The Cleopatra Syndicate
By Sydney J. Bounds
Linford Mystery Library: Large Print (2007)
ISBN: 978-1-84617-637-1
Genre: Mystery
Reviewed by Herbert White - May 6, 2008
When Maurice Cole is found murdered, his boss, Nicodemus Grevil, is not overly concerned. That is until it is also discovered that the new perfume that Cole had invented has gone missing. In short order, Daniel Shield, senior partner and primary operative of I.C.E. (Industrial Counter Espionage), is hired to find the thief. Aiding him in his investigation is his business partner Melody Gay, who possess a photographic memory and a python named Suki. As well as the third member of their team - Barney Ryker.
What begins as a simple theft investigation soon takes a sinister turn as they head for Egypt and a fateful encounter with Suliman Kalif - an international criminal and all around not very nice guy. The I.C.E. team soon discovers that the mysterious perfume that Cole invented could instigate a violent Holy War that could cause a catastrophe of global proportions. The only hope of avoiding the looming conflict is to retrieve the stolen perfume - hopefully without losing their own lives.
The Cleopatra Syndicate is a thrilling mystery by Sydney J. Bounds. It involves not only industrial espionage but also international conspiracies and good, old-fashioned, detective work. The story is short and pithy, and it is an excellent read for a lazy afternoon.
The Cleopatra Syndicate can be purchased directly from Ulverscroft, the parent company of the Linford Mystery Library.
Related Reviews:
Murder in Space, by Sydney J. Bounds.
This is the ultimate locked room mystery. The victim is an astronaut, alone in a tiny space capsule. He was alive when his spaceship blasted off, but when it returns, he is found dead, shot through the neck. Who killed this intrepid astronaut, and why is the crux of this baffling mystery? (Large Print)
Sword of Damocles, by Sydney J. Bounds.
When precious metals begin to mysteriously disappear the world over, MI5 Agent Neil Vaughan is called in to find the culprits - a task that might be harder than imagined when it begins to appear that the thieves are literally from another world. (Large Print)
