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The Janissary Tree: A Novel
The Janissary Tree: A Novel
The Janissary Tree: A Novel
Audiobook11 hours

The Janissary Tree: A Novel

Written by Jason Goodwin

Narrated by Stephen Hoye

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

The Janissary Tree, the first book in a new series, is set in a most extraordinary world and features a most extraordinary sleuth.

It is 1836. Europe is modernizing, and the Ottoman Empire must follow suit. But just before the sultan announces sweeping changes, a wave of murders threatens the fragile balance of power in his court. Who is behind them? Only one intelligence agent can be trusted to find out: Yashim Togalu, a man both brilliant and near-invisible in this world.

You see, Yashim is a eunuch.

He leads us into the palace's luxurious seraglios and Istanbul's teeming streets, and leans on the wisdom of a dyspeptic Polish ambassador, a transsexual dancer, and a Creole-born queen mother. He finds sweet salvation in the arms of another man's wife (this is not your everyday eunuch). And he introduces us to the Janissaries. For 400 years earlier the sultan had them crushed. Are the Janissaries staging a brutal comeback?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 7, 2007
ISBN9781400175048
Author

Jason Goodwin

JASON GOODWIN is the Edgar Award–winning author of the Investigator Yashim series. The first five books—The Janissary Tree, The Snake Stone, The Bellini Card, An Evil Eye, and The Baklava Club—have been published to international acclaim, alongside Yashim Cooks Istanbul, a cookbook of Ottoman Turkish recipes inspired by the series. Goodwin studied Byzantine history at Cambridge and is the author of Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire, among other award-winning nonfiction. He lives with his wife and children in England.

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Reviews for The Janissary Tree

Rating: 3.727272727272727 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A book of crime fiction in an historic setting - early 19th century Istanbul. The author has an academic background in Ottoman history, and I think I found the historical background and the physical references to places in the city of Istanbul to be a very significant part of why I enjoyed the book.The crime fiction part is fine, but needs the history and the city as background to make a whole.I'll be back to read more of this author.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A historical mystery set in mid-19th century Istanbul. Yashim Ogalu is a eunuch in the service of the Sultan, called upon to find out who is murdering members of the New Guard, and incidentally, who strangled one of the harem girls just as she was about to be presented to her master. The setting is irresistible, and offers plenty of opportunity for little lessons in Ottoman history, food, art and culture. The premise is that the ousted Janissary Corps may be plotting a military coup to return to power and depose the current Sultan. There are many layers of intrigue, and the pages practically turn themselves. As so often happens with one of these high action tales, there are bits that don't bear too much thought and examination afterward, but who cares? A great escape.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a decent historical mystery, but it was lacking in some areas for me. I loved the colorful backdrop that the setting held, but I wish Goodwin would have given more information about the Harem murder. He focused so much on the military murders and running around after Janissaries that he almost forgot to connect the end resolution to the original murder. But, I did like the characters and he gave me a good enough taste of the setting that I'll definitely check out another in the series.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Like other reviewers, I came into this expecting to like it so much, and it's difficult for me to explain why I didn't. All the elements of an intriguing mystery novel are there: fascinating history, neat events, exotic and mysterious locale. But I only pushed through this because we read it for my book club. I slogged through each chapter with almost zero interest in what was happening. The storytelling in this novel feels so distant: we never get close to Yashim, never care about him, never get into his head or anyone else's. I never felt engaged by the book, which means that when I finished it, I had zero interest in reading any of its sequels.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great mysteries in an exotic setting with an intriguing protagonist. Delicious.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Interesting tale describing the Ottoman Empire, through the story of a free lance eunuch. He is hired to determine the mystery behind the brutal and public deaths of four military men. Long descriptions of the social conditions and living habits of that time. Rather slow moving, but most informative.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    READ IN DUTCH

