I Read Books: Effendi

Effendi

After the events of Pashazade Ashraf Bey is now Chief Of Detectives for El Iskandryia, the alternative-future Ottoman vassal city-state of Alexandria. He has a number of problems, starting with a chronic lack of money to repair his house, a precocious nine year old niece he is now guardian for, a fractured relationship with Zara (who he broke his arranged betrothal with), also her father, who is an organised crime boss and a rich and powerful businessman, and worst of all he has to track down a serial killer murdering young tourist women.

The city itself is under threat as a free port; the Sword Of God are making sporadic terror attacks and PaxForce – an uneasy alliance of Imperial German, French and American interests – are offering to come in and maintain security. The Governor of the city has been playing them off for a while but might be unable to do so for much longer. Now the Khedive, his nominal superior, is an adult he might not have inherited a free country, though he certainly hopes to, and also is courting Zara to her discomfort. But old crimes will reveal themselves and Ashraf Bey will have to be at least as ruthless and clever as his enemies.

This follow up to Pashazde is more complicated, more brutal, and even more scattershot. It’s noir, we never quite get an answer to who is at fault but we do get a good look at what the crime is and the villains don’t entirely get away with it.

Read This: More arabesk-cyberpunk-noir
Don’t Read This: The good guys have their limits but they get involved in some nasty stuff, and many bad things happen