The Mamur Zapt and the Donkey-Vous: A Suspense Tale of Old Cairo [Hardcover]

Michael Pearce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992

Captain Owen, the head of Egypt's Political CID in the heyday of British rule, must solve the mysterious disappearance of two British hotel guests before the crimes destroy the tourism industry in Egypt.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The setting--Cairo, c. 1908--is everything in this tale of missing persons, which is more successful as armchair travel than as armchair detection. Introduced in The Mamur Zapt and the Return of the Carpet , British Capt . Cadwallader Owen, as head of the political end of police operations, is known as the Mamur Zapt. He is responsible for investigating the disappearances of European visitors from the terrace of Shepheard's Hotel, Cairo's posh watering spot. The incidents are all the more puzzling, since they occur before the eyes of numerous witnesses, including such memorably depicted characters as a snake charmer, a strawberry seller, a vendor of filthy postcards and a bevy of "donkey-vous" lads who offer transport on their donkeys. The sleuthing here demands that the reader understand period and place, but does not demand much of the Mamur Zapt and his cohorts, whose fast footwork through Cairo's colorful streets is the most engaging aspect of the solution.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Pearce hits his stride with this third tale of Gereth Cadwallader Owen, the Mamur Zapt (...and the Return of the Carpet, ...and the Night of the Dog) of the Anglo-Egyptian political police. The problem- -how did French contractor Octave Moulin disappear from the crowded terrace at Shepheard's Hotel without anyone noticing (and who kidnapped him, and why)?--is more interesting than before, and the mystification better focused, without any loss to Pearce's deft background portraits: from the Colthorpe Hartleys--two useless witnesses, a devoted wife and an irrepressible daughter, covering for a blind-drunk father who shortly becomes a second kidnapping victim-- to those courteous terrorists, the Zawia Group (or is it the Wekil Group?) to the donkey-boys who must know more about these disappearances than they're saying. If you're not expecting a whodunit--as usual, there are no big surprises saved for the end--this is as charming a historical mystery as you'll find this summer. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 265 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Pr; First Edition edition (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892964863
• ISBN-13: 978-0892964864
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,319,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Believable, engaging characters; great setting for a crime, October 22, 1999

By 

PamR "readyreading" (Oak Park, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mamur Zapt & the Donkey-Vous (Mass Market Paperback)

I couldn't disagree more! Pearce continues to be one of the cleverest, funniest mystery writers I've read. Perhaps it helps that I've been to and love Egypt. He captures the bureaucracy beautifully. The Mamur is such a likable person. I look for characterizations and settings first, plot second. But I even think the plot of this one is lively!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent mysteries, April 16, 2007

By 

TomThree - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mamur Zapt and the Donkey-Vous: A Suspense Tale of Old Cairo (Hardcover)

The old city of Cairo is the real star of this series. The author obviously both understands and loves it. Even though I've never been there, he makes me feel that I understand the city, the bureaucracy and the culture. His characters are real people, the conversation is lucid and believable and he mixes in a hearty dose of humor. The mystery is secondary to the place and the people, but it gives a reasonable plot line to carry the books along. I highly recommend this book in particular and the series in general.

Incidentally, I've read most of this series in the form of audiobooks as I commute to and from work. I especially recommend these- the narrator is very good at bringing out the subtleties of language and place.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a fabulous read - hilarious and spot-on, June 11, 2007

By 

L. Bestock (Providence, RI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Donkey-Vous: A Mamur Zapt Mystery (Missing Mysteries) (Paperback)

I abosolutely love the Mamur Zapt Mysteries. They capture the rhythms of life in Cairo and the sometimes frustrating battle of people who love but are not quite of the place trying to get things done. The humor is clear-eyed and equal opportunity, never too harsh but never letting people or systems off too lightly, either. It takes a deft hand to be funny and not offensive when setting a story amidst the not-quite-official British colonial structure in early 20th century Egypt. I like all the main characters (I wish I could sit and have coffee in an 'ahwa with them) and can only hope that Pearce continues to be productive for a long, long time.