Arabesk by Barbara Nadel

 

First Line: From the high vantage point of their apartment balcony the two men watched as the routine of the early morning city began to take shape.

 

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

An Aegean April by Jeffrey Siger

First Line: The northeastern Aegean island of Lesvos, a place of quiet beauty, storied history, and sacred shrines, had long drawn the attention of tourists, though never quite the hordes of off-islanders that descended each summer onto some of its much smaller, but far more notorious, Cycladic neighbors to the southwest.

The Greek island of Lesvos has been an agrarian paradise for centuries. Covered with wildflowers, a favorite stop for migrating birds, it's now known for human immigrants fleeing from war and terrorism. Mihalis Volandes is one of the island's most privileged citizens, and he's developed a plan he wants to put into action, a plan that will strike at the heart of the lucrative human trafficking trade. When he's found outside the door to his estate, cleaved in two with a sword, the island is in an uproar-- especially when it looks as though a refugee is his killer.

Within hours, the phone rings in the Athens office of Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis. American Dana McLaughlin, the head of SafePassage a non-government organization on Lesvos to aid refugees, is convinced Ali Sera is being framed, and she doesn't trust anyone in the local government to see justice done. In no time at all, Kaldis has his team on the move, finding the facts they need in order to catch a dangerous killer.

Jeffrey Siger can always be trusted to bring the country, the history, and the customs of Greece to life and this ninth book in his Chief Inspector Kaldis series is no exception. Kaldis and his team, along with their wives, girlfriends, and children are a true family whose bonds are every bit as strong as blood. These people have worked together for a long time, and they've learned how to work smart and take few chances with their lives. Since I'm attached to this entire group, I like seeing them use intelligence instead of brute force to get the job done.

In An Aegean April, readers get an up-close-and-personal look at the refugee crisis and the resulting plague of human traffickers that has grown up around it. There is money to be made from thousands upon thousands of desperate people, especially since the governments involved would rather look the other way than do something that would actually alleviate the situation. There is even more money to be had if leaky boats are used and defective equipment sold to what "others in the smuggling trade call...fish or cement blocks."

To this sickening situation, Kaldis and his team bring their talents and their determined focus, aided by two strong (and sometimes misguided) women, one American and one Greek. We also meet another character who's been seen in a previous book, and as soon as I saw that person, I knew it wasn't a one-scene-only appearance. I was right. This character appears at the end in a sort of deus ex machina, and although I might pick this apart in almost any other book, I have to smile. If you're going to use the deus ex machina device, it has to be in a book set in Greece, and Siger's books are so Greek, the pollen from the olive trees makes me sneeze.

If you haven't read a Chief Inspector Kaldis novel before, I suggest you begin at the beginning (Murder in Mykonos) so you can see how this group of people come together and become a family. This is one of my favorite series, and I hope it will become one of yours, too.

An Aegean April by Jeffrey Siger

eISBN: 9781464209482

Poisoned Pen Press © 2018

eBook, 280 pages

Police Procedural, #9 Inspector Kaldis mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

The Ottoman Cage by Barbara Nadel

First Line: The old woman looked sadly up at the open door and sighed.

Istanbul's brandy- and nicotine-loving Inspector Çetin Ikmen has what should be an open-and-shut case. A young man is dead. Needle tracks and other signs point to drug abuse. There are rumors of prostitution, and a local family has reported a missing son. But nothing is as simple as it should be. Conflicting statements describing the owner of the apartment where the young man was found agree on two things: he wears a large, flashy ring, and he "looks Armenian."  Before Ikmen has the answers he needs, he's going to have to deal with the lingering residue of a hundred-year-old genocide and an even older legacy that dates all the way back to the Ottoman Empire at its height.

Two years ago, the first book in this series, Belshazzar's Daughter, was one of the best books I read. I've taken entirely too long to get back to this series, and I picked up The Ottoman Cage with a great deal  of anticipation. I enjoyed watching the wily Inspector Ikmen at work, but at times it felt as though there was too much going on for one book.

The book felt too long and moved as slowly as molasses in January throughout the murder investigation. It revealed itself much too slowly, undoubtedly due more to modern attitudes in Turkey toward the Armenian genocide than to its ties to the customs of the old Ottoman Empire. The murderer's identity was very clear to me early on, and as the investigation dragged on, I found myself becoming impatient.

There is also a lot of Ikmen's personal life in this book, but I did not find these parts intrusive at all. Quite the contrary, they illuminated the inspector's character and revealed elements of his personality that prove he isn't always as charming as he was in the first book. Ikmen, married and with nine children, has his elderly father living with them. Timür (and the entire family for that matter) is suffering from his advanced dementia. It's particularly difficult for Ikmen's wife, Fatma, who has debilitating health problems of her own. Nadel does an excellent job showing us not only how these two problems tear at the fabric of the family, but how Ikmen's coping mechanisms have a profound effect as well.

Although the pace dragged and I became impatient from time to time, I'm glad that I read the book. Nadel has created a marvelous character in Çetin Ikmen, and she brings Istanbul and the country of Turkey to life. I'm looking forward to book number three.

