December 2, 2013
In Bilal’s well-crafted third Makana mystery (after 2013’s Dogstar Rising), wealthy Cairo lawyer Magdy Ragab hires Makana to discover who set the fire that killed Karima Ragab, a young woman who may be related to the lawyer, but Makana isn’t sure. The horrible nature of Karima’s death suggests an honor killing, and Makana soon learns that her father, Musab Khayr, thought to still be a political refugee in Denmark, has somehow returned to Egypt. Makana travels to Musab’s hometown of Siwa, where the fugitive may have sought shelter. The harsh desert climate and the reticent natives that Makana finds there could almost be plucked from an American western film. Makana becomes entangled in a murder investigation that has its roots far in the past. Everything appears to be connected to the fate of Karima’s missing aunt, Safira Abubakr. Makana’s dogged investigation in the palpably hostile town of Siwa concludes with satisfying dashes of action and keen deduction. Agent: Euan Thorneycroft, A. M. Heath (U.K.).