With Inspector Çetin Íkmen on enforced medical leave, newly promoted Inspector Suleyman, the son of one of Turkey's most aristocratic families, is in charge of his first case. He and his team find themselves plunged into the overly dramatic world of Arabesk music, a world dominated by an aging singing star known as Tansu, as they try to find the killer of the wife of one of Istanbul's most popular singers.
~
It's been much too long since I immersed myself in one of Barbara Nadel's Çetin Íkmen mysteries. The author always takes me right into the heart of the culture and history, not only of Istanbul but of Turkey itself.
Arabesk is the third book in this series, and the title is layered with meaning. It introduces readers to the world of Arabesk music, a magnificently vulgar, overblown world hugely popular with the masses, and it also refers to the complicated patterns of form or calligraphy known as Arabesque, a nod to the plot of the book.
If you're a reader who's allergic to even fictional cigarette smoke, you might want to give this one a miss because it seems as though everyone is constantly lighting one up. But if you're willing to brave the nicotine haze, you'll be greatly rewarded.
First, there's the strong plot that keeps you guessing. It's a mystery steeped in Turkish culture and history, and it's this look into another world that keeps me coming back for more. It's a world in which Kurds, Jews, Christians, and Muslims sometimes live together in harmony or sometimes brutally clash. If you're a police officer in Istanbul, you need to know the ins and outs of all these various factions.
Inspector Çetin Íkmen has an encyclopedic knowledge of the city of Istanbul, but he's been put on the sidelines due to stomach ulcers and other health concerns. He'd much rather be on the job than trying to bribe his sons to bring him forbidden alcohol... or trying to figure out why one of his sons is being so moody. Íkmen's easy-going personality as well as his knowledge serves him well. He's no bigot and can get along with people from all walks of life-- something very helpful for successful investigations.
On the other hand, the newly promoted Inspector Suleyman, who was trained by Íkmen, can antagonize others simply by sounding patrician. It makes his work harder, especially since he's trying not to bother Íkmen too much. He'd much rather solve this case on his own merit.
If you enjoy history, culture, strong mysteries, and nuanced characters, you really need to give this series a try. I suggest beginning at the beginning with Belshazzar's Daughter. Armchair traveling sleuths are in for a treat!
Arabesk by Barbara Nadel
ISBN: 0747262195
Headline Book Publishing © 2001
Paperback, 407 pages
Police Procedural, #3 Inspector Çetin Íkmen mystery
Rating: B+
Source: Paperback Swap
Wow! How has this series not popped up on my radar, Cathy? Or at least, how have I not remembered about it? The setting is really appealing to me, and the mystery sound interesting, too. I definitely need to look for these book. I wonder if this might be a good one for audio, as I don't know how to pronounce most Turkish words...
ReplyDeleteI think it would probably be a good candidate for an audiobook, Margot. I know that's what I did with Harini Nagendra's first mystery, and it helped to hear all those words and names pronounced.
DeleteCathy, like Margot, I think I had forgotten this author. This book sounds really interesting. Will have to see about the previous books in the series. I will say that when smoking is frequent in a book these days, I'm always kind of going 'ick' - ha!
ReplyDeleteSmoking is something you just don't see anymore, so when it's mentioned a lot in a book I'm reading, it comes as a sort of smelly shock.
DeleteI'm unfamiliar with the author but this sounds like a rousing good tale. Another one for my reading list.
ReplyDeleteWe just keep adding to each other's lists, Dorothy.
DeleteThese books sound very different from the kind of crime series thing I've grown so used to reading nowadays. Never knew of it, but with a little luck, I'll be more familiar with the series and the author soon.
ReplyDeleteI think you'd find the series interesting, Sam.
Delete