The Ottoman Cage by Barbara Nadel
Also published as A Chemical Prison

ISBN:  9781933397849

Felony and Mayhem © 2007

Paperback, 436 pages

Police Procedural, #2 Inspector Çetin Ikmen mystery

Rating: B

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen 

Hotel Bosphorus by Esmahan Aykol

First Line: I keep driving around, but there's nowhere to park near the shop.

Parking in Istanbul can be a problem, and since Kati Hirschel is usually running a bit late to open her business-- the only mystery bookshop in town-- she's just going to have to park and run. Having recently lost her part-time employee, Kati does need to hire someone else, but she's also anticipating meeting Petra, an old school friend she hasn't seen for years. Kati is a German ex-pat who's fallen in love with Istanbul. Petra went on to become a very popular actress in Germany, and has come to Turkey to star in a new film; however, everything is put on hold when the film's director is found murdered in his hotel room. Petra is the prime suspect, and Kati can't resist running her own amateur investigation. After all, reading all those mysteries has surely taught her something.

I found that my enjoyment of this book relied a lot upon my opinion of its main character, and I was alternately exasperated and delighted. I did really like the insider's point of view, especially since Kati is an ex-pat because it exposed both Western prejudices about Turkey as well as Turkish stereotyping of Europeans. Moreover, since Kati's investigating style was rather hit or miss, I also learned quite a few things about different sections of Istanbul.

Kati has always been single, and never passes up the opportunity to ogle-- or bed-- a handsome, interesting man, and this led to one of the things that annoyed me. A handsome, interesting (and interested) policeman falls right into Kati's lap, and after a brief encounter, she dumps him with no explanation. You see, Kati was raised to hate the police, and she just can't overcome that prejudice. Then there was the way the book was written. Kati is speaking to us, and although I don't mind being brought into the story, and I can think of many, many books in which I loved the first person viewpoint, I draw the line at constantly being referred to as "dear reader."  As the dear reader of this review, I found this tendency made the narrative stilted and gimmicky.

Kati's investigative technique was all over the place. If she was paid by the mile, she could hire all the employees she needs and never have to work in her bookshop again. This scattered approach allowed her to meet various characters such as stock film types and a stock mobster and his minions as well as take a trip to Berlin.

No, this book isn't long on character or plot development, but I did find it a light, fun read. If it's substance you crave, I would strongly suggest reading Barbara Nadel's Inspector Ikmen mysteries which are also set in Istanbul.

Hotel Bosphorus by Esmahan Aykol

Translated by Ruth Whitehouse

ISBN: 9781904738688

Bitter Lemon Press © 2011

Paperback, 224 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #1 Kati Hirschel mystery

Rating: C-

Source: Purchased as an eBook from Barnes and Noble

The Gold of Thrace by Aileen G. Baron

First Line: "I saw it all," the American woman was saying.

Archaeologist Tamar Saticoy has discovered a wonderful Roman mosaic floor in the ruins of a building at her dig in Turkey. In order to be properly studied, it must be very carefully removed and transported offsite. However, the entire floor is stolen overnight. Couple the theft with the murder of a member of the archaeological staff, and Tamar knows something deadly serious is going on, and she wants to get to the bottom of it.

While Orman tries to follow the route of the stolen mosaic, the other director at the dig, Andrew Chatham, has left, traveling to Bulgaria where he finds a hoard of ancient Thracian gold. Tamar finds clues to the mosaic that lead her to Basel, Switzerland and the antiquities dealer, Gilberto Dela Barcolo. Then other members of the team die, and Tamar finds herself deep in a labyrinth of theft and forgery.

Archaeologist Aileen Baron knows how to bring her subject to life. Her settings in Turkey, Bulgaria, and Switzerland, the scenes at the dig, her descriptions of Roman antiquities, and her telling of the legends surrounding the Thracian gold are wonderful. I have a fondness for archaeological mysteries, and Baron's talent at describing the work, the setting, and the rewards are among the very best. The book's foundation is rock solid.

Where the book fell apart a bit for me was in the mystery. Tamar never once impressed me as someone who could go undercover in such a deadly enterprise and come out in one piece. She made rookie mistakes that the bad guys should've noticed immediately. Also, the other three members of the team-- Mustafa, Orman, and Chatham-- scatter in all directions. We seldom know what Mustafa is up to, Orman basically disappears like a wisp of smoke, and Chatham remains as the only other character we get to follow for any distance. These characters and their actions needed to be woven more tightly into the narrative instead of dangling like loose threads.

The mystery is a complicated one. With so much going on, the story needed more than 190 pages to be well told. Just as I thought I was beginning to piece things together, the solutions were presented. Game over.

Although I did have a problem or two with the mystery, there was more than enough in The Gold of Thrace for me to like. I will definitely be looking for more of Baron's books.

The Gold of Thrace by Aileen G. Baron

ISBN: 9781590587737

Poisoned Pen Press © 2010

Paperback, 190 pages

Genre: Archaeological Mystery, Amateur Sleuth, #1 Tamar Saticoy mystery

Rating: C+/B-

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen

Scapegoat by Amy Dawson Robertson

First Line: The rain had been coming down hard for days all over the West Virginia Panhandle.

