janetreads's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
I enjoyed this — but I didn’t fall in love with it as some people have. I also didn’t have a super strong reaction against it. It has a Sherlock Holmes quality by being set in a major city in the midst of great changes. I enjoyed the vignettes of Istanbul and honestly would love to have an even richer image of the city (perhaps that will come in the next book).
The plot centered around intrigue at a high power level (& with high potential consequences). Personally, I prefer a mystery series to start a little more “at home.” Maybe it reminds me of the shock & disbelief I lived through during the Matt Smith Doctor Who years when they destroyed and restitched back together the universe like six times. (At times it’s simply too much to have dire consequences all the time). This book didn’t go that far, but it wasn’t a simple clever murder mystery to start off on. If author’s want to “raise the stakes” of their mysteries (which is not necessy) I think it’s more fitting later into a series when we know characters better and there’s more space to explore the complexities of high stakes political mysteries.
I’m a bit spoiled by the excellent writing of P.D. James, of Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad, and (on the lighter side) “The Thirsday Murder Club” series. So I can be a bit tough on new mysteries. But all in all I think I will read the second book to see if the series will grow on me.
The plot centered around intrigue at a high power level (& with high potential consequences). Personally, I prefer a mystery series to start a little more “at home.” Maybe it reminds me of the shock & disbelief I lived through during the Matt Smith Doctor Who years when they destroyed and restitched back together the universe like six times. (At times it’s simply too much to have dire consequences all the time). This book didn’t go that far, but it wasn’t a simple clever murder mystery to start off on. If author’s want to “raise the stakes” of their mysteries (which is not necessy) I think it’s more fitting later into a series when we know characters better and there’s more space to explore the complexities of high stakes political mysteries.
I’m a bit spoiled by the excellent writing of P.D. James, of Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad, and (on the lighter side) “The Thirsday Murder Club” series. So I can be a bit tough on new mysteries. But all in all I think I will read the second book to see if the series will grow on me.
annebennett1957's review against another edition
3.0
Set in Istanbul in the early 1800s this book is both historical and a mystery. It gives insights to the Ottoman Empire and historical information about their culture, as well as social and religious information. This book won the Edgar Award but I found it difficult to get "into".
(Catching up on old reviews from pre-blogging and pre-Goodreads days. Written on 7/23/21 but the book was read years ago. I'm working off my notes.)
(Catching up on old reviews from pre-blogging and pre-Goodreads days. Written on 7/23/21 but the book was read years ago. I'm working off my notes.)
writes_and_wrongs's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this but I think I will stick with the book rather than the audio going forward due to the complexity of the plot.
mjsteimle's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I read this because I will be traveling to Turkey and wanted to read some books set in Istanbul or written by Turkish writers. This book is definitely not great literature. Yashim as a character is engaging and there is some suspense, but the plot is rather formulaic and the building and wrapping up of the story is inconsistent and inexpertly handled.
helenace13's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The story was good, though at times not coherent. I read a Dutch translation and I presume that the translator did a bad job. But overall good story.
froydis's review against another edition
4.0
This took me a little while to get into it, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. The mystery was well done, and the exotic locale is quite fun.
danilanglie's review against another edition
4.0
This is such a weird book, but I kind of love it? As a white person, I was cringing at some of the "exotic" treatment the characters were receiving from the white author, and I admit I might have blind spots here and maybe it's worse than I think it is. But I genuinely thought the atmosphere and setting of this book was very lovingly conveyed. I felt immersed in the history and culture of Istanbul in a way that felt well-researched.
I also really liked the over-all style and structure of the novel, the way the short chapters kept the pace moving. It almost felt... cinematic? Like the tension would pull between many scenes at once, as small chapters would cover what was happening in multiple locations. The action was well-rendered, and I felt like the pacing stayed sharp and intriguing the whole way through.
I also genuinely loved Yashim as a character. He's got a Holmesian genius to him, and isn't afraid to do what it takes to get the job done. He's just as at home in the Sultan's inner sanctum as he is in the slums, and that makes him instantly likable. The other characters were distinct and memorable too, and I can't wait to see if they continue to play a role in later novels in the series.
So yeah - this isn't the kind of book I might have picked up normally, but it was gifted to me and I found it to be a pleasant surprise!
I also really liked the over-all style and structure of the novel, the way the short chapters kept the pace moving. It almost felt... cinematic? Like the tension would pull between many scenes at once, as small chapters would cover what was happening in multiple locations. The action was well-rendered, and I felt like the pacing stayed sharp and intriguing the whole way through.
I also genuinely loved Yashim as a character. He's got a Holmesian genius to him, and isn't afraid to do what it takes to get the job done. He's just as at home in the Sultan's inner sanctum as he is in the slums, and that makes him instantly likable. The other characters were distinct and memorable too, and I can't wait to see if they continue to play a role in later novels in the series.
So yeah - this isn't the kind of book I might have picked up normally, but it was gifted to me and I found it to be a pleasant surprise!
caroparr's review against another edition
3.0
Goodwin's history of the Ottoman Empire is filled with great characters and stories, so I was delighted to learn he has written a detective series set in 1830s Constantinople. Unfortunately, the very short chapters made it hard for me to settle into a rhythm with the detective and his friends, fascinating though they sometimes are. Not bad, but not good enough to continue.