Dimensions
129 x 198 x 1mm
With its face to the sea and its back to the Delta, El Iskandryia is North Africa's most urbane city. A metropolis where east meets west, cultures clash and money buys you everything but safety.
Sprung from a Seattle prison by a woman who claims to be his aunt, Ashraf Bey arrives in El Iskandryia to be told that his entire life has been a lie. Of course, his new identity as pashazade - the son of a Pasha - may also be a fiction. If so, it is a skilfully scripted one.
And time is running out for Raf. When his aunt - possibly the only person to know the truth about him - is murdered in her apartment Raf finds himself as prime suspect. Amidst the double dealing and the deceit, the culture shock and the misdirection, Raf is forced to turn detective to clear his name. A job made more difficult by the fact the girl he was supposed to marry now hates him and his aunt's death means Raf becomes responsible for the welfare of a nine year old cousin.
Still, the questions remain:
Is the Emir of Tunis really Raf's father?
Is his new identity enough to conceal him from Triad enemies in Seattle?
And what is the interest of the mysterious German intelligence service, the Thiergarten?
Ashraf Bey is about to discover that the facts and the truth are not necessarily the same - and it's very hard to win when nobody will tell you the rules.
Shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award and the British SF Award.