    I'm not completely familiar with Turkey or the Ottoman Empire or books about one of them. But I thought it was an interesting book, I don't know how accurate the book was exactly in the way it described it, but I feel like I've found out several new things. Something I always liked. Set back in the 19th century, it of course it slightly different from the thrillers that are most common, but I really liked this for a change. Still planning on reading the second book as will, but still so many other books to read, so it is possible it will take some more time...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jason Goodwin sets 'The Janissary Tree: A Novel' in 1836 Istanbul, just ten years after Sultan Mahmud II destroyed the Janissaries in what was known euphemistically as The Auspicious Incident. The Sultan is now modernizing his army, but four of them have disappeared and begin to turn up dead. Simultaneously, one of the Sultan's harem is murdered. The 'detective' Yashim is called in to investigate both crimes. Yashim is unusual in literary history; for one, he's an Ottoman detective and for two, he's a eunuch. Believe it or not, Turkish detectives (see Graveyard Eyes and even eunuch detectives Four for a Boy (John the Eunuch Mysteries) can be found elsewhere. Nonetheless, Yashim's character is certainly an attention-grabber. The Janissaries had been the Sultan's household army for some 450 years including playing a key role in the final defeat of the Byzantine Empire at Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453. Are they behind the disappearance of the four soldiers of the new army? Is the murder in the harem related? As Yashim pursues answers he takes the reader through 19th century Istanbul, a teeming cosmos at the juncture of Europe and Asia inhabited by peoples from around the Meditarrean and beyond, but still tradition bound - dominated by Islam but claimed Jews and Orthodox Christian as well. Goodwin brings to bear his formidable knowledge of the region's history (see his Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empireand On Foot to the Golden Horn: A Walk to Istanbul) to create a lively sense of this wondrous city as rich in human history as any place on earth. His descriptions bring the sights and smells, - especially the smells of cooking - to life. He plays on the possibility that the Sultan's mother, the Valide Sultan, may have been the cousin of Josephine Bonaparte. And, Godwin's Yashim will almost certainly change your opinion about eunuchs. The major shortcomings of 'The Janissary Tree: A Novel' are the introduction of too many characters that are not developed and a couple superfluous side stories. A strong first novel by Jason Goodwin with more to come. A fun, engaging, and dare I say educational tale. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a fairly entertaining mystery set in 1830s Istanbul. Yashim Togalu is a eunuch bound to service to the Sublime Porte. His special talents mean that he is called in to investiaget two seperate mysteries - a murder in the Sultan's harem and the murder of an officer of the New Guard - the new army created along western lines that replaced the traditional Jannisaries. As Yashim investiagtes we get a flavour of Istanbul and its patchwork of different religions, ethnicities and histories. Along the way we meet some well-drawn and engaging characters including the Sultan's French mother (a childhood friend of Napoleon's wife Josephine!), the Polish ambassador to the Sultan's court, who represents a country that no longer exists, a transvestite and so on. The mystery itself is fairly engaging, though one is able to figure out who are the principle instigators of the mayhem without a great deal of trouble. Still, the characters, the well-realized setting and the wonderfully warm sense of humour make this an entertainment well worth reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this murder mystery set in 19th century Istanbul. The world’s culture is changing, and the effects of modernization have swept across Europe. The sultan of the Ottoman Empire feels he must go along, but just as he’s about to announce sweeping political change, a grisly murder occurs within the court. So he calls for Yashim – a eunuch and a special detective . Goodwin treats us to an exotic locale - luxurious seraglios, noisy market places, and filthy tanneries. And he populates this world with a colorful cast of characters, including a dyspeptic Polish ambassador, a transsexual dancer, the Creole-born queen mother, and even a 300-lb wrestling deaf-mute.I listened to the audio book, performed by Stephen Hoye. This is the second time I’ve listened to Hoye narrate an audio book. I was really turned off by his delivery on the first book, but he is perfect for this. He hits just the right tone for the carefully thoughtful and not easily perturbed Yashim.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a messy, cluttered book. It is set in Istanbul in 1836 as the Ottoman Empire is dying. Yashim is a eunech and is called in to solve 2 separate mysteries. The book does pursue both mysteries but not necessarily diligently. There are a lot of secondary characters introduced and many of them are very vivid characters. Istanbul is perhaps the most vivid character in the book. Yashim follows multiple clues into dark alleys and finds information in interesting places. When it is time to solve the cases it is done quickly, somewhat out of left field and messily. In fact two of the main things Yashim has been trying to find - where the old Jannissary religious churches were at and where are the soldiers that have been kidnapped - don't really have that much to do with the ending of the stories. In fact he has spent most of the book looking for these things only to solve the mysteries without needing that information. Like I said this is a very messy, clutterd book. But in many ways it mirrors Istanbul in 1836, a crossroads city with all kinds of religious and political influences jocking for power. The city itself has dead end streets, running this way and that, with bazaars in oddly shaped spaces with fires rezoning property left and right. The messy, clutterd style of the book is very much in keeping with the city itself. In short, the book is actually more interesting than the mysteries are. The Janissary Tree won the Edgar Award for best novel of 2007. I read all the nominees and agree that by a very thin margin it is the best of the 6 books nominated. Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris was also a good book and was worthy of winning the award as well. The other book nominated that year that is worth mentioning is The Dead Hour by Denise Mina. I really liked the main character in the book and liked reading about her personal story though the mystery was much less compelling.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It is a good thing that I did not read this book first, because otherwise, I might not have continued with the series.

