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Cairo Gambit
'An enthralling thriller ... hypnotically readable' ANDREW TAYLOR
'A compelling tale of a world on the brink of war' THE TIMES
'Ceaselessly entertaining' OBSERVER
In the heat of the desert, will the trail go cold?
Cairo, 1938
Archie Nevenden is many amateur archaeologist; theatre impresario; absent father; potential defector. And now, he's a missing person.
His daughter, Prim, hasn't seen him for nearly fifteen years. But she's never given up on him, and now she's on her way to Cairo to assist in the search.
Harry Taverner claims to work for the British Council, but Prim knows there's more to it. He clearly has a theory about what happened to Archie, one she's not going to like.
As Prim and Harry uncover the layers of Archie's existence in Cairo, they find themselves drawn in to more than one conspiracy. And soon they'll discover that Archie may not be the only one in danger...
Praise for S W
'Powerful, panoramic' Sunday Times
'Beautifully written, entirely convincing' Leonora Nattrass
'Gripping and heartfelt' Elisabeth Gifford
'Sweeping' Daily Mail
'A compelling tale of a world on the brink of war' THE TIMES
'Ceaselessly entertaining' OBSERVER
In the heat of the desert, will the trail go cold?
Cairo, 1938
Archie Nevenden is many amateur archaeologist; theatre impresario; absent father; potential defector. And now, he's a missing person.
His daughter, Prim, hasn't seen him for nearly fifteen years. But she's never given up on him, and now she's on her way to Cairo to assist in the search.
Harry Taverner claims to work for the British Council, but Prim knows there's more to it. He clearly has a theory about what happened to Archie, one she's not going to like.
As Prim and Harry uncover the layers of Archie's existence in Cairo, they find themselves drawn in to more than one conspiracy. And soon they'll discover that Archie may not be the only one in danger...
Praise for S W
'Powerful, panoramic' Sunday Times
'Beautifully written, entirely convincing' Leonora Nattrass
'Gripping and heartfelt' Elisabeth Gifford
'Sweeping' Daily Mail
389 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2025
27 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
S.W. Perry
11 books133 followersS. W. Perry was a journalist and broadcaster before retraining as an airline pilot. He lives in Worcestershire, England with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 30, 2025
I really enjoyed Berlin Duet, the author’s historical thriller set in pre-WW2 Europe. British Intelligence Officer Harry Taverner returns in this book having been ordered back from his posting in Berlin to assist (without revealing his real role) Primrose ‘Prim’ Nevendon’s search for her father who has gone missing in Cairo. ‘He had apparently vanished off the face of the Earth like desert mist at sunrise.’ Archie works in the oil industry and with the world seemingly on the path to war the British government fear he may possess information that would be valuable to Britain’s enemies.
Despite the fact he abandoned her and her mother fifteen years ago and that her only contact with him in the meantime has been via the occasional letter and postcard, Prim seems to hold a romanticised view of her father: intrepid adventurer rather than errant husband and absent father. She clings to childhood memories of digging for ‘treasures’ hidden for her to find in the grounds of the house. Although understandable she should worry for his safety, it seemed to me it was just as much the prospect of adventure that motivated her decision to travel to Egypt to try to find him, a chance to get away from her rather uninspiring life in England.
Arriving in Cairo she finds a turbulent political situation with the sixteen-year-old King Farouk on the throne. Although Egypt has gained its independence, the British still retain a presence in the country in order to defend the Suez Canal. In a chilling echo of current conflicts, there is increasing violence between Arabs and Jew in Palestine, at that time under British control. Add to this the prospect of a European war and it’s perhaps understandable that the priorities of the authorities in Cairo and the British Embassy are elsewhere, and they are unwilling to commit resources to help Prim in her search.
The only help she has is from Harry Taverner, whom she met on the flight to Cairo and who purports to be a representative of the British Council. The reader knows their meeting was no accident. Actually, it’s not the only information we’re privy to that Prim isn’t, thanks to some dream-like interludes that hint at deeply felt loss and guilt.
