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Mamur Zapt #5
The Girl in the Nile
1909 Egypt. It's easy to go adrift in the complex political currents swirling through a country that has long been "advised" by the British after the mess it made of its finances, but now swelling with nationalism. And you can't discount the self-interest of the Khedive, the Royal Family, and of the country's pashas. Nevertheless, Captain Gareth Owen, Head of the Cairo Secret Police, has to ask, "Where's the body?" The girl, perhaps a woman of ill repute but one definitely lost overboard, had been glimpsed lying on a sandbank in the Nile. Then she vanished. Why had Prince Narouz hired the dahabeeyah? Surely not just to cruise to Luxor―the man has no interest in antiquities. And why was Miss Sekhmet on the boat anyway? Was it for the Prince's pleasure, or to embarrass him? Under heavy pressure from politicos and his own mistress, the strong-minded Zeinab, Owen steers a difficult course after a murderer....
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
About the author
Michael Pearce
54 books53 followersMichael Pearce grew up in the (then) Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. He returned there later to teach, and retains a human rights interest in the area. He retired from his academic post to write full time.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 15, 2020
A girl's body is seen floating in the Nile - then she disappears.
Owen, the Mamur Zapt must find who she was and why she died as well as clamping down on Cairo's favorite pastime - gun running.
The truth cannot be censored as the radical parties newspapers show . . .
Owen shrugged. He picked up the newspaper and read the passage again. It read:
A young woman, Miss Leila Sekhmet, was drowned in the river last week. Apparently, she fell off a boat. That is strange, for the boat was moored for the night and the river was calm. What is even stranger is that the boat was a dahabeeyah under the hire of Prince Narouz. What was a young, unmarried girl doing at night on the Prince’s dahabeeyah, we wonder? And what happened, that a girl should fall overboard? The Parquet are investigating.
The view from the terrace of the Hotel Continental
He sat down at the table and looked over the balustrade at the Street of the Camel below. It was the Regent Street of Cairo; except that in Regent Street you would not see a man walking by with a stuffed crocodile on his head or a pig being carried by in a cage.
What you would see, of course, were tourists and there were plenty of these. They came down the steps of the hotel with their Kodaks—at the Continental there was always a large number of Americans—and were immediately fallen upon by dragomans, donkey-boys and street traders of all kinds, all offering instant picturesqueness without the trouble of having to go too far in the heat to find it.
“Have you noticed,” said the Prince, “that their business has changed? They used to sell beads and hippopotamus-hide whips and boa constrictors. Now they sell themselves to be photographed. That man, for instance”—he pointed to the one with the stuffed crocodile on his head—“he does not expect to actually sell the damned thing. Who would want to buy a stuffed crocodile? But a photograph, ah, well, that’s atraders of all kinds, all offering instant picturesqueness without the trouble of having to go too far in the heat to find it.
“Have you noticed,” said the Prince, “that their business has changed? They used to sell beads and hippopotamus-hide whips and boa constrictors. Now they sell themselves to be photographed. That man, for instance”—he pointed to the one with the stuffed crocodile on his head—“he does not expect to actually sell the damned thing. Who would want to buy a stuffed crocodile? But a photograph, ah, well, that’s a different thing. The tourist can carry it home much more conveniently; and the crocodile remains to be used another day.”
A dead body - for lunch!
“But, laddie, I’m busy!” protested the pathologist.
“A brief word!” pleaded Owen.
Cairns-Grant looked at his watch.
“I was going to the Club,” he said. “Would you care to join me?”
Cairns-Grant’s lunchtime conversations tended to be full of this kind of grisly detail and today was no exception.
“Ye see,” he said, “when a body is left long in water, or buried in damp ground, it changes. Human fat, which is normally semifluid, is converted into firm fat. Like mutton suet,” he explained kindly.
Mutton was on the menu.
“No, thanks,” Owen said to the waiter. “I’ll have fish.”
With the dead girl merely a political pawn Owen still has a live girl friend to mollify
Enjoy!
Owen, the Mamur Zapt must find who she was and why she died as well as clamping down on Cairo's favorite pastime - gun running.
The truth cannot be censored as the radical parties newspapers show . . .
Owen shrugged. He picked up the newspaper and read the passage again. It read:
A young woman, Miss Leila Sekhmet, was drowned in the river last week. Apparently, she fell off a boat. That is strange, for the boat was moored for the night and the river was calm. What is even stranger is that the boat was a dahabeeyah under the hire of Prince Narouz. What was a young, unmarried girl doing at night on the Prince’s dahabeeyah, we wonder? And what happened, that a girl should fall overboard? The Parquet are investigating.
The view from the terrace of the Hotel Continental
He sat down at the table and looked over the balustrade at the Street of the Camel below. It was the Regent Street of Cairo; except that in Regent Street you would not see a man walking by with a stuffed crocodile on his head or a pig being carried by in a cage.
