What We Thought:
“Being something of an optimist it has always struck Makana that it made a good start to the day to wake up in the morning and find himself still afloat.”
Makana is a former Sudanese policeman, now a refugee in Cairo, living in a wrecked houseboat and trying (and mostly failing) to eke out a living as a private detective. All that changes one day, when one of the wealthiest men in Egypt, the founder and owner of the famous DreemTeem football club, comes to him for help to find his missing star player.
Makana begins to find connections with another case – the four-year-old daughter of an English woman, abducted years before. Are those connections real, or is Makana’s imagination working overtime – driven by memories of his own daughter’s death?
As the present-day investigation rolls forward, we also learn, piece by piece, about the troubling events in Sudan that led to Makana fleeing north into Egypt.
Parker Bilal (pseudonym of Jamal Mahjoub) is of Sudanese and British heritage. He was born in London and has lived in Sudan, Egypt, Denmark, Britain and Spain. Mahjoub’s first three books were a trilogy of historical novels exploring the history of politics of Sudan from the late 20th C back to late 19th C, and that understanding permeates his writing as Parker Bilal. The Egypt he portrays is not one any tourist is likely to discover.
This is a crime novel with political overtones, a setting you can smell and taste right off the page, and a detective character with both charm and depth.
At the end of the book, we have the making of a classic Holmesian trio – the detective, withdrawing into his own thoughts, a jaded policeman, and a young, eager journalist dreaming of turning the story into a best seller. An enticing invitation to the rest of the series.
You’ll Enjoy This If You Loved: Streets of Darkness by AA Dhand, Easy Motion Tourist by Leye Adenle, Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela
Avoid If You Dislike: Moderate graphic violence, stories centred on child abduction
Perfect Accompaniment: Taamiya (Egyptian falafel) with tahini dip
Genre: Crime Fiction
Available on Amazon
“Being something of an optimist it has always struck Makana that it made a good start to the day to wake up in the morning and find himself still afloat.”
Makana is a former Sudanese policeman, now a refugee in Cairo, living in a wrecked houseboat and trying (and mostly failing) to eke out a living as a private detective. All that changes one day, when one of the wealthiest men in Egypt, the founder and owner of the famous DreemTeem football club, comes to him for help to find his missing star player.
Makana begins to find connections with another case – the four-year-old daughter of an English woman, abducted years before. Are those connections real, or is Makana’s imagination working overtime – driven by memories of his own daughter’s death?
As the present-day investigation rolls forward, we also learn, piece by piece, about the troubling events in Sudan that led to Makana fleeing north into Egypt.
Parker Bilal (pseudonym of Jamal Mahjoub) is of Sudanese and British heritage. He was born in London and has lived in Sudan, Egypt, Denmark, Britain and Spain. Mahjoub’s first three books were a trilogy of historical novels exploring the history of politics of Sudan from the late 20th C back to late 19th C, and that understanding permeates his writing as Parker Bilal. The Egypt he portrays is not one any tourist is likely to discover.
This is a crime novel with political overtones, a setting you can smell and taste right off the page, and a detective character with both charm and depth.
At the end of the book, we have the making of a classic Holmesian trio – the detective, withdrawing into his own thoughts, a jaded policeman, and a young, eager journalist dreaming of turning the story into a best seller. An enticing invitation to the rest of the series.
You’ll Enjoy This If You Loved: Streets of Darkness by AA Dhand, Easy Motion Tourist by Leye Adenle, Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela
Avoid If You Dislike: Moderate graphic violence, stories centred on child abduction
Perfect Accompaniment: Taamiya (Egyptian falafel) with tahini dip
Genre: Crime Fiction
Available on Amazon
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