“Al-Basas” (The Sleuth) is a novel that reveals secrets from the past, creating surprising parallels between them and the current events Egypt to confirm the repeated adage that history repeats itself over the years.
The novel is written by Moustafa Obeid and will be released at the next round of the Cairo International Book Fair, which kicks off on 27 January, and published by Al-Rawak publishing house.
Throughout the 300 pages of the novel, the reader is introduced to a history teacher who finds a manuscript that dates back to the Mamluke era in Egypt. By reading it, the teacher learns terrible secrets that have been intentionally hidden throughout the years and draws a clear line between the major life-changing incidents that occurred in the past and current ones.
The manuscript also explains in detail the mechanisms of informants, which the protagonist discovers has not changed until now. However, throughout his journey, he senses that he is being watched by mysterious people and discovers the truth as he attempts to figure out who they are.
