Book reviews: Cairo travelogue by way of a mystery; a taste of West Indies baked into a murder

‘The Lost Americans’ by Christopher Bollen. Harper. 352 pages, $30

Christopher Bollen explores settings that may seem familiar to readers but then dives deeply to make the backgrounds exotic by finding those hidden corners — whether it’s Greece, Vienna, Long Island or, in “The Lost Americans,” Cairo, Egypt.

No travel show, or even a personal trip, may match Bollen’s delving into the culture, sights and sounds of Cairo in “The Lost Americans.” The skillful look at Cairo’s atmosphere is matched by Bollen’s thoughtful exploration of his characters, each of whom is influenced by the scenery. While the plot is more leisurely, Bollen provides a satisfying narrative highlighted by the author’s affinity for solid storytelling in his fifth novel.

The titular lost Americans are Eric Castle, a based-in-Cairo expert in explosives working for a defense contractor that manufactures state-of-the-art weapons, and his sister, Cate Castle, who works in fundraising for a nonprofit art space in New York.

‘The Lost Americans’ by Christopher Bollen. (Harper / Courtesy)

Brother and sister were once close, united by their “junkheap” of a childhood. They drifted apart as they got older, and as adults they no longer talk. The rift is brought on because Cate believes Eric’s job is immoral. But reconciliation will never happen after Eric is killed when he falls from his Cairo hotel’s third-floor balcony. Eric’s high-powered American company is quick to rule his death a suicide as are the local authorities.

Cate refuses to believe Eric would kill himself and, on impulse, she travels to Egypt where she enlists the help of Omar, a young gay man she barely knows. Danger starts immediately, intensifying as both Cate and Omar face resistance involving differences in culture, race and sexual orientation.

Bollen takes the reader by the hand for a walking tour of Cairo, where trees are like “great twisting cyclones buckling . . . pavements;” where traffic clogs the streets along with the heavy smog. Yet “the city kept opening up to him . . . loving him back” as he savors the “stray, beautiful fragments of 46 centuries that whirled around him at all hours.”

Bollen employed an evocative sense of place in “A Beautiful Crime,” a favorite of 2020 in which two con men forge a romance while targeting an uber-wealthy ex-pat American in Venice.

Bollen’s expertise at multi-layered stories that hinge on realistic characters again shines in “The Lost Americans.”

Olivia Matthews launches a new series with "Against the Currant: A Spice Isle Bakery Mystery." (Michael A. Matthews / Courtesy)

‘Against the Currant: A Spice Isle Bakery Mystery’ by Olivia Matthews. St. Martin’s. 304 pages, $8.99

In the past decade or so, culinary mysteries have turned a vital corner — going deeper than appealing characters with light plots sprinkled with several recipes. Many new authors in this category of mysteries, such as Mia P. Manansala and Miamian Raquel V. Reyes, are creating plots that introduce readers to aspects of their culture that may not have been previously explored.

Olivia Matthews is the latest author to join this growing trend with “Against the Currant,” which launches her Spice Isle Bakery series set against the backdrop of a Caribbean community. As is befitting these mysteries, likable characters fuel a light plot with, of course, recipes, many of which will have readers heading for their kitchens.

‘Against the Currant: A Spice Isle Bakery Mystery’ by Olivia Matthews. (St. Martins / Courtesy)

“Against the Currant” introduces Lindsay Murray, who has a marketing degree but finds cooking and the challenge of baking are what really bring her “joy.” Now at age 27, Lindsay is making a childhood dream come true as she and her family launch their West Indian bakery in the heart of Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean neighborhood. The Spice Isle Bakery will allow them to showcase their Grenadian heritage and create a legacy for Lindsay’s close-knit family.

But what isn’t sweet about the new business is long-established competitor Claudio’s Baked Goods, although the owner has few ties to the community and doesn’t live in the neighborhood. Still, Claudio Fabrizi is incensed about even a hint of competition and tries to ruin Spice Isle Bakery before it opens. Lindsay and her family refuse to back down, making her prime suspect when Claudio is murdered.

A highlight of Matthews’ lively plot is the close-knit family whose love transcends any petty differences among them and offers an introduction to West Indian culture. The obligatory recipes sound quite tasty.

Matthews, who also writes romances under the names of Patricia Sargeant and Regina Hart, has a new recipe for what should be a long-running series with “Against the Currant.”

Oline H. Cogdill can be reached at [email protected].