When a covert government operation goes wrong and becomes fodder for the press, someone's got to take the blame, and with regard to the botched mission in Tajikstan, Rennie Vogel is the chosen scapegoat.

Shuffled off to a dead-end assignment in Turkey, Rennie descends into depression, forgetting to exercise her body and her mind but remembering to drink, smoke, and stay awake through the endless nights agonizing over the rubble that's left of her career. For years, she's wanted a job where she could serve the country she loves, a job where she could truly make a difference. When she's finally forced completely out, she has nothing left. Even Hannah Marcus-- the woman she rescued in Tajikstan and came to care deeply for-- has moved on. The government has forced them to agree never to get in touch with each other.

Hannah Marcus takes a safe job at a newspaper while recovering from her traumatic time as a hostage, but that job soon palls. She, too, wants to make a difference, and she soon learns of a homegrown terrorist group in North Dakota. Hannah quits her job and goes freelance, traveling to North Dakota to uncover everything she can about the group.

In the meantime, one of Rennie's former adversaries offers her a job. She's never heard of The Foundation, but they've heard of her. When asked if she'd be interested in a rather illegal but honorable job, she eventually overcomes her misgivings and agrees to work for the group. She soon finds herself on the way to North Dakota. She and Hannah are set on a collision course with some very dangerous people.

The character of Rennie Vogel fully engages me as a reader, and she often brings out clashing emotions in me. While she wallowed in self-pity long enough for me to want to shake her, I have to admit that the woman has the worst luck with her employment and her personal life. She's cut off from her family-- her mother in particular-- and her wish list is short: (1) to find people who will accept and love her for whom she truly is, and (2) to have work that fulfills her need to serve her country and to do good. She's really not cut out for government work; she is too moral for that line of business. To Rennie Vogel, collateral damage is not acceptable-- "People aren't peripheral." (It's a sad state of the world's affairs when hearing someone say this is so refreshing.)

Although the action took a while to get started, once it did things moved quickly, and Robertson had more than one surprise in store for me toward book's end. The author does an excellent job of portraying a very strong yet conflicted character. Rennie Vogel is the type of character who can (and hopefully shall) go far in a series.

Scapegoat by Amy Dawson Robertson

ISBN: 9781594932625

Bella Books ©2012

Paperback, 302 pages

Genre: Thriller, LGBT, #2 Rennie Vogel

Rating: B

Source: the author

Belshazzar's Daughter by Barbara Nadel

Title: Belshazzar's Daughter
Author: Barbara Nadel
ISBN: 9780747262176
Publisher: Headline, 2000
Paperback, 448 pages
Genre: Police Procedural, #1 Inspector Çetin İkmen mystery
Rating: A+
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: A room.

Çetin İkmen. There's not another policeman like him in the world. Traveling from case to police station to home with his endless supply of brandy and cigarettes, he's the father of eight (with the ninth shortly to appear) and the son of a man described as "an atheist, an anarchist, an intellectual snob and a libertine". Since his father also lives with İkmen and his family, it makes for a very interesting household.

İkmen and his young, handsome sergeant, Mehmet Suleyman, have been put in charge of the particularly gruesome murder of an old man in the ancient Jewish quarter of Istanbul. Since a huge swastika was drawn on the wall above the body in the victim's blood, lots of people show an interest in the case-- including the Israeli embassy. İkmen is under pressure to solve the case quickly to get everyone off his superior's back, but the wily inspector knows that everyone's favorite suspect, Englishman Robert Cornelius, isn't the right one. The way the man was killed speaks of a very personal motive, and İkmen won't rest until he puts all the clues and the evidence together.

İkmen is the most amazing policeman I've come across in all the police procedurals I've read. He does his best work loaded to the gills with brandy, nicotine and no sleep. He knows his superior is beneath contempt-- and doesn't hide it. The only thing that keeps him on the job is the fact that he's damned good at what he does.

Nadel wove a tale that left me reluctant to come up for air. She may be British, but she's been visiting Turkey for over twenty-five years, and she knows the country. The setting of Belshazzar's Daughter is a richly woven tapestry of history, culture, sights, smells, narrow ancient streets, honking car horns, and the babble of many voices.

She can make characters come to life within a single paragraph, and the cast she creates is absolutely wonderful. İkmen and his family take center stage, but even the single appearance of an elderly rabbi is so well drawn and touching that the old man will live on in my memory.

İkmen calls this the nastiest case he's ever worked on "because there was absolutely nothing to like about any of the people involved in it. For one reason or another they were all absolutely selfish." He's absolutely right. With its overtones of Nazi sympathizers, the purges following the Russian Revolution, and just plain insanity, there's not much to like about all the suspects in Belshazzar's Daughter.

That doesn't matter. What matters is that the history, the culture, and the country of Turkey came alive as I read. What matters is that I discovered a fantastic cast of characters to follow in this series of mysteries. And finally... what matters is that İkmen settled for nothing less than the truth, and justice was served.

I can't wait to get back to Turkey.