DEATH OF AN EFFENDI

Gareth Owen, the Chief of Cairo’s Secret Police (whose position is also known as the "Mamur Zapt"), is called on to investigate the death of a Russian financier--one of the elite of Cairo, who, at this time (1909) are referred to as "effendi." He soon finds that there are many possible motives for this "accidental" shooting to have been murder. Nigel Carrington’s narration employs not only a precise British accent, but also believably creates the voices of local Egyptians and foreigners from Russia and elsewhere. While his timing, phrasing, and emotional shading cannot be faulted, he cannot overcome the book’s failure to involve the listener in a setting that is very foreign to most Western listeners. This is ultimately an uninvolving production. M.A.M. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]