by the British Consul General since 1881. The hereditary Egyptian ruler, the Khedive, has been set up as a figurehead. Captain Gareth Owen is serving as the Mamur Zaput, head of the Sultan's secret police. One of his underlings, an uneducated camel driver Sabri, who had done undercover work for Owen is found murdered, his body hidden in the Cairo camel market. Owen whose jurisdiction generally involves political matters feels it's his personal responsibilty to investigate the crime. Egypt at this time is a country of mixed allegiances. Ruled for many years under the Ottoman Empire, many of the traditional rulers, the pashas, are of Turkish background. Under the resented rule of the British who are on opposite sides as the Turks in WW 1, the Egyptians have a problem in picking up guns against their fellow Muslims. This conflict of loyalties makes it difficult for Owen to get cooperation in his inquest. Locals feel that he has ulterior motives other than looking after the murdered Sabri's family who seek vengeance for his death. All the while Owen's new wife Zeinab, daughter of a pasha and of Turkish-Egyptian extract is being stonewalled in society much as her husband is, for having married a foreigner. More of a modern woman she is frustrated in the inability of women to attain meaningful positions in society. The influx of wounded soldiers pouring into Cairo from the surrounding battlefields gives her an opportunity become involved in hospital administration. Working within the framework of a confusing system, Owen painstakingly tracks down clues and information to help him solve, what turns out to be, a politically motivated crime.

The British presence in Egypt has in fact ruled the country, but not in name until now; with World War I raging on two continents, Egypt has become a protectorate of the British Empire. The Khedive has been ousted and replaced by a sultan who answers to the British. Captain Gareth Owen, the Mamur Zapt (head of the secret police) has enough work to keep a dozen people busy. One of his spies Sabri was murdered; the inquiry has led Gareth to believe the man had information to sell to him. Owen married his lover, the Pasha's daughter Zeinab, who is ostracized by her former friends for entangling herself with the Welsh expatriate. A number of fires in liquor houses have swept through the city and Owen learns that it is not the heat or the arid conditions that are the cause but a person and Owen wants to apprehend him before a tragedy engulfs the entire area. The Egyptians await an attack of the Turks so that they can align with the victors. With all this and more going on, Owen remains steadfast that justice will prevail for Sabri and comes up with an ingenious plan to achieve his goal. The fifteenth Mamur Zapt historical mystery retains the uniqueness, excitement and freshness that are the character traits of all the novels in this exciting series. Zeinab is a "modern" woman who demands freedom to make choices while Owen is a mother hen worried that his beloved might be hurt by those who scorn her marriage by an Englishman. They make quite a couple. The Egyptian culture during World War I is exquisitely detailed as if Michael Peace was there. All this wealth of information is adroitly used to enhance the who-done-it so that fans of historical novels and those of historical mysteries receive quite a treat. Harriet Klausner