Prim soon finds herself way out of her depth as it becomes apparent Archie has got himself involved with some very unpleasant people. They’re just as keen to find him as she is, but for entirely different reasons. As Prim and Harry slowly uncover clues – a faded photograph, a theatre programme, flight plans – it becomes clear the mystery of Archie’s disappearance can only be solved by venturing beyond Cairo and into the unforgiving deserts and mountains of the Sinai Peninsula. Both settings are vividly brought to life.
Those who’ve read Berlin Duet know they need not fear for the life of one of the characters but there is plenty of jeopardy for others. The author manages to keep the tension high with some dramatic scenes. As for Prim, well, let’s just say what she learns about Archie puts a whole different slant on things.
Cairo Gambit is a compelling historical thriller that oozes atmosphere and will keep you turning the pages.
Despite the fact he abandoned her and her mother fifteen years ago and that her only contact with him in the meantime has been via the occasional letter and postcard, Prim seems to hold a romanticised view of her father: intrepid adventurer rather than errant husband and absent father. She clings to childhood memories of digging for ‘treasures’ hidden for her to find in the grounds of the house. Although understandable she should worry for his safety, it seemed to me it was just as much the prospect of adventure that motivated her decision to travel to Egypt to try to find him, a chance to get away from her rather uninspiring life in England.
Arriving in Cairo she finds a turbulent political situation with the sixteen-year-old King Farouk on the throne. Although Egypt has gained its independence, the British still retain a presence in the country in order to defend the Suez Canal. In a chilling echo of current conflicts, there is increasing violence between Arabs and Jew in Palestine, at that time under British control. Add to this the prospect of a European war and it’s perhaps understandable that the priorities of the authorities in Cairo and the British Embassy are elsewhere, and they are unwilling to commit resources to help Prim in her search.
The only help she has is from Harry Taverner, whom she met on the flight to Cairo and who purports to be a representative of the British Council. The reader knows their meeting was no accident. Actually, it’s not the only information we’re privy to that Prim isn’t, thanks to some dream-like interludes that hint at deeply felt loss and guilt.
Prim soon finds herself way out of her depth as it becomes apparent Archie has got himself involved with some very unpleasant people. They’re just as keen to find him as she is, but for entirely different reasons. As Prim and Harry slowly uncover clues – a faded photograph, a theatre programme, flight plans – it becomes clear the mystery of Archie’s disappearance can only be solved by venturing beyond Cairo and into the unforgiving deserts and mountains of the Sinai Peninsula. Both settings are vividly brought to life.
Those who’ve read Berlin Duet know they need not fear for the life of one of the characters but there is plenty of jeopardy for others. The author manages to keep the tension high with some dramatic scenes. As for Prim, well, let’s just say what she learns about Archie puts a whole different slant on things.
Cairo Gambit is a compelling historical thriller that oozes atmosphere and will keep you turning the pages.
August 18, 2025
When her estranged father disappears, Prim Nevendon travels to Egypt to try and find him. The whole area is in turmoil as the British are slowly withdrawing and the Balfour partition of Palestine is causing violence between Arabs and Jews. Archibald Nevendon has been caught up in all of this and has gone into hiding. Prim is accompanied by a representative of the British Government but finds help (and betrayal) from other sources.
I really liked the setting of this novel as it is very pertinent to the events of modern times, the land grab in Palestine, the emergence of the Jewish Nation of Israel and the looming shadow of the Second World War. So far so good. However I did find it difficult to engage with the story which seems a little amorphous at times and populated by a series of characters that I did not really engage with. Perry is a good writer and I found this one of his weakest in terms of story but the setting more than makes up for it!
I really liked the setting of this novel as it is very pertinent to the events of modern times, the land grab in Palestine, the emergence of the Jewish Nation of Israel and the looming shadow of the Second World War. So far so good. However I did find it difficult to engage with the story which seems a little amorphous at times and populated by a series of characters that I did not really engage with. Perry is a good writer and I found this one of his weakest in terms of story but the setting more than makes up for it!