    We meet Yashim, a Eunuch who is free to go about his life, except when needed by the Sultan or one of the Palace officials to investigate.

    The Valide Sultan's jewels (which were a gift from her dear friend, Empress Josephine) have gone missing and a young concubine who is to spend time w/ the Sultan has been found murdered.

    At the same time, outside of the palace, four young military men have gone missing...but one by one their grossly mutilated bodies are turning up around Istanbul. Yashim is called in to investigate.

    The descriptions are lush and evocative of another Romantic time gone by. The descriptions of Yashim's dinner preparations are mouth watering.

    What I didn't like, was all the military stuff.... I didn't really care for the knowledge of the Janissaries and I would have liked to have had more written about the murder in the Oda (Harem).
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A crime fighting Eunuch!!I'm sure that I'm not the only one but I must admit that that was what originally drew me to this book by (to me) an unknown author. That and the hope of learning a little about a country I know nothing about.On the whole I was not disappointed just felt there could have been so much more.The Janissary in the title were originally the Ottoman Empire's elite troops (think the Praetorian Guards of the Romans) who through nepotism and corruption by power come to challenge the rule of the Sultan. Ten years before the events of this book the Janissary are overthrown by the New Guard but not totally destroyed and in the present seem to be trying to make a comeback to authority. Four cadets of the New Guard are captured, killed and their bodies returned in pretty gruesome manners. Yashim, the Eunuch,is brought in to discover who is behind the murders.At the same time some of the Sultan's mums jewels has gone missing.Now the book has all the elements of a murder mystery, a hero who is not the norm, a dastardly villain, a tart-with-a-heart and a bewitching temptress but in many ways the whole murder mystery plot seemed secondary to the main reason for the book which was to give readers a feel of 1836 Istanbul. For example no reason was given as to why Yashim was seem fit to be employed as a detective and most of the characters were rather one dimensional (the exception being the tart-with-a heart)including the two villains. There were also very few plot twists (although I will admit that I only worked out the identity of one of the villains beforehand). What the author does do well is give a good feel of life in 1830's Istanbul and the decline of the Ottoman Empire with some nice atmospheric depictions. However, I did feel that there was an overall expectation that the reader would already know a little of the background to this historical element. Something I most certainly did not have. Also, some of the descriptions were pretty over-blown at times. I mean did the cookery lessons really add something to the story? Not for me.Now for the first book in a series I felt that this was a reasonable start and it certainly has not put me off looking for more books by the same author but next time I'll be expecting a little more than what was present here.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Well paced and well written mystery located in Istanbul, Turkey during the Napoleonic age. Intersection of Europe and Asia, this is an amazing & exotic setting for a mystery. In one of the worlds largest cities at the time, just about anyone can pop up and anything can happen. Inspector Yashim, the *lala*, can go just about anywhere, which makes for an even better story. Goodwin also scored points with me by including a visit to the Imperial Archives and the sexy archivist!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good historical mystery where Istanbul of 1836 brought alive by Goodwin's excellent writing..
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book very much. It is an historical mystery set in Istanbul, Turkey in 1836 as the Ottoman Empire is dying. The POV character is Yashim, an investigator who is also a eunuch. His mutilation allows him to enter the harem where the imperial women live.There are two mysteries, first there are 4 military officer cadets who have been taken. Yashim is asked by the general to find the cadets. As the story progresses their dead and brutally murdered bodies are appearing one at a time in various public places in the city. Yashim also must find who has created the plot, and for what purpose.The second mystery is the murder of a young slave girl in the harem. She was to take her first turn in the Sultan's bed, but is found strangled. The Sultan's mother, the Valide also has jewels taken. Yashim must also solve these mysteries for the Sultan and his mother.The characters are interesting, and believable. There are also some wonderful quirky side characters whom you come to care about.The setting is done very well, and you get the feel of life in the city, of the fear of fire, of mobs, and of Yashim's cooking (I have a horror of foreign food in general and Turkish food in particular).I love historical mysteries that are done well. That are meaty and have good character development and great detailed settings. This book delivers on all counts.I want a good story and the feeling that the characters live before and after the story, not just cardboard cutouts that are airbrushed for a short stint in the book and then folded