Review of Assassination of Al Qahira

Assassination in Al-Qahirah by James Boschert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Forced from his home in France and on his way to Palestine, Talon de Giles senses something is amiss after fourteen days at sea. The tempest overhead pounds the vessel and excess water on board does not bode well. He wakes his fellow Templars, but they can do little. The vessel strikes razor-sharp rocks and the four men are tossed into the turbulent froth. Only Talon, Max, and Montague wash ashore with their lives and the clothes on their backs. With no idea where they are or which direction to go, they make do as best they can until opportunity presents itself.

Months later a caravan on its way to Al Iskandrîyah stops for the night near where the Templars camp. Talon’s training as a kidnapped child of the Assassini serves him well and he steals camels, weapons, food, and silver without anyone being the wiser. He also discovers that Alexandria is not far, so the three unkempt, bearded, scarecrow-like men head to the Egyptian city to arrange passage to the Holy Land. But the Templars are betrayed, Montague is slain, and Talon and Max are imprisoned on accusations of being Christian spies. Rather than reveal his true identity, Talon adopts the name of Suleiman and spins a tale that keeps them alive. For now. Emir Abbas Abdur Rahman ibn Athir Faysal, the man in charge of the prison, distrusts Suleiman and his story, so until he discovers the truth, Talon and Max will remain prisoners.

To remain in their cell means certain death, so the two friends watch, wait, and plan until the day arrives when they can escape. Being strangers in a strange city, they dare not stay in Al Iskandrîyah. Using his particular skills of stealth, Talon steals horses and they flee into the countryside. One day, they are high ground when they see a grove of trees where people mill about. When a caravan approaches the oasis, the grove is suddenly devoid of humans. Fearing an ambush, Talon and Max rush in to aid those being attacked. Their intervention saves the lives of Lady Khalidah and her two children, but Max is badly injured. They go with the noble family to their estate, where Lady Khalidah insists they stay until her husband returns to thank them. While Max recovers, Suleiman tutors the children. He’s wary of staying, but he won’t leave Max.

This third Book of Talon is a spine-tingling, edge-of-your seat thriller that centers around a man who covets another man’s wife and property and will do whatever he must to rid himself of his enemy. Interwoven into this tale are exotic locales, palace intrigue, assassination, betrayal, and a fascinating look into the underground world of Al Qahira (Cairo). Throughout the story there are scenes where the tension runs high and you forget to breathe. They culminate in a heart-thumping final battle on the Nile. As always Boschert drops readers into the midst of the action, spinning an intricate tale that snatches your imagination and doesn’t let go until the book ends. Even then, he leaves us with a tantalizing twist of what is to come in Talon’s next adventure, which may bring Talon closer to reuniting with his love Rav’an and friend Rexa . . . if they are still alive.




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