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The Masked Man of Cairo #6
The Case of the Disappearing Dervish
A religious scandal. A deadly homecoming.
Moustafa Ghani El Souwaim has come far in life. Raised illiterate in a remote village in the Soudan, he set out at sixteen to better himself. His journey took him to the great archaeological sites of Africa, where he became a leading researcher versed in several ancient and modern languages. His life took an even stranger turn when he teamed up with Sir Augustus Wall and his street boy sidekick Faisal to solve murders.
Now there’s been a murder in his village. A local religious mendicant has been found bludgeoned to death and Moustafa’s cousin, who is in the same religious order, has vanished and is assumed to be the killer. Moustafa must return to his roots to clear his cousin’s name and reunite with the family he left behind.
But can Moustafa really go home again after having changed so much, and does that home even want him?
Moustafa Ghani El Souwaim has come far in life. Raised illiterate in a remote village in the Soudan, he set out at sixteen to better himself. His journey took him to the great archaeological sites of Africa, where he became a leading researcher versed in several ancient and modern languages. His life took an even stranger turn when he teamed up with Sir Augustus Wall and his street boy sidekick Faisal to solve murders.
Now there’s been a murder in his village. A local religious mendicant has been found bludgeoned to death and Moustafa’s cousin, who is in the same religious order, has vanished and is assumed to be the killer. Moustafa must return to his roots to clear his cousin’s name and reunite with the family he left behind.
But can Moustafa really go home again after having changed so much, and does that home even want him?
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2024
73 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Sean McLachlan
89 books104 followersSean McLachlan is a former archaeologist who worked for many years on excavations in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Now a full-time writer, he specializes in fiction, history, and adventure travel. In 2013 he won the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award for his Iraq reportage.
Half of Sean's time is spent on the road researching and writing. He's traveled to more than 30 countries, interviewing nomads in Somaliland, climbing to clifftop monasteries in Ethiopia, studying Crusader castles in Syria, and exploring caves in his favorite state of Missouri.
Sean works in a number of genres, especially historical mystery and science fiction.
Sean is always happy to hear from his readers, so drop him a line via his blog!
Half of Sean's time is spent on the road researching and writing. He's traveled to more than 30 countries, interviewing nomads in Somaliland, climbing to clifftop monasteries in Ethiopia, studying Crusader castles in Syria, and exploring caves in his favorite state of Missouri.
Sean works in a number of genres, especially historical mystery and science fiction.
Sean is always happy to hear from his readers, so drop him a line via his blog!
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 5, 2026
-This latest adventure of Sir Augustus Wall starts with a call for help from Moustafa’s family in the Sudan. A cousin of his, who Moustafa grew up with and was very close to, had always gravitated to being a better Muslim. Abdallahi, his cousin, was now part of a religious sect and he was seen going into the shrine of Sheik Othman with another member of his sect. This shrine was far off the beaten path. According to a letter from Moustafa’s mother, Abdallahi and his friend, Salih Kalfat, were seen arguing as they entered the shrine. A day later, a farmer passing the shrine saw the body of Salih who had been bludgeoned to death, with no sign of Abdallahi.
-Based on the conditions, it was believed that Abdallahi had killed Salih and had run off. Police were now trying to locate him as the evidence pointed to Abdallahi as the killer.
-Moustafa’s mother now reached out to her son to come and solve this. Word of Moustafa’s exploits with Sir Augustus had reached his village in the Sudan and the family felt that he would solve this crime, locate Abdallahi and clear his name.
-Moustafa felt he had no choice but to get involved and help find his cousin and clear him. To do so, he was hoping that Sir Augustus would accompany him to the south, and he went to Sir Augustus, and showed him the letter from his mother. Sir Augustus, without hesitation, immediately offered to go with Moustafa to provide whatever assistance he could.
-Faisal, the young street boy who was now living with Sir Augustus and had been of great benefit on Sir Augustus’ previous adventures, had just run into Sir Augustus’ home. Unknown to Sir Augustus and Moustafa, Faisal’s father, who had left the family and was an abusive drunk, had returned to Cairo. Faisal saw him and feared that his father would force the authorities to make Faisal live with him, which would be a horrible fate. When Faisal heard that Sir Augustus and Moustafa would be leaving Cairo, Faisal pressed to go with them.
