| Synopsis: |
Praise for The Fig Tree Murder..."A droll view of clashing cultures and nubile daughters, with some helpful advice on why you might want to think twice before taking possession of an ostrich."-Kirkus ReviewsAs the tide of Nationalism sweeps the British Protectorate of toward the realities of the dawning 20th century, New Egypt is eroding the ways of the Old. But Gareth Owen, head of Cairo's Secret Police, well knows, "The Old Egypt had a habit of rising up every so often and giving the New an almighty kick in the teeth."It's called the Tree of the Virgin, a species of fig. The tree is a site of religious interest, said to be a spot where the Virgin Mary and Child rested on their flight into Egypt. Now it's perilously close to the gash being cut for the new electric railway running out of Cairo to the New Helipolis being built in the suburbs. Sinister power groups are jostling for position. Then the body of the humble villager is found on the track. Had the victim been caught up in a traditional revenge killing? Or did someone want to halt construction? Adept in picking his way through the local and national power structures, the Mamur Zapt refers the removal of the body to committee. But what is the significance of the fig tree? Does it matter that the caravans for Mecca gather only a mile or so away? And what of the ostrich that passed in the night?Michael Pearce grew up in the (then) Anglo-Egyptian Sudan among the political and other tensions he draws on for his books. He returned there later to teach and retains a human rights interest in the area. |