Death of an Effendi (A Mamur Zapt Mystery)

Shortlisted for the Ellis Peters Award for best historical crime novel, this is an engrossing murder mystery set in the Egypt of the 1900s, featuring the inimitable Mamur Zapt.Cairo, 1909. The murder capital of the world, where deaths are two a piastre. But the death of an effendi That is something different. Effendis the Egyptian elite are important. Especially if in a country ruled by foreigners they happen to be foreign. Gareth Owen, the Mamur Zapt, is called in to investigate. But is he the right man to be investigating In some countries, if someone goes for a walk or a boat ride with the Head of the Secret Police and doesnt come back, its best not to ask questions. And powerful people might have preferred Tvardovsky dead. As the maverick financier said, before going on the shooting party, there were still crocodiles in Egypt. Of all kinds. And perhaps the place to look for them was Crocodilopolis, the ancient City of the Crocodiles, where the financiers were to hold their meeting. It is when the crocodiles start co-operating, said Tvardovsky, that you really have to watch out