away. The only issue I have with the book is at the end. Yashim and the badie are on the roof and there is mayhem in the streets. The plan on the street doesn't work and the badie runs away, and eventually falls off the roof and dies. I don't understand why the plot didn't work. It wasn't explained that I could tell.Still I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next book in the series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book kicks of a series about Yashim, a eunuch detective living in late 19th century Istanbul. In this book, a series of young navy officers go missing in a plot for the Janissaries (an older, powerful shadowy group) to come back to power. The historical details were good, but the book still dragged. It has none of the intricacy of David Liss' historical thrillers. One book with Investigator Yashim was quite enough.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another example (like The Pale Blue Eye, for instance) of choosing an underutilized time and place (unlike Victorian England, for instance) to set a well-plotted mystery that lines up with the specific history very well. I'm not sure #s 2,3,4 can be as satisfying in the same setting, but I'll read them to find out.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Istanbul, the navel of the world, on the cusp of Europe and Asia. In 1836, the world is quickly modernizing, but the oldest of sins remains the same: murder. Specifically, four of the sultan's soldiers have vanished, and one found dead and trussed in a large kettle. At the same time, one of the harem girls is also found murdered. The sultan calls on the services of Inspector Yashim, a brilliant man - or somewhat of a man, as he's also a eunuch. Yashim's status brings him scorn, but also full access to the harem and the knowledge of the sultan's French mother. The murder's clues point towards a resurgence of the Janissaries, the Ottoman's guards for centuries before were brutally removed a decade more. Now, as the sultan prepares to announce edicts to further westernize the empire, more dead bodies are staged, and Yashim rushes to solve the riddle before the empire itself is in peril.Wow. This book is an incredible mix of murder mystery and historical fiction. The city is as much a character as Yashim, Preen, the sultan, and the rest. Goodwin's level of detail is astonishing, and I found myself completely immersed in 1830s Istanbul. (Also, since I saw a Rick Steves program on the city recently, that helped me to picture everything.) I definitely want to continue with this series.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Audiobook. Best to read this on vacation. Nothing spectacular. But I have a soft spot for historical fiction--especially of the nineteenth century. And so how could I resist Byzantium, intrigue. Can't even remember why I bought this book. Probably not the best use of reading time. But fun overall. Okay. I'm easy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A reader can divide historical fiction into two kinds: the kind where you know the general outline of what happens historically, and the kind where you don't. The Janissary Tree was the second kind for me. I know almost nothing about the Ottoman Empire -- a few names, a smattering about the Crimean War and the empire's part in WWI, and the phrase "The Sick Man of Europe." That's about it. In addition, 1836, when the book is set, is a time even in European history about which I knew little. Well, I know a little more now. I enjoyed Goodwin's book possibly more for the characters and setting than for the plot. Goodwin had already written a history of the Ottoman Empire (as well as four other non-fiction books) before this, his first novel. (It appears he's British, thus not eligible for the Best First Novel Edgar, which is limited to American authors.)Yashim, the protagonist, is a eunuch, but although he is a trusted adviser to the Sultan and the Sultan's mother, he does not live in the Palace, but moves freely around Istanbul. He is called in on two separate investigations, or perhaps three: the death of one of the Sultan's harem; the theft of some of the Valide Sultan's (Queen Mother's) jewels, once owned by Napoleon; and the disappearance of four young officers in the New Guard. Soon the officers' bodies begin turning up, each killed in a peculiarly horrible way. With the help of his two best friends, Panewski, the Polish Ambassador (at a time when Poland as a country had ceased to exist) and Preen, a eunuch who works as a transvestite dancer and prostitute, Yashim eventually solves all the crimes, undergoing some fairly terrifying experiences along the way.At just under 300 pages, The Janissary Tree was not exceptionally long, but it took me quite a while to read, partly because of other commitments, but also because the plot was not that engaging to me. What kept me reading (besides my vow to read every Edgar Best Novel winner)was the immersion in another world that Goodwin provided. Istanbul in the 1830s was a cosmopolitan city at the heart of a vast and diverse empire, yet it could hardly have been more different from London, Vienna or St. Petersburg. Goodwin brings Istanbul to life; the mystery seems just a device, the plot merely a framework on which to display the characters and setting. Had I been on that Edgar jury, I think it unlikely I would have voted for this work (I'll have to read the other nominees to be sure, and that's another challenge!) But it was certainly good enough to deserve some kind of recognition, and I'll be interested to read the later books in the series. If you like to learn something with your mystery reading and can bear with a rather slow pace, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Janissary Tree.