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eblankenship23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
Set in an unsettled Cairo, shortly after the 1997 terrorist attacks in Luxor, this is the story of a private detective hired to find a missing football star by the team's millionaire owner. Makana is a terrific character: brave, damaged and cynical, a former policeman who fled Sudan when civil unrest made it too dangerous. The story is interwoven with a cold case about an English woman trying to find her daughter who was abducted in Cairo 16 years earlier. When the woman is murdered, Makana takes an interest in the case and investigates that along with the missing footballer.
This is an absorbing mystery, perhaps a little overcomplicated, perhaps too reliant on coincidence, but redeemed by the strong sense of place and the intriguing characters. It moves at a good pace and holds the reader's interest. It's a strong crime novel with a very interesting setting.
This is an absorbing mystery, perhaps a little overcomplicated, perhaps too reliant on coincidence, but redeemed by the strong sense of place and the intriguing characters. It moves at a good pace and holds the reader's interest. It's a strong crime novel with a very interesting setting.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
4.0
Being a bit of a sucker for a strong sense of place, and culture I was intrigued by the Makana series, and lucky enough to get the second book - DOGSTAR RISING for review. But this seemed to me to be a series that should begin at the very beginning, so I shouted myself the first book, THE GOLDEN SCALES.
In terms of sense of place, and the society in which the book is set, it was extremely well done. The ancient city of Cairo is not just the backdrop for the story, it inhabits the action. There's a physical feeling of the souks, and alleys, the dark corners in which the unknown lurks. Part fascinating and compelling, part frightening and threatening, THE GOLDEN SCALES paints Cairo as a place in which people could disappear. Some willingly, some not. It also paints Cairo as a place that provides some refuge for Makana, a former Sudanese policeman, who lives physically and emotionally on the outskirts of the society to which he fled when things in his homeland got very dangerous.
That idea of Makana, a refugee from violence, ex-policeman now living and working on the fringes, as the person that one of the most powerful, wealthy and dodgy men in Cairo would turn to when a player from his team goes missing sort of makes sense, just as the fact that the missing player is treated as a son of Saad Hanafi, gangster, developer, father, and man with a very chequered past, means that the choice of investigator doesn't make sense. There's obviously a reason buried deep in the mire of those who work for and against Hanafi, and somewhere in the middle of a corrupt and compromised political and policing system. In the middle of all of this an Englishwoman returns to Cairo, still searching for the daughter that has been missing now for many years.
Needless to say this is a complex plot, with Makana at the centre of the swirling current day events, dealing with his own past and an overriding sense of loss and guilt that he battles on a daily basis. His personal story is slowly revealed as is the truth about a missing Football Player who is more than he seems, an ageing Gangster who is both more and less than he seems, a daughter with secrets, and close colleagues of all who aren't as straightforward as they seem.
THE GOLDEN SCALES is a beautiful balancing act. The bleakness of the place, the society, the state of the world in which Makana operates is matched sometimes by the bleakness of his mood, and lightened frequently by a dry, acerbic observational wit which is quiet, subdued and often cutting. A thriller set in an Islamic world, the story touches on the volatility of power, religion, influence and corruption with restraint, intelligence and expertise.
What really works in THE GOLDEN SCALES is the balance between plot, character, events and place. The plot is persuasive and believable, incorporating the reality of current day scenarios where conflicts cause personal disruption and refugees who must find a way in a new world, whilst dealing with the demons from their past. The characters are compelling, human, brave, damaged, thoughtful, introspective, forceful, good, bad and the whole thing. One of the particular aspects of the characterisations that I appreciated was the idea that everyone, both the good and the bad, was nuanced. Everyone has their good and bad sides, and you could see the reasons why they took the path that they chose. The events and the place are inextricably linked, although the sense of place was all pervading. Needless to say, THE GOLDEN SCALES bodes very well for anyone who wants their thriller / crime fiction layered, thoughtful, instructive and clever, whilst not letting up on the thrills and chills.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/golden-scales-parker-bilal
In terms of sense of place, and the society in which the book is set, it was extremely well done. The ancient city of Cairo is not just the backdrop for the story, it inhabits the action. There's a physical feeling of the souks, and alleys, the dark corners in which the unknown lurks. Part fascinating and compelling, part frightening and threatening, THE GOLDEN SCALES paints Cairo as a place in which people could disappear. Some willingly, some not. It also paints Cairo as a place that provides some refuge for Makana, a former Sudanese policeman, who lives physically and emotionally on the outskirts of the society to which he fled when things in his homeland got very dangerous.
