Cairo Gambit

The gripping, unputdownable historical thriller longlisted for the CWA's Historical Dagger Award 2026
Unexpected allies and state secrets collide under the Egyptian sun in this propulsive and intelligent historical thriller, perfect for fans of William Boyd and Christine Mangan

LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA'S HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD 2026

'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 things: 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 Perry:
'Powerful, panoramic' Sunday Times
'Beautifully written, entirely convincing' Leonora Nattrass
'Gripping and heartfelt' Elisabeth Gifford
'Sweeping' Daily Mail

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