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is the first in a series I believe and I found it interesting enough to want to read more of the series.Yashim is a eunuch attached to the Sultan's household although I'm not sure what his exact job description is. Probably it is whatever the Sultan wishes him to do is what he does. At the beginning of the book a concubine in the harem is killed just before she is due to head to the Sultan's bed the first time. Yashim is asked to investigate the murder. Then 4 officers from the New Guard disappear and their bodies start appearing in unusual places having suffered unusual and disturbing deaths. While visiting the Russian ambassador's residence to question an embassy employee who was last seen in the company of the missing officers Yashim notices an old map of Istanbul. Convinced that the map could help him solve the puzzle of the places where the bodies were left he returns to the Embassy to have a look at it. Although he is not admitted by the butler he manages to get in but while hiding he ends up in the ambassador's wife's bedroom. Rather than screaming the wife is delighted to have Yashim visit. Between decoding the map the pair make love (apparently eunuchs can achieve erections but cannot ejaculate). Yashim believes that the Janissaries, the former guard who were let go after rioting, are behind the murders. The more he learns the more he believes that a coup is coming. As a loyal servant of the Sultan Yashim must do all he can to prevent this but is it enough?The narrator was a delight.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In this historical novel set in 1836 Istanbul, a eunuch named Yashim is asked to investigate into several cases. There are four officers who have gone missing (one of which turns up dead in an oversized cauldron a short while later); the sultan's most recent concubine is murdered in her bed; and the sultan's mother's jewels have gone missing. In the case of the officers, Yashim finds clues that seem to point toward the Janissaries as being responsible for the abduction and it's aftermath. The Janissaries had had a powerful presence in Turkey until 1826, just a decade previous to the start of our story. An elite force created by Sultan Murad I in 1383, they formed the Ottoman Sultan's household troops and bodyguards, but Sultan Mahmud II found them to be an unruly and disruptive presence, and wanting to create a modern army to keep up with the Europeans, he disbanded and slaughtered the Janissaries. But it seems there were survivors after all, and Yashim needs to figure out what they are up to to stop more bodies from turning up dead. Aiding him in his search for clues are his colourful and somewhat eccentric friends, the Polish ambassador and a transsexual dancer. A complex plot and an entertaining mystery set in an exotic place which is undergoing a great transition from ancient traditional customs to European modernization. I would have liked to find out more about Yashim himself, but perhaps more is revealed about him in the following 3 novels.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    In "The Janissary Tree" Jason Goodwin gives us an engaging murder mystery set in 1836 Istanbul. In the imperial capital, the sultan faces pressure from shrinking territory and waning influence, and when a young houri is his harem is murdered, he sighs and says, "Summon Yashim." Thus are we introduced to the intrepid and resourceful investigator who must solve not only the mystery of the harem murder, but also the apparent murder of four of the sultan's young officers. Are they related?We have major international intrigue, treason, stealthy murder, and our hero in and out of hot water. I love when an author puts a mystery in an ancient setting (see Steven Saylor and Ellis Peters for the two best), and I'd hoped to learn about and feel immersed in (late) medieval Istanbul. I got this, but it seemed like "Istanbul Lite." The mystery and intrigue work satisfactorily, but I would have liked a little more basic info and flavor. Mr. Goodwin paces his story pretty well, and hides the identity of whodunit well, too.If you're in the market for a medium-duty mystery with an exotic setting, give this a try.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "The Janissary Tree" is set in the dangerous, exotic world of 1800's Istanbul, Turkey. The country is doing its best to shift into a new, modern, more Western way of doing things, which is met with mixed opinions. The Janissary warriors, who have protected the city for 400 years, were executed by their own people ten years ago, and now may be re-surfacing, hunting for revenge. This is the setting for our mystery - being investigated by our detective, Inspector Yashim Togalu, a young eunuch.He is asked to look into a couple of cadets in the new modern army who have disappeared - and then turned up, murdered.The sultan himself also requests that Yashim investigate the murder of a girl in his harem.This was a great mystery! I am admittedly not normally that interested in mysteries, but this one may be the beginning of a new love for them. If this is what mysteries are like, I want