The twelfth installment in this wonderful, ironically funny, mystery series, DEATH OF AN EFFENDI was a treat to read from start to finish. With a deep appreciation for the historical and cultural nuances of the period, Michael Pearce successfully transports the reader to Egypt in the early part of the
twentieth century, sketching out quickly and with a few well placed phrases and sentences the special interests that many foreign powers had in the region, and the frustrations that the locals felt about living in a country under the yoke of a foreign power. But that''s just for starters. For, of course, Michael Pearce also manages to marry a clever and cunning mystery subplot to the political one, and tells his story in such a completely wry and gently humourous manner that, before you know it you''ve spent an
entire afternoon imagining yourself in Egypt, walking the narrow bazaar streets with the Mamur Zapt in
search of evil doers and trying to maintain the status quo. Fast paced and simply told, DEATH OF
AN EFFENDI proved to be a memorable and worthwhile read. I not only enjoyed this installment
thoroughly, but also came away with a better picture of what was going on historically. Shortlisted for
the Ellis Peters Award for Best Historical Novel of the Year (in 1999), DEATH OF AN EFFENDI should have won that award; unfortunately, it didn''t. So, hoping to mitigate that oversight, I''m awarding the novel the BLACK DIAMOND for excellence. -- Sheila Nathan, I Love A Mystery Newsletter