Death of an Effendi

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.

It’s 1909, and Cairo is the murder capital of the world. But the death of an effendi is something different. Effendis – the Egyptian elite – are important. Especially if they happen to be foreign.

When effendi Tvardovsky is shot in Crocodilopolis, the ancient City of the Crocodiles, Mamur Zapt – Chief of Cairo’s Secret Police – is called in to investigate. But sometimes it’s best not to ask any questions. And there are powerful people who might prefer Tvardovsky dead…

Reviews

Praise for Michael Pearce:

‘Pearce takes apart ancient history and reassembles it with beguiling wit and colour’ Sunday Times

‘Marvellously convoluted… Dryly and deeply funny’ Literary Review

‘The beguiling Mamur Zapt sleuths around turn-of-the-century Cairo with verve and panache’ Time Out

‘Impeccable historical details … enjoyable reading’ Sunday Telegraph

About the author

Michael Pearce was raised in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, where his fascination for language began. He later trained as a Russian interpreter but moved away from languages to follow an academic career, first as a lecturer in English and the History of Ideas, and then as an administrator. Michael Pearce now lives in London and is best known as the author of the award-winning Mamur Zapt books.