Customer Reviews

The Mamur Zapt and the Return of the Carpet

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3 star:		(1)
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Michael Pearce's Mamur Zapt mysteries are funny, beautifully written sketches of life in Egypt in the early years of the 20th century. The books have all the panache and originality of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Why they haven't made it onto the big screen, or been turned into a Mystery! series on public television I can't imagine.

The central character is Gareth Owen, a young Welshman who is the Mamur Zapt -- the title given the (British) head of Cairo's secret police. The central theme is the tension between the British who governed Egypt at the time and the Egyptian people in whose name they governed.

"The Return of the Carpet" is the first in the series. Frequent appearances are made throughout the series by the Mamur Zapt's Egyptian counterpart in the office of the city prosecutor, by Owen's bosses, by members of Eqypt's dissolute royal family, by Owen's aristocratic and fiercely independent Egyptian paramour and by assorted members of Cairo's working class.

The stories are racy, wittily understated and steeped in the attitudes and rhythms of daily life in the Cairo of 100 years ago. Pearce's voice and his ear for dialogue are spot-on. The humor emerges naturally in his exploration of the complex relations between the English and native Eqyptians of all classes.

This is popular literature of the highest order. The books are, if possible, even more entertaining if you listen to the audio recordings produced, I believe, by Recorded Books.

The place is early-twentieth century Egypt, nominally part of the Ottoman Empire, in fact ruled by the British. Among the plots and nationalist tensions, young Captain Owen, formerly of the British Army in Egypt, is appointed the Mamur Zapt: a formerly Turkish post in charge of the political police.

A case of granades goes astray from an Army storage. The biggest fear--that the weapons will be used by terrorists for assasinations--seems accurate. Owen, inexperienced but intelligent, is hampered by many foreign and local fingers in the heady Egyptian pie in the investigation.

This pleasant tale of suspense, local color, politics, and adventure is told with touches of humor and restraint of the old English tradition.

--inotherworlds.com

So many unusual names and titles, and I had trouble keeping them all straight. Even the lead character, the Mamur Zapt, has his first name revealed without comment over half way through the book, leading me to wonder whom this new character might be. With further books in the series I plan to keep a running list, such as one needs for War and Peace.

And, I will be reading more. The writing was wonderful, the atmosphere intense, and each time I put this book down it was with the anticipation of picking it up again.

The political background is fascinating, the social background equally so, especially in terms of Egyptian women.

This is Egypt on the cusp of becoming its own country again - still dealing with British and French and Turkish influences and power. Budding Nationalism, the educated young stirring.

Yet old traditions survive, such as the wonderful ceremonies connected to The Return of the Carpet of the title.

The Mamur Zapt, already a bit separate as a Welshman among the English military rulers, walks a tightrope between all the factions, with a keen insight into human nature, no matter what the culture, and how to persuade people to do what needs to be done.

This book is the first in a long series about the Mamur Zapt (chief of the political police) of Cairo. This particular book is a bit slow and tedious, but is worth reading to get the characters straight. The subsequent books are much better, in fact they improve steadily as you get further into the series. Their best feature is their characterization of the English officials, and their tedious meetings, which are described hilariously. The principal deficiency is the lack of maps - not every one is familiar with the street plan of early 20th century Cairo!

Frankly, I do not understand why this series isn't more popular. Pearce writes compelling and delightful characters with a wealth of cultural detail as backdrop. All history and the social complexity of Cairo in pre-WWI is so well integrated that a reader can learn something without ever feeling lectured to or popped out of the tale. Pearce's stealthy wit delights and surprises much as Alexander McCall Smith's does. And,if you like Turkish coffee, you will never drink it again without being pulled back into Pearce's Cairo on a hot evening in a cafe!

Post Mortem Books has reissued this title in a limited edition of 250 signed numbered copies priced at 25.00 (pounds sterling). If you need to fill that gap in your collection, contact me at the email address given.

This was a bit slow-going for me, mainly as I am unfamiliar with the history of Egypt during this time. That said, I did find it fascinating to read about the social structure and customs. The characters were interesting and it was a pretty good mystery. I wouldn't put it on the same level as Barbara Cleverly, but I shall definitely read another.