[sufue]

As I've mentioned a time or two or a thousand , Michael Pearce is one of my five most favorite mystery authors, and titles in his "Dead Man In..." series have been going on sale on-and-off for a while now. Titles in his other, "Mamur Zapt", series go on sale much less often, at least in the US. Four titles have now dropped to $5.38 at Kindle US, which is not a great price, but they are normally $9.99-ish, so it's almost half-off. And, did I mention, he's one of my favorite authors .

Just to make it more confusing, there are two sets of Mamur Zapt editions out there - Harper Collins and Poisoned Pen Press. I had emailed a time or two with the folks at Poisoned Pen Press, who had DTB editions in the US, and they had always told me that they couldn't get the electronic rights to the Mamur Zapt titles, so I was really surprised when they put them out a little while ago. And now, HarperCollins has some Kindle editions out too, so who knows what is going on .

Oh, and Kobo US is offline for maintenance right now, so no idea if these are on sale there, but if they are, I think they might be coupon/VIPable. One other nice thing is that the first title in the series is one of the ones on sale, so you can try if you wish...

Okay, enough babbling - here are the four:

The Mamur Zapt & the Return of the Carpet, #1: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XZB48R1/

Spoiler:

The Mamur Zapt, head of Cairo’s CID in the heyday of (the indirect) British rule, focused on political, not police, matters. With the bustling new century, the loosening of imperial ties, and the rise of nationalism, his was a busy office. The attempted assassination of a veteran politician raises the spectre of a major terrorist statement at the capital’s principal religious festival where the faithful celebrate the Return of the Holy Carpet from Mecca.

Easily navigating multiple nationalities, three principal languages, and four competing legal systems, not to mention the intricacies of shadow and actual governments, Captain Owen, the Welsh incumbent, bolsters the Mamur Zapt’s office with the aid of a host of memorable characters.

The Girl in the Nile, #5: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XYM55WQ/

Spoiler:

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....

The Spoils of Egypt, #6: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XY7S5KH/

Spoiler:

Edwardian Egypt and archaeology go hand in hand, not just for the antiquarian but for the men, whether poor fellahin or rich merchant, who profit from the illegal export of antiquities. Captain Gareth Owen, the Mamur Zapt or head of Cairo’s Secret Police, turns his attention to the trade when Miss Skinner arrives. She’s a woman with the habit of asking awkward questions. And because her uncle might be the next President of the United States, her queries demand answers. So what is she doing looking at crocodiles? And mummified ones at that? Were they priceless? Are they even antiques? Owen’s new brief is to see that Egypt’s priceless treasures stay in Egypt. But when Miss Skinner narrowly escapes falling under a conveyance—whether she was just accidentally nudged by a Passover sheep or not—Owen expands his command. As he labors to thwart killers and the flight of national treasures abroad, he faces an even graver problem: whether to risk his career by asking the pasha’s lovely daughter to marry him....

Death of an Effendi, #12: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZY8VKMP/

Spoiler:

It’s 1909, and Cairo is the murder capital of the world. Deaths are two a piastre. But the death of an effendi is something different. Effendis—the Egyptian elite—are important. Especially if they happen to be foreign.

When effendi Tvardovsky is shot at a gathering of financiers in Crocodilopolis, the ancient City of the Crocodiles, Mamur Zapt Gareth Owen—Chief of Cairo’s Secret Police—is called in to investigate. In some countries, if someone goes for a walk or a boat ride with the Head of the Secret Police and doesn’t come back, it’s best not to ask any questions. And there are powerful people who might prefer Tvardovsky dead.

There are still crocodiles—of all kinds—in Egypt. And when the crocodiles start cooperating, it’s time to really watch out….