That idea of Makana, a refugee from violence, ex-policeman now living and working on the fringes, as the person that one of the most powerful, wealthy and dodgy men in Cairo would turn to when a player from his team goes missing sort of makes sense, just as the fact that the missing player is treated as a son of Saad Hanafi, gangster, developer, father, and man with a very chequered past, means that the choice of investigator doesn't make sense. There's obviously a reason buried deep in the mire of those who work for and against Hanafi, and somewhere in the middle of a corrupt and compromised political and policing system. In the middle of all of this an Englishwoman returns to Cairo, still searching for the daughter that has been missing now for many years.
Needless to say this is a complex plot, with Makana at the centre of the swirling current day events, dealing with his own past and an overriding sense of loss and guilt that he battles on a daily basis. His personal story is slowly revealed as is the truth about a missing Football Player who is more than he seems, an ageing Gangster who is both more and less than he seems, a daughter with secrets, and close colleagues of all who aren't as straightforward as they seem.
THE GOLDEN SCALES is a beautiful balancing act. The bleakness of the place, the society, the state of the world in which Makana operates is matched sometimes by the bleakness of his mood, and lightened frequently by a dry, acerbic observational wit which is quiet, subdued and often cutting. A thriller set in an Islamic world, the story touches on the volatility of power, religion, influence and corruption with restraint, intelligence and expertise.
What really works in THE GOLDEN SCALES is the balance between plot, character, events and place. The plot is persuasive and believable, incorporating the reality of current day scenarios where conflicts cause personal disruption and refugees who must find a way in a new world, whilst dealing with the demons from their past. The characters are compelling, human, brave, damaged, thoughtful, introspective, forceful, good, bad and the whole thing. One of the particular aspects of the characterisations that I appreciated was the idea that everyone, both the good and the bad, was nuanced. Everyone has their good and bad sides, and you could see the reasons why they took the path that they chose. The events and the place are inextricably linked, although the sense of place was all pervading. Needless to say, THE GOLDEN SCALES bodes very well for anyone who wants their thriller / crime fiction layered, thoughtful, instructive and clever, whilst not letting up on the thrills and chills.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/golden-scales-parker-bilal
liberrydude's review against another edition
4.0
In a familiar plot we have Makana being hired by a billionaire to find a missing star soccer player who is like a son to him but there are hints of thugs and gangsters as well as terrorists mingling in the background. It's a very interesting story with lots of surprises at the end. Bilal's descriptions of the surroundings and the torpor of life in Cairo are as good as any video. Makana is the most unassuming guy. He's almost like an investigator monk. He lives frugally and modestly and is often underestimated. A very likeable character who has been wronged but gets up each day and goes on living. I've read the first and third in the series so all that's left for me is the second. I hope Bilal keeps this series alive. It's a very different and fascinating look into life in Egypt.
lian_tanner's review against another edition
4.0
A detective novel set in Egypt, with a Sudanese protagonist, an ex-cop who left/was thrown out of Sudan after the death of his wife and child. The backstory of what happened in Sudan gradually unfolds as the mystery in Egypt progresses. It sounds very like the rise of Nazi Germany - I guess the collapse of rule of law, the rise of the most brutal elements of society and the targeting of anyone who disagrees is much the same wherever it happens and within whatever ideology, whether Nazism, communism or extreme Islam. This is a book of humour and integrity as well as sadness. Well worth reading.
maggymags's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book. New author for me and he did not disappoint. Set in Cairo, a nice change of scenery. The main character Makana grew on me quickly, also a nice change from most modern angst ridden, baggage toting fictional private detectives/policemen etc.
bgg616's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely a 4.5 star book for me. Makana is a Sudanese ex-cop who fled his country and ends up in Cairo. To get by he works as a private investigator. Makana is described as a scruffy character, living in a precarious, slapped together house on a riverbank - all he can (barely) afford. When he gets behind on his rent, his landlady, a widow with several children, sends one of them up the power pole to disconnect his electricity.