What you would see, of course, were tourists and there were plenty of these. They came down the steps of the hotel with their Kodaks—at the Continental there was always a large number of Americans—and were immediately fallen upon by dragomans, donkey-boys and street traders of all kinds, all offering instant picturesqueness without the trouble of having to go too far in the heat to find it.
“Have you noticed,” said the Prince, “that their business has changed? They used to sell beads and hippopotamus-hide whips and boa constrictors. Now they sell themselves to be photographed. That man, for instance”—he pointed to the one with the stuffed crocodile on his head—“he does not expect to actually sell the damned thing. Who would want to buy a stuffed crocodile? But a photograph, ah, well, that’s atraders of all kinds, all offering instant picturesqueness without the trouble of having to go too far in the heat to find it.
“Have you noticed,” said the Prince, “that their business has changed? They used to sell beads and hippopotamus-hide whips and boa constrictors. Now they sell themselves to be photographed. That man, for instance”—he pointed to the one with the stuffed crocodile on his head—“he does not expect to actually sell the damned thing. Who would want to buy a stuffed crocodile? But a photograph, ah, well, that’s a different thing. The tourist can carry it home much more conveniently; and the crocodile remains to be used another day.”
A dead body - for lunch!
“But, laddie, I’m busy!” protested the pathologist.
“A brief word!” pleaded Owen.
Cairns-Grant looked at his watch.
“I was going to the Club,” he said. “Would you care to join me?”
Cairns-Grant’s lunchtime conversations tended to be full of this kind of grisly detail and today was no exception.
“Ye see,” he said, “when a body is left long in water, or buried in damp ground, it changes. Human fat, which is normally semifluid, is converted into firm fat. Like mutton suet,” he explained kindly.
Mutton was on the menu.
“No, thanks,” Owen said to the waiter. “I’ll have fish.”
With the dead girl merely a political pawn Owen still has a live girl friend to mollify
Enjoy!
March 2, 2017
This is another charming tale set in Egypt prior to WW1. The girl of the title has been seen dead on a sandbank in the Nile but when the police arrive the body has vanished. The hunt for the body begins. The Mamur Zapt, head of Secret Police, is involved because the girl is thought to have fallen off the boat belonging to an heir to the throne of Egypt.
While we have all the usual tact, frustration at corruption, poor treatment of women, respect for tradition and so on, I didn't enjoy this book so much as some of the others. There is less humour in it and there is no happy resolution; perhaps the author means to say that there cannot be one while women are treated as possessions. We do find the usual political tensions with the wealthy ruler opposed by some of his own and the British / French interests in Egypt a cause for further anger. Certainly if you want to get an idea of early 20th century Cairo, this series is a great place to go, and the tensions leading up to the war and the end of colonial rule are subtly evident.
While we have all the usual tact, frustration at corruption, poor treatment of women, respect for tradition and so on, I didn't enjoy this book so much as some of the others. There is less humour in it and there is no happy resolution; perhaps the author means to say that there cannot be one while women are treated as possessions. We do find the usual political tensions with the wealthy ruler opposed by some of his own and the British / French interests in Egypt a cause for further anger. Certainly if you want to get an idea of early 20th century Cairo, this series is a great place to go, and the tensions leading up to the war and the end of colonial rule are subtly evident.
March 15, 2020
Interesting 📚📚📚
June 1, 2024
The British civil service & days of Empire at it’s finest!
Part farce, part historical, mostly mystery is the formulae for this successful series which I’ve been following for a coupla summers now & very enjoyable it is too.
Within the story you get the Egyptian side/view point towards the British as well as the British machinations of empire of the era, that being C 1909 in this novel. The course of the story very much revolves around the politics & sensibilities of the time/place be they women, princes, or jus the simple peasant folk in Egyptian society alongside the mystery to be solved.
An easy read, engaging & held my interest throughout, I think 3 stars is fair enough for this type of read.
Part farce, part historical, mostly mystery is the formulae for this successful series which I’ve been following for a coupla summers now & very enjoyable it is too.
Within the story you get the Egyptian side/view point towards the British as well as the British machinations of empire of the era, that being C 1909 in this novel. The course of the story very much revolves around the politics & sensibilities of the time/place be they women, princes, or jus the simple peasant folk in Egyptian society alongside the mystery to be solved.
An easy read, engaging & held my interest throughout, I think 3 stars is fair enough for this type of read.
June 24, 2025
I love this series.
December 15, 2012
Originally published on my blog here in August 2001.
When the body of a girl is reported to have fallen overboard from the yacht of the influential Prince Narouz (a potential heir of the Khedive) and then disappears, the Mamur Zapt (the head of the Egyptian secret police) knows that he faces an investigation fraught with political complications - life as usual, in fact.
And this is business as usual for Pearce. The Girl in the Nile is another amusing crime novel, with the excellently drawn background of Edwardian Egypt. This novel may just be repeating the formula, but it is a winning formula.
