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.

"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.

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.

In Cairo Gambit, author S.W.Perry manages to evoke the heat and heady atmosphere of 1938 Cairo in his completely immersive writing. I loved Berlin Duet, also by Perry, and this is another absorbing and brilliant book about love, secrets, compassion and single mindedness. Intrigue, spies, British colonialism and the seething tensions between the Arabs and Jews forms a tense backdrop to one woman’s quest to find her lost father. Lovely Harry Taverner reappears (in an earlier incarnation than Berlin Duet), adding charm and loyalty to the plot. This is more than a spy thriller- characters have depth and motive, the political is explained and the arrogant disdain and sense of entitlement of the British exquisitely described and shown. I liked Prim’s courage and sense of self as she searches for her father, knowing that she might not like what she finds. I can’t wait for Perry’s next book and hope I meet Prim or Harry again.

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.