Reviews

The Case of the Purloined Pyramid by Sean McLachlan

vesper1931's review

mysterious

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Cairo 1919. Sir Augustus Wall has opened his antiquities shop but soon becomes embroiled with a gang of Germans. But what are they looking for and is it worth killing for. Wall investigates with help.
An entertaining historical mystery with its interesting characters. A good start to this series

rosalind_barden's review

5.0

“The Case of the Purloined Pyramid” by Sean McLachian is a Kindle Scout-winning historical mystery set in Cairo after WWI, and is the first in “The Masked Man of Cairo” mystery series. The main character, Sir Augustus Wall, is a man haunted by nightmares and waking flashbacks from his time as a soldier in the brutal WWI trenches. He must wear a mask to hide the battle scars covering one side of his face. When he buys and restores a decaying mansion Cairo’s old town as both his home and antiquities shop, the locals gossip. Why does he not want to live near other Europeans? Why does he wear the mask? He hires an immigrant from Sudan, Moustafa Ghani, as his assistant. Not only does Moustafa have a gift for languages, but he is a rare expert in deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Even so, he endures being dismissed and ignored by most of the ruling Colonials because he is not one of them. Moustafa is the level-headed “Watson” to Augustus’ troubled “Sherlock.” Neither of them appreciates the help from Faisal, a twelve-year-old street beggar. Nonetheless, Faisal, always hoping for a place to belong, continues to help, especially to rid Augustus’ home of Jinn. The trio are drawn into a murder mystery as riots erupt in Cairo over the Colonial era oppression. Along with the history and serious issues addressed by the novel, readers are also treated to “Indiana Jones” style fun with stolen artifacts and a lost temple. The machine gunning does get over-the-top in places, but apart from that, this is an excellent choice for those who enjoy historical mysteries.

caseyf's review

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

karlakayjenniges's review against another edition

5.0

Really enjoyed this Mystery/Historical-Fiction. The author included elements of historical facts interwoven with fictional characters and some humor. Had me laughing aloud (sitting by myself, quietly reading, sheltered -in-place).

rockatanskette's review

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

rebeccacarter's review

5.0

The title of the book, using "the case of," made it seem like it would be some quirky, perhaps even humorous, take on a mystery like a Pink Panther story. However, the book is so much more than that. It digs into the dirt of political unrest in Cairo in 1919. Add into that the cultural differences between the inhabitants, and you get a book with a lot of depth. I quite enjoyed reading this. The characters have a lot of depth, and Faisal, the street urchin, adds so much color to the story.

I received a copy of this book through the Kindle Scout program.