One day Makana has a well-dressed visitor. He is the right hand man of one of the wealthiest men in Egypt, Saad Hanafi, who wants Makana to find the missing star player from his football (soccer) team. At the same time, Makana meets a desolate British woman looking for her daughter missing since she was seven years old and disappeared in a near by market. For reasons I never quite understood, Makana becomes convinced that the two disappearances, though many years apart, are connected.
The Cairo of Makana is corrupt (not a surprise) and delapidated. Everywhere Makana's investigations lead him are studies in contrast - either super luxurious, private and gated communities, or dirty, impoverished and dangerous places. Makana has big losses in his past that we learn about in this book. He is still pursued by Sudanese militia members who forced his exile. Yet despite his poverty and constant threats from all sorts, Makana is an upbeat man with a keen intelligence, which makes this series attractive and one I will read more of.
One day Makana has a well-dressed visitor. He is the right hand man of one of the wealthiest men in Egypt, Saad Hanafi, who wants Makana to find the missing star player from his football (soccer) team. At the same time, Makana meets a desolate British woman looking for her daughter missing since she was seven years old and disappeared in a near by market. For reasons I never quite understood, Makana becomes convinced that the two disappearances, though many years apart, are connected.
The Cairo of Makana is corrupt (not a surprise) and delapidated. Everywhere Makana's investigations lead him are studies in contrast - either super luxurious, private and gated communities, or dirty, impoverished and dangerous places. Makana has big losses in his past that we learn about in this book. He is still pursued by Sudanese militia members who forced his exile. Yet despite his poverty and constant threats from all sorts, Makana is an upbeat man with a keen intelligence, which makes this series attractive and one I will read more of.
wintermute314's review against another edition
1.0
Convoluted story and a protagonist who discovers plot elements hardly discoverable. The only thing I liked was the Cairo backdrop.
ksiddall's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moody and atmospheric with an engaging private detective in Cairo
The year is 1998, and former police inspector Makana, a refugee from his native Sudan, lives on a rickety houseboat on the Nile outside Cairo. He fled his country years earlier when it became too dangerous for him and his family under the radical Islamic regime that had recently overthrown the previous government. He ekes out a bare subsistence working as a private investigator while mourning the loss of his wife and daughter, who didn't survive their escape. His fortunes have the opportunity to change for the better when he is hired to find a missing soccer star.
Adil Romario has been missing for over two weeks without a word or sighting of one of Cairo’s favorite sones. It is as if the young man has disappeared off the face of the Earth. The Dreem Team's owner, Saad Hanafi, is desperate to find Adil for his club's success and personal reasons. Hanafi wasn't always on the right side of the law, and old enemies may be behind the young man's disappearance.
As Makana delves into the mystery, he discovers there may be a link between Adil's disappearance and that of the young daughter of an Englishwoman who went missing 17 years earlier. When the Englishwoman is found dead, Makana, with some support from a friend on the local police force, two agents from Britain's Special Branch out of London, and a young, local reporter trying to make a name for himself, digs deeper and further afield, coming to the realization that Hanafi isn't telling him everything he needs to know to find the missing soccer star.
THE GOLDEN SCALES is a complex and intriguing historical mystery set in moody, atmospheric Cairo. The descriptions of place drew me into the story, where the writing and plot gripped me and never let go. The characters who populate the pages are colorful and well-drawn. I could easily visualize their dress, manner of speech, and gestures. I was invested in Makana's success as if it were my own. The story is action-filled, and Makana investigates like a pro, so I was quite satisfied when the resolution came.
THE GOLDEN SCALES is the first book in the Makana Mystery series by Parker Bilal, a pseudonym of renowned author Jamal Mahjoub, and was originally published in 2012. Currently, there are six novels in the series, the last of which was published in 2017. I recommend this book to mystery readers that would like an intriguing, well-crafted story with historical and political subplots enveloped in a setting that comes alive on the page.