-Sir Augustus had brought a letter of introduction with him from Sir Thomas, the British authority of Cairo, who was well known and that helped him to get the assistance of the local authorities when they arrived further south. But it seemed that the information given by Moustafa’s mother was accurate, and, as it was over a month since Salih’s body was found, it seemed that there was no trail for them to follow.
-As usually happens, it’s the inquisitive Faisal who stumbles upon their first lead, which starts them on a deadly journey that they never expected.
-This adventure fits in well with the previous stories. The main story is supplemented by Moustafa’s private reflections of his desire for his country to be emancipated from British rule, while at the same time, having allegiance and respect to Sir Augustus. We learn more of the disappointment Moustafa’s family felt when he moved to Cairo and developed an interest in archeology. Faisal’s life also is on display to us, with him having one foot in the world of the streets and one in which he lives with a wealthy British protector. These become real characters to the reader above and beyond the adventures they share which only adds to the enjoyment to the reader.
-Based on the conditions, it was believed that Abdallahi had killed Salih and had run off. Police were now trying to locate him as the evidence pointed to Abdallahi as the killer.
-Moustafa’s mother now reached out to her son to come and solve this. Word of Moustafa’s exploits with Sir Augustus had reached his village in the Sudan and the family felt that he would solve this crime, locate Abdallahi and clear his name.
-Moustafa felt he had no choice but to get involved and help find his cousin and clear him. To do so, he was hoping that Sir Augustus would accompany him to the south, and he went to Sir Augustus, and showed him the letter from his mother. Sir Augustus, without hesitation, immediately offered to go with Moustafa to provide whatever assistance he could.
-Faisal, the young street boy who was now living with Sir Augustus and had been of great benefit on Sir Augustus’ previous adventures, had just run into Sir Augustus’ home. Unknown to Sir Augustus and Moustafa, Faisal’s father, who had left the family and was an abusive drunk, had returned to Cairo. Faisal saw him and feared that his father would force the authorities to make Faisal live with him, which would be a horrible fate. When Faisal heard that Sir Augustus and Moustafa would be leaving Cairo, Faisal pressed to go with them.
-Sir Augustus had brought a letter of introduction with him from Sir Thomas, the British authority of Cairo, who was well known and that helped him to get the assistance of the local authorities when they arrived further south. But it seemed that the information given by Moustafa’s mother was accurate, and, as it was over a month since Salih’s body was found, it seemed that there was no trail for them to follow.
-As usually happens, it’s the inquisitive Faisal who stumbles upon their first lead, which starts them on a deadly journey that they never expected.
-This adventure fits in well with the previous stories. The main story is supplemented by Moustafa’s private reflections of his desire for his country to be emancipated from British rule, while at the same time, having allegiance and respect to Sir Augustus. We learn more of the disappointment Moustafa’s family felt when he moved to Cairo and developed an interest in archeology. Faisal’s life also is on display to us, with him having one foot in the world of the streets and one in which he lives with a wealthy British protector. These become real characters to the reader above and beyond the adventures they share which only adds to the enjoyment to the reader.
December 18, 2024
This is my first experience with Sean McLachlan's work, and I jumped into the series with Book 6. The plot revolves around a murder in Moustafa’s village, with his cousin missing and suspected of being the culprit. Moustafa, along with his friends Sir Augustus Wall and Faisal, returns to his village to unravel the mystery and exonerate his cousin.
The book is an exhilarating mix of adventure and intrigue, and McLachlan's deep knowledge of the region adds authenticity to this fast-paced narrative. The writing is strong, with well-developed characters that draw you in. It's evident that Sean has conducted extensive research, making for a captivating read that I highly recommend. I’m excited to dive into the rest of the series now!
The book is an exhilarating mix of adventure and intrigue, and McLachlan's deep knowledge of the region adds authenticity to this fast-paced narrative. The writing is strong, with well-developed characters that draw you in. It's evident that Sean has conducted extensive research, making for a captivating read that I highly recommend. I’m excited to dive into the rest of the series now!
May 13, 2025
Englishman Sir Augustus, Nubian Moustafa, and Egyptian boy Faisal charge around the desert on camels looking for slave traders. Not much in the way of investigation but lots of gun battles.
January 8, 2025
Have read and enjoyed all 6 in the series so far. Deep, complicated characters and interesting storylines. Plenty of insights into the history of the time and why culture and change is complicated.
November 1, 2025
September 1921. Moustafa has been informed that his cousin Abdallahi has gone missing after killing a religious dervish. With Wall and Faisal they journey to his birthplace of Danjarab to investigate.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews