The Pearls of Tangier
This is the third book in the Bresciano Mysteries series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone read. This particular novel is set mainly in Tangier, as the title suggests, and it follows the fortunes and investigations of Giovanni Bresciano, a likeable and astute amateur detective from Gibraltar. He is asked to go to Tangier on a family rescue mission because his young sister has become unsuitably entangled in a possible love affair with a certain Percival Aziz Rogers, who features prominently in later plot developments.
Arriving in Tangier, Bresciano is confronted with a murder and serious theft case which he must solve in order to save the day. With the help of a local street boy and Dr Lemprière, a real life surgeon who was sent to try to help the emperor’s son keep his sight, Bresciano must find out who committed the murder the Scandinavian guard and try to recover the lost pearls of the title.
The novel is well plotted with the usual red herrings and subplot complications, and the characters are strongly conveyed. The time period of 1789 and the exotic setting permeate the novel without overpowering the action or the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this light but well researched novel. It is reminiscent of Agatha Christie in the way it has a limited number of suspects and with various secrets being revealed along the way. Recommended.
