1917, Fiona and Kitty head to Egypt to search for the spy Fredricks who hinted at a German plot which could be important to the war effort. They meet famous archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon before finding a freshly dead body in an ancient tomb…
Covert in Cairo is the second book to feature Fiona and Kitty as they try to work undercover to help win the First World War. I have previously reviewed the first book in the series, Chaos at Carnegie Hall.
Despite her mistrust of Fredricks, Fiona follows his advice and heads to Cairo alongside Kitty and Clifford in the hope of uncovering a German plot. Soon after their arrival a body is found, then they discover two injured men in a tomb. One dies and the other is Fredricks who quickly disappears again. There are plenty of red herrings, suspicious behaviour, lies about alibis, and a host of suspects for Fiona to investigate.
The book is written from Fiona’s first person perspective and this adds a personal and chatty tone to the narrative. There is humour as the women get into scrapes trying to follow clues and find the killer, as well as Fiona’s scorn towards Poppy the dog. The author has researched the 1910s and the social conventions of the time that governed the attitudes of the characters. I liked the inclusion of real characters from the era and location.
Covert in Cairo is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery mixed with history and espionage.
Covert in Cairo
Cairo. December 1917.
Following a tip-off from notorious spy Fredrick Fredricks, Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane of British Intelligence find themselves in the hustle and bustle of Egypt. But ancient mummies aren’t the only bodies buried in the tombs of Cairo.
When a young French archeologist is found dead in a tomb in the desert with his head bashed in, and an undercover British agent goes missing, the threat moves closer to home.
As they dig deeper, soon Fiona and Kitty uncover a treasure trove of suspects, including competing excavators, jealous husbands, secret lovers, and belligerent spies! Fiona wonders if the notorious Fredrick Fredricks could be behind the murders? Or is the plot even more sinister?
One thing is clear – If Fiona and Kitty can’t catch the killer, they might end up sharing a sarcophagus with Nefertiti.
With humor as dry as the Arabian desert, and pacing as fast as a spitting camel, Fiona and Kitty are back in another sparkling adventure, this time in WW1 Egypt.
Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is bringing new titles in the Fiona Figg series to Boldwood, the first of which, Chaos in Carnegie Hall, will be published in November 2022.
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