The Snake Catcher's Daughter

February 24, 2003
British author Pearce again masterfully blends period detail and a compelling plot in his eighth mystery, set in Colonial Egypt, to feature Captain Gareth Owen, the head of Cairo's secret police (aka the Mamur Zapt). When the deputy commandant of police disappears, Owen discovers that the man secretly attended a mysterious women-only exorcism rite known as a Zzarr. The reopening of an old case of bribery involving Owen's predecessor and the then-commandant of the Cairo police casts a shadow on the reputation of the current commandant, who unmasked an extortion racket that may never have existed. Further complicating matters are the various attempts to entice Owen himself to accept graft, which suggest that there may be a concerted campaign to oust the highest-ranking British police officials, who only manage to maintain control by maintaining the appearance of power in the face of local opposition and nascent Egyptian nationalism. Refreshingly, Pearce weaves an engaging tale based on corruption and intrigue, not violence. A captivating character, Owen balances his ethics with keen political savvy and great sensitivity to the native population. As in The Camel of Destruction
(2002), there's little genuine suspense about the identity of the figure behind the schemes, but this deficiency doesn't detract from the pleasure of a well-crafted historical.

April 1, 2003
Gareth Owen, Cairo's intrepid Mamur Zapt (head of the secret police), is back in another seriocomic adventure that is both witty and engrossing. After finding a naked woman in his bed, and after a diamond necklace mysteriously appears in his girlfriend's boudoir, Owen decides someone is trying to bribe him. Then the local newspaper prints a stinging indictment not only of Owen but also of Garvin, commandant of the Cairo police, and his assistant, McPhee. In the course of his investigation, Owen becomes involved in a women's purification ritual, meets a rare female snake-catcher, and incurs the wrath of his girlfriend. As usual, though, Owen is at all times the epitome of unflappability, and his calm, sensible, highly intuitive approach eventually leads him to the culprit. Recommend this droll and amusing novel to fans of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series (Pearce is Peters' equal at evoking bygone Cairo) or to anyone who enjoys the comic mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)