October 23, 2025
3.5 stars awarded
I've been in the reading doldrums for almost all of this year, not being able to find anything that I absolutely have loved. This was just the sort of book I needed: not too much to think about and just enough to keep me entertained.
Primrose Nevendon has a father that she has never really knew. He is in Egypt working for an oil company whilst also running a local theatre for sentimental reasons. And then he disappears. Primrose decides to travel out to Egypt to find him although warned not to by her mother and her Granny. This leads to a set of adventures, criminals and people who help her, people who can't be trusted and those that can but they all look the same. Helping her are Mike Taverner, from the British Council or so he says, and an American who sees to be a on the wrong side but turns out not to be.
The interesting thing about this book is the era it is set in, before the British leave Palestine, and the fact that some of the characters are not fictional, mostly those who were administrators of some sort. This means that the context for the story is one where Palestinians and Jews were taking revenge for atrocoties committed earlier alongside infighting on both sides. Nothing changes.
It is unfortunate that although Primrose is characterised as being brave setting out on her own and getting involved with people who are less than kind, there are still times when her chin quivers or she cries into her pillow. Neither Harry Taverner or Mike Luzzatto ever do this. They smile or keep a blank face whatever the danger and so this difference between the men and women I found a little irritating.
However, this is the first book I have finished in a few months and I enjoyed it.
I've been in the reading doldrums for almost all of this year, not being able to find anything that I absolutely have loved. This was just the sort of book I needed: not too much to think about and just enough to keep me entertained.
Primrose Nevendon has a father that she has never really knew. He is in Egypt working for an oil company whilst also running a local theatre for sentimental reasons. And then he disappears. Primrose decides to travel out to Egypt to find him although warned not to by her mother and her Granny. This leads to a set of adventures, criminals and people who help her, people who can't be trusted and those that can but they all look the same. Helping her are Mike Taverner, from the British Council or so he says, and an American who sees to be a on the wrong side but turns out not to be.
The interesting thing about this book is the era it is set in, before the British leave Palestine, and the fact that some of the characters are not fictional, mostly those who were administrators of some sort. This means that the context for the story is one where Palestinians and Jews were taking revenge for atrocoties committed earlier alongside infighting on both sides. Nothing changes.
It is unfortunate that although Primrose is characterised as being brave setting out on her own and getting involved with people who are less than kind, there are still times when her chin quivers or she cries into her pillow. Neither Harry Taverner or Mike Luzzatto ever do this. They smile or keep a blank face whatever the danger and so this difference between the men and women I found a little irritating.
However, this is the first book I have finished in a few months and I enjoyed it.
December 8, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
Action, adventure, political manoeuvring all combine to make this story set in 1938 Egypt when the world is on the brink of war a cracking read. It was good to learn a bit more about Harry Taverner, he’s a great character and I hope we get more stories about him.
Action, adventure, political manoeuvring all combine to make this story set in 1938 Egypt when the world is on the brink of war a cracking read. It was good to learn a bit more about Harry Taverner, he’s a great character and I hope we get more stories about him.
May 27, 2025
Pre WW2 Egypt never looked better.
"Cairo Gambit" opens in Egypt, in April 1938, where a shooting in a small theatre causes the local police to wonder if war has broken out between rival political groups. When news of the shooting reaches young Primrose Nevendon, residing in Britain, and she learns the theatre was run by her estranged father, who has subsequently disappeared, she decides on a whim to visit Cairo and search for him.
Upon arriving in Cairo, Prim finds herself way out of her depth, and only with the assistance of a young man she met on the flight over, does she start to find her feet. The young man is Harry Taverner, known to readers of the previous book "Berlin Duet", as an officer of the British Intelligence service. Very quickly, Prim and Harry are drawn into a complex and confusing situation, where neither the Police or the British Embassy are willing to help in her search. As the pair slowly uncover clues and follow leads missed by the authorities, it becomes clear her father was involved in some dubious dealing. The story moves along at a brisk pace, slowing only to savour some excellent scenes between Prim and Harry, Prim and her father's employer, and her father's housekeeper. We also learn a little more about Harry Taverner, too.
"Cairo Gambit" is everything fans of Harry Taverner's previous adventure will love. The backdrop of pre-war Cairo is presented in full bloom - the sights and smells, the noise and bustle, the hotels, the clubs, and the wheelers and the dealers. The reader learns much about the state of Egypt in the years leading up to WW2, when Britain, the Arab nations, and the Jewish people were all vying for their right to settle or govern. We also witness the last vestiges of the British Empire- the boozy Club lunches, the garden parties, and the Victorian values. Prim is everything they find offensive, and revels in it.
This book is part thriller, part spy story, and part historical adventure, bringing to life the years leading up to WW2 in North Africa. Fans will love it, and like me, will be hoping top see more of Harry Taverner. Thoroughly recommended.
"Cairo Gambit" opens in Egypt, in April 1938, where a shooting in a small theatre causes the local police to wonder if war has broken out between rival political groups. When news of the shooting reaches young Primrose Nevendon, residing in Britain, and she learns the theatre was run by her estranged father, who has subsequently disappeared, she decides on a whim to visit Cairo and search for him.
Upon arriving in Cairo, Prim finds herself way out of her depth, and only with the assistance of a young man she met on the flight over, does she start to find her feet. The young man is Harry Taverner, known to readers of the previous book "Berlin Duet", as an officer of the British Intelligence service. Very quickly, Prim and Harry are drawn into a complex and confusing situation, where neither the Police or the British Embassy are willing to help in her search. As the pair slowly uncover clues and follow leads missed by the authorities, it becomes clear her father was involved in some dubious dealing. The story moves along at a brisk pace, slowing only to savour some excellent scenes between Prim and Harry, Prim and her father's employer, and her father's housekeeper. We also learn a little more about Harry Taverner, too.
"Cairo Gambit" is everything fans of Harry Taverner's previous adventure will love. The backdrop of pre-war Cairo is presented in full bloom - the sights and smells, the noise and bustle, the hotels, the clubs, and the wheelers and the dealers. The reader learns much about the state of Egypt in the years leading up to WW2, when Britain, the Arab nations, and the Jewish people were all vying for their right to settle or govern. We also witness the last vestiges of the British Empire- the boozy Club lunches, the garden parties, and the Victorian values. Prim is everything they find offensive, and revels in it.
This book is part thriller, part spy story, and part historical adventure, bringing to life the years leading up to WW2 in North Africa. Fans will love it, and like me, will be hoping top see more of Harry Taverner. Thoroughly recommended.
December 11, 2025
This is very different from the ‘Mark’ series, which I liked. This is set in 1938 in Cairo when Hitler is ominously planning WW2. The Nimrod Theatre in Cairo, owned by Archie Nevenden, is attacked by Arab extremists and people killed. Archie has disappeared and British security seek out his daughter Primrose to ask his whereabouts, suspecting he might have defected to the Nazis. She doesn’t know – her father deserted when she was a little girl – but she is determined to go to Cairo to try and find him inwardly certain he wouldn’t defect. Harry Taverner (most names are dactylic, why?) is sent by the Brits to keep her in sight partly as protection but also thereby locate Archie. Archie had a brother Nimrod, both were amateur archeologist in Sinai desert where Nim dies (hence the name of the theater). Throughout the text, there are short italicized chapters of Archie talking to the dead Nim: I found these added little and were a distraction). We are taken into the awful politics of the time: the Brits had officially given Egypt independence, but they still had a strong police presence there which outraged many Arabs. Archie was loathed by the Arabs and also by the Jews because they suspect Archie of dealing in arms that were used by the Arabs to kill Jews. It is in this atmosphere that Prim conducts her search for her father. Out of the blue a mysterious American Jew, as brash and as good looking as a Hollywood star, Mike Luzatto enters and woos Prim. But he is involved in anti-Arab activities. Eventually Archie is found in quite a predictable condition when you think about it. A good story, not entirely happy myself with the final ending. Very well written except for so many of Perry’s elaborate and forced similes, such as: ‘dark hair piled up on one side of a high forehead as if he has spent his life permanently in the teeth of a side on gale.’
