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Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... Oakdale Library | MYSTERY WHI | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
A stunningly lyrical debut novel about faith and desire, set within a gripping tale of murder in nineteenth-century Istanbul. Rich in sensuous detail, this first novel brilliantly captures the political and social upheavals of the waning Ottoman Empire. The naked body of a young Englishwoman washes up in Istanbul wearing a pendant inscribed with the seal of the deposed sultan. The death resembles the murder by strangulation of another English governess, a crime that was never solved. Kamil Pasha, a magistrate in the new secular courts, sets out to find the killer, but his dispassionate belief in science and modernity is shaken by betrayal and widening danger. In a lush, mystical voice, a young Muslim woman, Jaanan, recounts her own relationships with one of the dead women and her suspected killer. Were these political murders involving the palace or crimes of personal passion? An absorbing tale that transports the reader to nineteenth-century Turkey, this novel is also a lyrical meditation on the contradictory desires of the human soul.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Historical drama meets traditional murder mystery in this uneven but passionate debut. Istanbul in 1886 is in a state of enormous political and social unrest. Upper-class society has evolved a strange new stratum combining British expatriates, colonials and the clashing traditional and modern Turks, all struggling to find their place as the Ottoman Empire wanes. The citizens of Istanbul are leery of the bold and immodest behavior of the Englishwomen in their midst, but all are shocked when young Mary Dixon, governess at the imperial harem, is discovered brutally murdered. Few seem to have known the quiet, retiring Mary, but readers snatch a glimpse in the interwoven story of Jaanan, a young Turkish woman about to be forced into marriage to a man she hates and who has a strange connection to the murdered woman. The writing is lyrical and the characters enchanting, particularly Kamil Pasha, the region's magistrate, who finds himself entangled in the case. But the rich historical setting makes an uneasy match with the whodunit sleuthing; neither ends up being able to sustain the book, particularly given the placid pace of the investigation. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
This impressive first novel rests securely on the author's background as a professor of anthropology and writer of several nonfiction books on Turkish society and politics. That said, she turns to fictional writing about Turkish history with full awareness of the historical novel's need for authentic detail, tone, and characterizations but, at the same time, its requirement, to be successful, that it avoid a lecturing manner or the slotting in of large chunks of undigested information gleaned from research. The premise here is sort of CSI goes Ottoman Empire, in the late nineteenth century, that is, when the sultan reigned supreme and everyone was spied upon. The body of the English governess of the former sultan's granddaughter is found floating in the Bosporus, obviously the victim of murder. Seeking an answer to the crime leads Kamil Pasha, the local magistrate, to explore parallels between this event and a previous murder: that of an Englishwoman under similar circumstances. Court life and customs in old Istanbul are thrillingly captured here, with readers easily transported back to those days when mystery and intrigue lurked around every corner. --Brad Hooper Copyright 2005 Booklist
Library Journal Review
The naked body of a young Englishwoman washes ashore in Istanbul and the pendant around her neck connects her to the royal household and possibly to the murder of an English governess years earlier. Then Janaan, a young Muslim woman resisting an arranged marriage, slowly reveals her connections to both dead women. Magistrate Kamil Pasha has no idea where the investigation will lead, and despite his attempts to rely on scientific analysis, he must operate within a web of political and personal intrigues. As subplots intertwine, trust disintegrates until neither the book's characters nor its readers know who will betray whom. White brings extensive knowledge of Ottoman culture to her writing, but at times the amount of detail and number of characters overwhelm rather than clarify the plot. Although the mystery of the woman's death ultimately is revealed, many loose ends suggest either a sequel or a lack of attention to detail. This book will probably appeal more to fans of historical fiction than mystery readers. Despite its limitations, it is worth considering for public library collections, particularly because it holds the promise of strong successors. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/05.]-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ., Mankato (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
