THE POINT IN THE MARKET

Pearce's WWI mystery explores the cultural, social, and political divide among the British, Egyptians, and Turks in Cairo, played against the backdrop of the infamous Gallipoli campaign. Gareth Owen, the Welsh mamur zapt (chief of the sultan's secret police), investigates the murder of a police agent, arson that is targeting foreign liquor houses, and cotton smuggling. Torn by the complexities of his recent marriage to a pasha's daughter and the conflicting loyalties boiling to the surface at this pivotal time in history, Owen strives to pursue the clues to the crimes. Narrator Bill Wallis smoothly gives voice to an impressive cadre of Australians, Englishmen, Egyptians, and Bedouins. We hear shouts, whispers, conversations, and bellowing through megaphones. Each character is rich and distinctive, and makes listening easy and enjoyable. A.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]