July 19, 2025
Cairo Gambit by S W Perry
Having read all of the Nicholas Shelby novels and Berlin Duet I was very interested to see what the author made of life in Egypt just before the Second World War. I very much liked the principal character, Prim Nevendon. She is in her early twenties and although she is intelligent and independent she feels life is passing her by. Then her father, whom she has not seen since her childhood, is reported as missing in Cairo so she sets off to track him down.
There are others who are also interested in locating her father and when she is joined by Harry Taverner as she flies into Cairo she immediately suspects that it is not just a chance meeting. As they begin to investigate further dangers emerge and then there is a deadly attack upon her father’s theatre.
This is a well written thriller and the descriptions of the complicated situation in the Middle East and Egypt have repercussions for us now. I was a little unsure about how far Prim would have gone searching for a father who paid her such scant attention but the story was engaging and I will be recommending to novel to those of my various book groups.
Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.
Having read all of the Nicholas Shelby novels and Berlin Duet I was very interested to see what the author made of life in Egypt just before the Second World War. I very much liked the principal character, Prim Nevendon. She is in her early twenties and although she is intelligent and independent she feels life is passing her by. Then her father, whom she has not seen since her childhood, is reported as missing in Cairo so she sets off to track him down.
There are others who are also interested in locating her father and when she is joined by Harry Taverner as she flies into Cairo she immediately suspects that it is not just a chance meeting. As they begin to investigate further dangers emerge and then there is a deadly attack upon her father’s theatre.
This is a well written thriller and the descriptions of the complicated situation in the Middle East and Egypt have repercussions for us now. I was a little unsure about how far Prim would have gone searching for a father who paid her such scant attention but the story was engaging and I will be recommending to novel to those of my various book groups.
Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.
September 27, 2025
Propulsive but gentlemanly spy thriller
—
In a third outing for Harry Taverner, we find the ‘agent’ for the British Council in Egypt in 1938, this time helping the determined Prim Nevendon to find her father, a theatre owner in Cairo who has gone missing after gunmen targeted the venue; perhaps Archie Nevendon’s secrets are behind his sudden disappearance. As Prim and Harry follow the slightest of leads and in league with a cast of shadowy figures and ne’er-do-wells, they criss-cross Egypt, Palestine and the Sinai Peninsula, edging closer and closer to the truth, but will they find Nevendon before the multitude of enemy forces find him first?
Prim is an active participant in the pursuit, a woman with privilege on her side but with a sharp eye for the gaps where truth lies. Taverner is suitably British— James Bond with a pocketbook, if you like—and although he demurs about his actual role, he’s an action hero for the time. Full of atmosphere and historic detail, with a supporting cast of real life figures from all sides of the various political games of the time, Perry gives us a propulsive spy thriller with gentlemanly touches. A worthy addition to historical fiction for the period.
—
In a third outing for Harry Taverner, we find the ‘agent’ for the British Council in Egypt in 1938, this time helping the determined Prim Nevendon to find her father, a theatre owner in Cairo who has gone missing after gunmen targeted the venue; perhaps Archie Nevendon’s secrets are behind his sudden disappearance. As Prim and Harry follow the slightest of leads and in league with a cast of shadowy figures and ne’er-do-wells, they criss-cross Egypt, Palestine and the Sinai Peninsula, edging closer and closer to the truth, but will they find Nevendon before the multitude of enemy forces find him first?
Prim is an active participant in the pursuit, a woman with privilege on her side but with a sharp eye for the gaps where truth lies. Taverner is suitably British— James Bond with a pocketbook, if you like—and although he demurs about his actual role, he’s an action hero for the time. Full of atmosphere and historic detail, with a supporting cast of real life figures from all sides of the various political games of the time, Perry gives us a propulsive spy thriller with gentlemanly touches. A worthy addition to historical fiction for the period.
