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Michael Pearce Books In Order

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Publication Order of Dmitri Kameron Books

Dmitri and the Milk Drinkers (1997)Description / Buy at Amazon
Dmitri and the One-Legged Lady (1999)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Mamur Zapt Books

The Mamur Zapt and the Return of the Carpet (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Night of the Dog (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mamur Zapt and the Donkey-vous (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mamur Zapt and the Men Behind (1991)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mamur Zapt and the Girl in the Nile (1992)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mamur Zapt and the Spoils of Egypt (1992)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Camel of Destruction (1993)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Snake Catcher's Daughter (1994)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mingrelian Conspiracy (1995)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Fig Tree Murder (1996)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Last Cut (1998)Description / Buy at Amazon
Death of an Effendi (1999)Description / Buy at Amazon
A Cold Touch of Ice (2000)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Face in the Cemetery (2001)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Point in the Market (2003)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mark of the Pasha (2008)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Bride Box (2013)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mouth of the Crocodile (2015)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Women of the Souk (2017)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Seymour of Special Branch Books

A Dead Man in Trieste (2004)Description / Buy at Amazon
A Dead Man in Istanbul (2005)Description / Buy at Amazon
A Dead Man in Athens (2006)Description / Buy at Amazon
A Dead Man in Tangier (2007)Description / Buy at Amazon
A Dead Man in Barcelona (2008)Description / Buy at Amazon
A Dead Man in Naples (2009)Description / Buy at Amazon
A Dead Man in Malta (2010)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

The Dragoman's Story (1900)Description / Buy at Amazon

Michael Pearce is a police procedural and historical fiction author best known for the “Mamur Zapt” series of novels. Pearce grew up in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and it was during his childhood that he became fascinated with the languages. As an adult, he went to school to train as an interpreter of the Russian languages. After a few years working as an interpreter, he decided to leave the languages to become a lecturer of the English language and subsequently the History of Ideas during the Cold War. He would then work as an administrator with Amnesty International before he decided to become an author.

Pearce published his debut novel “The Mamur Zapt and the Return of the Carpet” in 1988 and the novel became so popular that it spawned the “Mamur Zapt” series of novels. Since then he has published more than twenty-five titles in the “Mamur Zapt,” “Dmitri Kameron,” “Seymour of Special Branch” as well as the single standing “The Dragoman’s Story” published in the year 2000. The “Seymour” series are dead man mysteries set in different cities across Europe and North Africa. The lead is an officer of the Special Branch of the Scotland Yard that is sent to resolve a variety of crimes that involve members of the British diplomatic corps. Michael Pearce won the Last Laugh Award by the Crime Writers’ Association for his novel “The Mamur Zapt and the Spoils of Egypt.” “Death of an Effendi” made the shortlist for best historical crime novel at the 1999 Ellis Peters Award. Michael currently lives in London from where he writes his novels.

Michael Pearce’s “Mamur Zapt and the Return of the Carpet” is a novel set in Cairo in 1908. It is an intriguing mystery that vividly showcases how life was in the multiethnic, multi-lingual city that was supposedly ruled by an almost insolvent Khedive, even though the actual authority was the British. The Mamur Zapt who heads up the secret police is one Captain Gareth Owen, who has recently been charged with investigating the attempted assassination of Nuri Pasha, a notorious philander and prominent politician. He was allegedly targeted by a vengeful relative who was angered by his latest conquest. But the attack on the politician takes an interesting perspective when it turns out that the weapon used had been pilfered from the British Army. A case of grenades is also believed to have been stolen. The new revelations lead Owen into thinking that some terrorist organizations may be scheming to attack the return of the Holy Carpet from Mecca, one of the most important religious ceremonies of the year. Needing some local support, he begins an uneasy friendship with Mahmoud el Zaki, an Egyptian civilian investigator. Together, they team up to scour the lower and higher reaches of Cairo to find some answers to the mystery.

Captain Gareth Owen makes a comeback in “The Mamur Zapt and the Night of the Dog” the second novel of the series by Michael Pearce. As the chief of police, he is charged with ensuring that there is peace between the Muslim and Coptic factions of the city. Things get interesting when a dead dog is dumped at a Coptic gravesite. The deed which had supposedly been committed by the Muslims causes the Copts to retaliate at what they believe is an insult. At a Dervish style ceremony, a Muslim dancer named Zikr is killed. It is now up to Owen to calm the rising temperatures that have now threatened to spiral into open violence. Given that the attractive niece of one of the most powerful British politicians has been witness to the killing while in the company of Owen, there is a lot of pressure to get to the bottom of the homicide. In his logical and slightly witty manner, the Captain through deduction, bribes, stakeouts, and conversations manages to learn that much of the strife is a result of high-level government abuse of power and sneakiness.

Michael Pearce’s “The Mamur Zapt and the Donkey-Vous” continues following the life and times of Captain Owen the chief of police in 1900s Cairo. When he became the Mamur Zapt, he had taken charge of a large information network that had been set up by the Ottomans before the British had taken it over. However, it was not its size nor its ability to recruit critical assets that was amazing, but rather the efficiency which was rather odd for the Ottoman Empire. With such a network, the Captain is so confident in the safety of tourists unless any of them decided to do something reckless or stupid. But Monsieur Moulin had been taken from the terrace of the Shepheard Hotel where he had been taking tea and has yet to be found. The intelligence service also does not have any information on the whereabouts of Mr. Calthorpe Hartley who has also gone missing. There had been no witnesses to the kidnappings and Owen cannot help but wonder if these were symbolic blows to taunt the British or if they were just ordinary crimes. He needs to find answers quickly before more crime is visited upon the city and destroy the fragile confidence of tourists hoping to visit.

Book Series In Order » Authors » Michael Pearce

One Response to “Michael Pearce”

  1. Sue B Zelenitz: 2 years ago

    I love his work. Just wish he were still writing.

    Reply

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