The Return of the Pharoah by Nicholas Meyer

October 21, 2022

The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer

Dr. John Watson, long-time chronicler of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and his second wife Juliet find themselves wintering in Cairo while Juliet recovers from tuberculosis. After Juliet checks into the sanatorium, Watson finds himself at loose ends and begins visiting Cairo locations that other Englishmen frequent. At the Shepheard's Hotel bar, he unexpectedly runs into the great detective himself, in disguise as a Colonel Arbuthnot (complete with Watson's gravy-stained regimental tie). Holmes is on a case, searching for a missing duke who came to Egypt on the hunt for treasure. Watson is immediately swept up in the case and the pair find themselves entangled in the frenzy for Egyptian artifacts and treasure, as well as murder.

Not as good as the SH canon but not bad. Meyer wrote The Seven Percent Solution before this, another Holmes and Watson story. Ancient Egypt interests me, so that was an added draw. My only real complaint was the duchess who spends a lot of time fainting or going catatonic at the most inopportune times. Seriously? Were women in the early 20th century really that delicate that they'd pass out rather than trying to get themselves out of a life-threatening situation?

Shepheard's Hotel, a favorite Cairo hangout for Englishmen

The Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

May 27, 2022

The Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

Agent Fatma may be the youngest agent with the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities in Cairo, but she's one of the sharpest in the department. When someone murders the members of a secret society devoted to honoring Al-Jahiz, the Master of Djinn who opened up the world of magic, Fatma is assigned to the case. At the same time, a masked individual claiming to be Al-Jahiz is stirring up unrest in Cairo, urging the residents to revolt again the government and order. Fatma, her girlfriend Siti, and her colleagues must unmask the real murderer to restore peace to the city.

I am glad to see Agent Fatma and the mysterious Siti back for another adventure. Love the descriptions of Fatma's sharp suits, too. I'm looking forward to another installment.

Fatma's Cairo in the early 20th century

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark

 October 31, 2020

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark

In a parallel Cairo in the early 20th century, magic has been unleashed on the world by the djinn.  Normally the magic is well-contained but it occasionally gets out of control.  When a city tram car starts displaying strange phenomena, the agents of the Department of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities are called in to investigate.

A quick steampunk read that features some of the same characters from the author's previous novella.  I look forward to more from her.

I hurt my back a couple of weeks ago and haven't been able to sit comfortably at the computer.  There's not much to do beside read, watch TV, and play on my tablet.  It's getting better and I'll start catching up with the blog.

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark

July 20, 2020

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark

Set in 1912 in an alternate-universe Cairo, Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha'arawi of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities is called in to investigate the suicide of a djinn.  She quickly realizes that something isn't right about the case and begins to follow the trail of the djinn's contacts, which leads her through the bizarre supernatural underworld of Cairo.

At just 43 pages, this falls somewhere between a short story and a novella.  An interesting aspect is that when the local populace let magic into their midst, they were able to evict their British colonizers.  There are steampunk elements, supernatural beings, and a skillful use of myth, magic, and religion to advance the story.  The main character is erudite, smart and confident, and she picks up a supernatural being who assists her and whose powers are interesting to say the least.  This is a fast-paced read as the characters race to save the world as they know it.

This was a perfect antidote to the historical mystery that I was reading and gave up on (see next review).  The author has several more novellas set in this parallel world, not necessary about the same set of characters.  I already downloaded her next novella, The Haunting of Tram Car 015.