July 14, 2025
I enjoyed this book greatly. Primrose Nevendon (Prim) is in her early twenties, she is intelligent and determined but feels her life is slipping her by. When she learns her father Archie, absent from her life since she was a young child, is missing in Cairo, she is determined to go out there and find him. He is a big wig in oil, and with Europe on the brink of war, there is a concern that he might have given away, whether freely or under duress, secrets about the oil pipeline. He is an amateur archaeologist and also runs/funds a small theatre in Cairo, which he promised his dead younger brother, Nim, he’d keep going no matter what.
Prim embarks on her quest and almost immediately runs into the handsome (of course) charming Harry Tavener. He is, he says, an employee of the British Council. This does not sit well with Prim who doubts he is telling the truth, but together as they gradually peel back the layers of Archie’s life they uncover conspiracy after conspiracy and put themselves in the path of danger. Nobody seems to be who they say they are. Everyone has secrets. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that Prim finds her father but the scene in which she does is devastating and desolate in ways which Prim was not prepared for. Nor the reader come to that.
This is an intelligent well-written political thriller set in the complicated Middle East Arab/Jewish conflict in 1938 with such sharp place descriptions the reader can smell the diesel fumes, hear the cacophony of Cairo, and taste the sandy grit of the desert. If you like plots that twist and turn and well developed characters this book is for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for sending me a copy of the book. This is an honest review after a full reading of the novel.
Prim embarks on her quest and almost immediately runs into the handsome (of course) charming Harry Tavener. He is, he says, an employee of the British Council. This does not sit well with Prim who doubts he is telling the truth, but together as they gradually peel back the layers of Archie’s life they uncover conspiracy after conspiracy and put themselves in the path of danger. Nobody seems to be who they say they are. Everyone has secrets. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that Prim finds her father but the scene in which she does is devastating and desolate in ways which Prim was not prepared for. Nor the reader come to that.
This is an intelligent well-written political thriller set in the complicated Middle East Arab/Jewish conflict in 1938 with such sharp place descriptions the reader can smell the diesel fumes, hear the cacophony of Cairo, and taste the sandy grit of the desert. If you like plots that twist and turn and well developed characters this book is for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for sending me a copy of the book. This is an honest review after a full reading of the novel.
August 5, 2025
The year is 1938 and Prim Nevenden hasn’t seen her father in fifteen years, but she has never lost faith in him.
So when she and her mother are visited by government officials to say he is missing and a suspect in espionage, Prim decides enough is enough and goes on the hunt for her father.
Archie Nevenden her father lives in Cairo. He is a budding archaeologist and has a major interest in a local theatre, but is he a defector?
On her journey, Prim meets a man named Harry Taverner, a British Council official who is also on the trail of the elusive Archie Nevenden, but he has a hunch on what is actually going on.
Harry and Prim decide to work together, and it’s not long before they are involved in a dangerous situation, one that has uncovered a conspiracy that could be life changing for them and the elusive Archie Nevenden.
Cairo Gambit is a stunning piece of work. A story that is so powerfully written and incredibly sensitive. I loved this book and found it a pure joy to read.
S.W. Perry is a very fine writer and one I highly recommend.
So when she and her mother are visited by government officials to say he is missing and a suspect in espionage, Prim decides enough is enough and goes on the hunt for her father.
Archie Nevenden her father lives in Cairo. He is a budding archaeologist and has a major interest in a local theatre, but is he a defector?
On her journey, Prim meets a man named Harry Taverner, a British Council official who is also on the trail of the elusive Archie Nevenden, but he has a hunch on what is actually going on.
Harry and Prim decide to work together, and it’s not long before they are involved in a dangerous situation, one that has uncovered a conspiracy that could be life changing for them and the elusive Archie Nevenden.
Cairo Gambit is a stunning piece of work. A story that is so powerfully written and incredibly sensitive. I loved this book and found it a pure joy to read.
S.W. Perry is a very fine writer and one I highly recommend.
July 14, 2025
The author takes us on a thriller of a journey into Egypt when Primrose embarks on a journey from the UK in the quest to find her father Archie Nevenden who has been missing’ from Cairo for several weeks. Alongside Prim is Harry Tavener following orders from his superiors in London. Part fiction and part fact, this makes for an excellent and enjoyable read. Cairo 1938 on the cusp of War. I loved the way the author pulled this novel together, interweaving the various elements and historical facts but always keeping something up his sleeve to maintain the intrigue and excitement. Excellent.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Atlantic Books for this pre-publication copy for review.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Atlantic Books for this pre-publication copy for review.
August 9, 2025
This is one entertaining and thrilling read. I found the history of the conflicts in the Middle East fascinating and really enjoyed how Prim in particular navigated her way through foreign lands and customs so far from home. The descriptions of the Cairo streets and the deserts of Egypt were so vivid and colourful- I felt fully immersed in the heat and dust.
Prim was a great character - inner strength and bravery aplenty- she was maybe a little rash in some situations in the hunt for her father, but I really enjoyed the element of mystery as we follow Prim and Harry.
Prim was a great character - inner strength and bravery aplenty- she was maybe a little rash in some situations in the hunt for her father, but I really enjoyed the element of mystery as we follow Prim and Harry.
August 12, 2025
Thank you to Corvus Books for a copy of Cairo Gambit by S.W. Perry, published last week in the UK.
I enjoyed escaping into this historical fiction book last week whilst taking some annual leave at home. Prim is heading to Cairo to look for her missing father. Harry also finds himself looking for Archie, to ensure British oil interests aren’t being compromised.
The story quickly builds up tension, as Prim finds herself in the midst of a missing person mystery and a murder investigation wondering who she can really trust. I loved how the story brought the area to life – the heat, the dust and the fear of harm facing tourists.
The story also looks at the tensions in Palestine in the 1930’s and how this is linked to regular changes in who governs the region.
An enjoyable and emotional read, mixing history, crime and family drama. Happy to recommend.
I enjoyed escaping into this historical fiction book last week whilst taking some annual leave at home. Prim is heading to Cairo to look for her missing father. Harry also finds himself looking for Archie, to ensure British oil interests aren’t being compromised.
The story quickly builds up tension, as Prim finds herself in the midst of a missing person mystery and a murder investigation wondering who she can really trust. I loved how the story brought the area to life – the heat, the dust and the fear of harm facing tourists.
The story also looks at the tensions in Palestine in the 1930’s and how this is linked to regular changes in who governs the region.
An enjoyable and emotional read, mixing history, crime and family drama. Happy to recommend.
October 16, 2025
I kind of wish I’d just let my Libby loan expire in this one. It reminded me so much of The Night Lagoon, and I wish I’d not bothered with it either. Had the story had more Harry, I think it might have been a slither more enjoyable. The synopsis miss-sold me, lesson learnt!
August 29, 2025
It’s readable but I’m not sure that it’s worth reading. The principal characters seem rather dull and there was no real evocation of the setting. Cairo could have been Clacton. At one point the lead male character is described as “a second rate knight in shining armour”. That was probably the most perceptive remark in the book.
July 27, 2025
A really gripping story based in Egypt just before the start of World War 2.. Very descriptive narrative, made you feel as though you were there. Some great characters that brought the story to life and a lovely conclusion.
December 8, 2025
I didn’t enjoy this as much as Berlin Duet or any of the other books I’ve read by Perry. If I had read this first I wouldn’t have read Berlin Duet. I could imagine this book as a black and white melodrama and that isn’t a good thing.
December 14, 2025
Took me a while to get into and ended up being a nice read. I just wish there was a stronger sense of character development as oftentimes we merely had hints of interest and most of the time they were quite one note.
September 22, 2025
Better if Harry had been in plot more consistently
July 16, 2025
I found this book to be an unexpected pleasure to read. I was drawn into the story immediately and found I could engage with the main character Prim as she sets off to unravel the mystery of her father’s disappearance in pre ww2 Egypt. What I particularly liked about the book was that I learned something about the history of the tension between the Arabs and Jews in Palestine before the establishment of the state of Israel. It gives some useful historical perspective to the current conflict we have witnessed in the last year. The book is not preachy nor does it encourage you to take sides. Neither does it feel like a history lesson as the story was at the forefront at all times. It was well written and well researched. I’d recommend it.
August 10, 2025
It's 1938, Europe is on the brink of war. Primrose Nevendon lives a rather Bohemian lifestyle as a freelance stage designer with her Italian mother and a collection of artists and philosophers that call themselves (rather grandly) the Bevern Fraternity. Her father Archie left them when she was small and she has barely seen or heard from him since. He is now a director of Anglo-Levantine Oil in Cairo whilst also running his late brother Nim's theatre.
Then two Special Branch police officers come calling, Archie has gone missing in Egypt and they are concerned that he might have sold secrets about British oil pipelines and the like to the Germans and/or Italians, especially since Prim herself was briefly a member of the British Union of Fascists until she realised that they were just as bad as the Communists and didn't really want change for the masses - just for the leaders.
Prim decides to travel to Egypt to find her father. On the long air journey she meets Harry Taverner, ostensibly with the British Council to bring British arts and science to Egypt, but in reality to babysit Prim and see whether they can find Archie (or if she knows where he is). Also on board is Mike Luzzatto, an American Jew who deals in real estate, although his real motive is buying land for Jewish settlement.
When she gets to Cairo, Prim discovers that there are a lot of people looking for Archie, some of them not at all nice. The theatre manager was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered to find some clues as to where he might be - but no-one knows.
In their attempts to find Archie, Prim and Harry are drawn into the conflict between the Arabs and the Jews, and both sides' antipathy towards the British. It seems as though Archie may have been trying to play both sides and it spectacularly backfired.
The author had clearly done a lot of historical research but honestly most of the time it felt like a bewildering hotchpotch of politics and all I really got out of it was that all sides were pretty unpleasant, prepared to sanction absolutely anything to the cause as collateral damage - that may also have been a product of the times where extremism was rampant across the world. The story itself got subsumed in the politics and felt like a bit of a damp squib, I was left with the feeling of 'so what?'.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Bumped for release.
Then two Special Branch police officers come calling, Archie has gone missing in Egypt and they are concerned that he might have sold secrets about British oil pipelines and the like to the Germans and/or Italians, especially since Prim herself was briefly a member of the British Union of Fascists until she realised that they were just as bad as the Communists and didn't really want change for the masses - just for the leaders.
Prim decides to travel to Egypt to find her father. On the long air journey she meets Harry Taverner, ostensibly with the British Council to bring British arts and science to Egypt, but in reality to babysit Prim and see whether they can find Archie (or if she knows where he is). Also on board is Mike Luzzatto, an American Jew who deals in real estate, although his real motive is buying land for Jewish settlement.
When she gets to Cairo, Prim discovers that there are a lot of people looking for Archie, some of them not at all nice. The theatre manager was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered to find some clues as to where he might be - but no-one knows.
In their attempts to find Archie, Prim and Harry are drawn into the conflict between the Arabs and the Jews, and both sides' antipathy towards the British. It seems as though Archie may have been trying to play both sides and it spectacularly backfired.
The author had clearly done a lot of historical research but honestly most of the time it felt like a bewildering hotchpotch of politics and all I really got out of it was that all sides were pretty unpleasant, prepared to sanction absolutely anything to the cause as collateral damage - that may also have been a product of the times where extremism was rampant across the world. The story itself got subsumed in the politics and felt like a bit of a damp squib, I was left with the feeling of 'so what?'.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Bumped for release.
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