When the body of a girl is reported to have fallen overboard from the yacht of the influential Prince Narouz (a potential heir of the Khedive) and then disappears, the Mamur Zapt (the head of the Egyptian secret police) knows that he faces an investigation fraught with political complications - life as usual, in fact.
And this is business as usual for Pearce. The Girl in the Nile is another amusing crime novel, with the excellently drawn background of Edwardian Egypt. This novel may just be repeating the formula, but it is a winning formula.
May 20, 2016
This Michael Pearce novel featuring the British Own who is the Mamur Zapt in Egypt, is more of a mystery than the other two I have read. It is about an Egyptian woman found dead in the river, and digging for the truth.
August 18, 2022
Around the World of Crime and Mystery
1994
Cast - 2 stars: A Royal family, beggars, cops: rather bland to me. I remember no one.
Atmosphere - 4: By law, at the time (early 1900s), prosecutors also investigated crimes, an interesting twist. There are funeral processions, cafes, City of the Dead, hidden weapons and the mysterious Nile. The highlight here is the place and time: "The Arab Theatre" scene feels very authentic.
Crime - 3: Typical, a body is found on the banks of the Nile, but how did it get there?
Investigation - 2: Mostly political, must protect Royals. Rather dry. It seemed the interesting aspects were overlooked.
Resolution - 1: Questionable and not in a good way.
Summary - 2.2: Not much here except Cairo, a city I've visited and enjoyed very much.
1994
Cast - 2 stars: A Royal family, beggars, cops: rather bland to me. I remember no one.
Atmosphere - 4: By law, at the time (early 1900s), prosecutors also investigated crimes, an interesting twist. There are funeral processions, cafes, City of the Dead, hidden weapons and the mysterious Nile. The highlight here is the place and time: "The Arab Theatre" scene feels very authentic.
Crime - 3: Typical, a body is found on the banks of the Nile, but how did it get there?
Investigation - 2: Mostly political, must protect Royals. Rather dry. It seemed the interesting aspects were overlooked.
Resolution - 1: Questionable and not in a good way.
Summary - 2.2: Not much here except Cairo, a city I've visited and enjoyed very much.
September 26, 2021
Political intrigue, arms smuggling, drug running, desecrated graves, endless cups of tea and coffee, flies, fleas, oven-baking heat, and murder fill the pages of this adventure of the Mamur Zapt, aka Gareth Owen, the Welshman serving the Egyptian Khedive and the British government. If being caught between the British overlords and the Egyptian royal family wasn't enough, Owen is on the outs with his lovely paramour Zeinab who demands justice for a murdered young woman or else.
January 11, 2026
The usual tale of the Mamur Zapt and his difficulties discharging his duties in a splintered, multi-cultural and occupied Egypt in the early 1900’s.
Pearce writes very well, the characters are all interesting, and his descriptions of the cultures, mores, and politics of Egypt at that time are all of high quality. These aren’t traditional mysteries, but if you’re looking for something offbeat, and educational while being highly entertaining, well then, look no further!
Pearce writes very well, the characters are all interesting, and his descriptions of the cultures, mores, and politics of Egypt at that time are all of high quality. These aren’t traditional mysteries, but if you’re looking for something offbeat, and educational while being highly entertaining, well then, look no further!
July 31, 2024
I am really enjoying this series. Both the characters and the plots are complex and well developed. The setting is excellent; I can feel the midday heat and political tension. This book has the Mamur Zapt caught between his girlfriend's ideals and his bosses' political demands.
November 13, 2020
l\Like the setting, like the writing, like the characters just don't care much for the sotires.
Read
August 23, 2021Good book.
February 20, 2020
Mamur Zapt Owen is accompanying his men in a search for arms when called away to investigate a body found on the nearby bank of the Nile. Irritation at the summons for a routine police matter turns to anger when there is no body.
There was, however, and it came from a yacht on board which were two of the Khedive's many potential heirs with whom the British are in delicate negotiations to extend the Khedive's invitation to remain in Egypt. So the Mamur Zapt's job is to determine whether the death was an accident or crime, while keeping the investigation out of the papers.
I found this book disappointing. The political convolutions are interesting enough, but Owen's mistress Zeinab is hell-bent on "justice", facts be damned.
There was, however, and it came from a yacht on board which were two of the Khedive's many potential heirs with whom the British are in delicate negotiations to extend the Khedive's invitation to remain in Egypt. So the Mamur Zapt's job is to determine whether the death was an accident or crime, while keeping the investigation out of the papers.
I found this book disappointing. The political convolutions are interesting enough, but Owen's mistress Zeinab is hell-bent on "justice", facts be damned.
March 29, 2017
I would prefer to give this 3.5 stars, but that's not an option. The setting & plot seem very realistic to me.
December 6, 2016
Good tight plot, nice setting, ok characters,could do with more action, or humor. Will try another I. The series
June 26, 2019
Political.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews