Candygirl
by Tawfik, Mohamed
Trying to evade intelligence agencies out to assassinate him, the Cerebellum, an Egyptian scientist with a past association with the Iraqi nuclear program, rents a room on the roof of a brothel in a Cairo slum. His interaction with the other residents is limited; instead he spends most of his time in the virtual world, where he has a love affair with candygirl, a gorgeous avatar. On the other side of the planet, an ex-NSA agent has joined a secret organization whose mission is to assassinate Iraqi scientists. He does not allow his doubts about the legality – or the ethics – of his mission to interfere with his work. He chases his victim relentlessly, but when his top-of-the-line equipment fails to locate the Cerebellum in Cairo’s slums, he takes the chase to the virtual world.
Review
“A world with no one easily trusted is a difficult one to cope with. “Candygirl” is a novel of the modern Middle East and the fall out of the many recent conflicts. An Egyptian scientist is on the run and finds himself the target of many interests with cruel intentions for him and his knowledge of the defunct Iraqi nuclear program. Hiding in the slums of Cairo, “Candygirl” is a riveting novel of trying to live life, escape capture, and return to something that resembles happiness.” Midwest Book Review
About the Author
M.M. Tawfik was born in Cairo. He obtained degrees in civil engineering, international law, and international relations. He is a member of the Egyptian Writers Union, Pen International, the Geneva Writers Group, and ACT writers of Australia. He is the author of three volumes of short stories in Arabic, from which a selection was made and published in English in Cairo in 1997 under the title The Day the Moon Fell, and three novels, including Murder in the Tower of Happiness (AUC Press, 2008)
