danilanglie's review
3.0
I think one one of the reasons why this book gets a lower rating from me is that it felt more episodic than the others. Don't get me wrong, each story stands on its own in the Yashim series, but this one... think about it. There are so many new characters. Giancarlo, Rafael, Fabrizio, Birgit, Natasha, Father Doherty. All of them get a lot of screen-time, so to speak... and when the dust settles at the end of the novel? . I also wasn't particularly compelled by the double-cross twist at the end? It felt like it was there just to be surprising, not because it was narratively earned. Really, the ways in which the separate plot-lines and motivations of these characters intersected sometimes felt really forced.
But as with the rest of this series, I wasn't really reading it for the story. I don't read a lot of mystery novels for this exact reason... it's not my jam. Why I really liked these books was because of the atmosphere, the setting, Yashim cooking a picnic, Yashim visiting the aging Valide (although her lack of a proper send-off was really disappointing), the warm friendship between Yashim and Palewski. And all of those things were still here in full-force, meaning I still enjoyed my reading experience!
Spoiler
Every single one of them is dead.But as with the rest of this series, I wasn't really reading it for the story. I don't read a lot of mystery novels for this exact reason... it's not my jam. Why I really liked these books was because of the atmosphere, the setting, Yashim cooking a picnic, Yashim visiting the aging Valide (although her lack of a proper send-off was really disappointing), the warm friendship between Yashim and Palewski. And all of those things were still here in full-force, meaning I still enjoyed my reading experience!
jonjeffryes's review against another edition
5.0
Its hard to be objective when I love entering the world of these books so much. The mystery in this entry is weaker (more John LeCarre than Agatha Christie) but I didn't care so much. This is a series in which I would gladly read a non-mystery entry.
dinokadich's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
cspiwak's review
3.0
thought the ending was very tricky. Much like the ending of great expectations open to interpretation.
Sorry to see the series go. This one had all of the usual-food- sex despite the main character being a eunuch- the friendship of Yashim and the Polish ambassador. Wouldn't reccomend unless you were already familiar with the series.
Sorry to see the series go. This one had all of the usual-food- sex despite the main character being a eunuch- the friendship of Yashim and the Polish ambassador. Wouldn't reccomend unless you were already familiar with the series.
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