The Camel Driver

Quite good and quite a compelling mystery. I enjoyed the writing and the characters. The plot, too, was well thought out and complex enough to keep it interesting. Recommended for historical fiction fans. Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

"The Camel Driver" is the third book in the Harry Prezewalski detective series, which is set in Pittsburgh, although this novel takes us on a journey through France and South Africa. It is an archeological mystery, which begins with a theft from an exhibit in the Carnegie Museum. When Prezewalski investigates the odd mystery, he dives into a world of a taxidermist from the 1800's and the taxidermist's scandalous life in South Africa retold through trial transcripts from a suit to enforce a promise of marriage. With very little violence and little in the way of action packed sequences, the author manages to present a fascinating tale.

This is an important book. The world of fiction is awash with novels that seek to entertain and provide glimpses into new realities. Crime fiction adds mystery, puzzles and a range of thrilling action. Leonard Krishtalka is a new author to me and his detective series set in Pittsburgh a city in western Pennsylvania, USA is my best find of 2020. His detective, Harry Przewalski is a wonderful down to earth private eye. He is methodical, hard working and determined. He is also a man who can get things wrong, especially where women are concerned. This is the third book in this series that continues to develop and surprise me. The plots are original and largely based in the academic worlds of archeology and anthropology. Because of the author’s background this isn’t dead science but a dramatic backdrop to greed, academic recognition and ultimately murder. It is an important book since it is taking the genre further than the private eye or police procedural. It is combining the world today with a discoverable past to enlighten and educate beyond normal historical crime thrillers. In this way these books excite me, how they study the past, the development of life and human existence only to reveal that murder still lies close to the preferred options to resolve problems. I love the links with the past the author utilises to cast his storytelling across time and was interested to read in his afterword where fact and fiction overlapped. I also like the unresolved past; Harry’s lack of success with women and the desperate need for parental approval. His strained links with his parents, a love of cycling and his place within the city he loves. Looking for something different - look no further.

A fascinating look through the lens of history at murder and mystery. What starts as far back in time as thousands of years ago ends with a contemporary investigation into a mystifying death of a child. preserved forever inside the remains of a camel displayed in a museum-dwelling diorama. Written in a poetic style, this book is destined to become a classic within its genre. Definitely recommended! *This book was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to participate in this program.*

Thank you to the author, Anamcara Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book in a series involving the detective Harry Przewalski, and the first book I've read by this author. It took me a bit to get into the story, as there are some abrupt shifts in the narrative, as well as a bit of a lack of setting the scene for those who did not read the previous books. However, the story drew me in - particularly when I realized it was at least two stories within the main story. The author does a great job of incorporating a historical narrative into the very current issues the detective is dealing with, and giving insight into the development of biology and natural history - fascinating!

Pittsburg's Carnegie Museum is the latest museum to be hit by a series of robberies. A popular exhibit, Arab Courier Attacked by Lions, has been damaged and the belly of the camel ripped open. Strangely, it appears something has been stolen from inside the camel, leaving behind a small bit of cloth and a mummified hand. After investigation, it appears the cloth was wrapped around the body of a small child. Given the nature of the crime, the police call in Harry Przewalski, once a Paleontologist, now a private investigator. When it becomes clear the body is very old, they suggest Harry investigate that mystery while the police continue investigating the break-in. This will take Harry to Africa and France and the journal of taxidermist Jules Verreaux who had built the original diorama 150 years ago and the more Harry learns about the man, the more intrigued he becomes. He learns that Verreaux had seduced a young woman in South Africa who became pregnant. The woman had sued him for refusing to marry her but, for some reason, Harry can find no record of the child. Was she the baby entombed in the camel's belly and, if so, was the theft the result of a descendant of the mother still seeking revenge after all these years? Or is the story much bigger than that? The Camel Driver is the third addition to the Harry Przewalski series by Leonard Krishtalka and it confirms my belief that this is one of the best mystery series around today. It combines a hard-boiled detective story seamlessly entwined with real history, in this case, the history of Verreaux, a brilliant taxidermist but a flawed man who, in fact, was the creator of the original and very real diorama, Lion Attacking Dromedary, that was years later discovered to contain human skull with teeth - I was so intrigued by the story that I looked it up which is just one of the reasons why I am such a fan of this series. it is also smart, compelling, pretty much unputdownable despite being more cerebral than action, and, while loving the mysteries, they make me want to learn more about the history they're based around. All I can say, if you love smart, well-written mysteries with a bit of the hard-boiled detective combined with actual history, this one's for you. <i>Thanks to Netgalley and Anamcara Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

This is an important book. The world of fiction is awash with novels that seek to entertain and provide glimpses into new realities. Crime fiction adds mystery, puzzles and a range of thrilling action. Leonard Krishtalka is a new author to me, and his detective series set in Pittsburgh a city in western Pennsylvania, USA is my best find of 2020. His detective, Harry Przewalski is a wonderful down to earth private eye. He is methodical, hardworking and determined. He is also a man who can get things wrong, especially where women are concerned. This is the third book in this series that continues to develop and surprise me. The plots are original and largely based in the academic worlds of archaeology and anthropology. Because of the author’s background this isn’t dead science but a dramatic backdrop to greed, academic recognition and ultimately murder. It is an important book since it is taking the genre further than the private eye or police procedural. that combinies the world today with a discoverable past to enlighten and educate beyond normal historical crime thrillers. I love the links with the past the author utilises to cast his storytelling across time and was interested to read in his afterword where fact and fiction overlapped. I also like the unresolved past; Harry’s lack of success with women and the desperate need for parental approval. His strained links with his parents, a love of cycling and his place within the city he loves. Looking for something different - look no further.

This was an amazing novel. Highly recommended for fans of the genre. Will be recommending the book for purchase.

2 stories that intersect. The first is an old true story from the 1800s. I man uses an old law to get around marrying a gal. This story is told via a court case. The second part of the book is when Harry makes his appearance. A museum has a thief. The part that most interests me is how Harry gathers clues and solves the crime. Not that the first story isn't interesting. It just didn't grab me like the second story did. Overall a good story with a satisfactory ending.