to read more of them!Thankfully, this is only the first of Yashim's adventures.In these pages, Istanbul becomes a living, breathing, exciting place that you feel you've sunken into. The author not only gives you the history and the culture of the city, but the feeling of it as well. There is an atmosphere, which changes slightly in different sections of the city, but ever-present is that spicy, colorful flavor that you would expect from an Arabic setting.I love when authors are able to bring a different world to you, all contained in the pages of a book. I liked the character of Yashim, even though he did not seem very different from other detective characters like Poirot. He was a eunuch (that's different!), but the author has him sleep with a woman in the story. What is the point of him being a eunuch if he is going to also be running about having affairs? I felt a bit distant from Yashim in the story, but I'm hoping that we'll get to know him better in the other books of the series.Also, it wasn't the characters that the author focused on, but rather on events and the mystery itself.This mystery takes some thinking - and not in the 'figure-it-out' way, because you won't figure it out.It is a very complex story. I just love complicated tales you have to read with your mind whirling, trying to keep up.But here, I just wanted to be entertained. The author adds in quite a few lighthearted little scenes and bits of dialogue, but the majority of the story is probably too complicated.There are many, many, many characters. You are expected to remember the names of all of them - even minor people with long names who aren't really important to the story. Too many characters was definitely a flaw in this book.Also, expect to learn a lot in this historical mystery. Jason Goodwin has studied the Ottoman Empire extensively, and he wants you to know it. He also wants you to know as much about 19th Century Istanbul as he does, and he constantly throws details at you. To truly understand the full depth of this story, you must know the politics, the history, the customs, and the culture of this time period, and it's a lot.I feel that if I had already known about the time period before I started this book, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.Then again, I do love learning things when I read historical fiction, and I certainly did in this one.This is a great read, always exciting with short chapters and a steady stream of events and action. The setting was marvelous, and even though made overly complicated, the plot and the mystery were very enjoyable to read about.I will certainly be looking for the next book in this series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Historical mystery set in the fading days of the ottoman empire with a enuch as a detective. This one got excellent reviews when it came out, but I wasn’t that impressed. People say Goodwin really captures Turkey, but to me, it seemed poorly constructed. Saving grace – excellent descriptions of food.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was an interesting take on murder mystery novels. The characters and the time setting made it that more intriguing, for me at least, and although the mystery part was a bit slow at times, I learned more about the Ottoman empire and what it meant being a eunuch for these people. I also learned what it was like to live in Istanbul during the 19th century. Even though this book wasn't quite a page-turner, I thought it was pretty good, and quite a feat for the author who isn't from Turkey.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Set in the 1830s, Istanbul seems peaceful with exotic spices perfuming the air. But 4 cadets of the New Guard are missing and their general, the seraskier, seeks the assistance of Yashim lala, the stealthy guardian of security, a trusted eunuch approved by the Sultan and who has access to the harem. When one by one, 3 of the cadets are found dead and in very disturbing circumstances, Yashim realizes that their disappearance and also the methods by which they are killed and where they are found has a greater significance to the country than anyone had initially thought. The Janissaries, the fighting machine of slaves to the Ottoman sultans, thought to have been destroyed and suppressed during a massacre on decree by the Sultan, seem to have resurfaced. But how is this possible? And where are they hiding? In addition to his task of finding these missing cadets, he's also summoned by the Sultan's mother, the Valide at the harem ... her jewels are missing and one of the harem women has been murdered. She has an odd hold over Yashim ... and he is to find her missing jewels.Intrigue abounds in this book, and nothing is as it seems. Woven through Yashim's investigations, is a colorful history of the Ottoman empire, the foreign forces that shaped her and the traditional practices that keep them a community. As Yashim starts to uncover secrets that have been shrouded for over 10 years, he becomes the target of sinister attempts on his life in unexpected places and in unexpected circumstances.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's the last days of the Ottoman Empire and Yashim is tasked to uncover a complex series of murders that lead him to suspect that the powerful Janissaries who were suppressed ten years earlier will attempt a coup. The mystery is fair and holds together. I like Yashim quite a bit as a character and would like to read more in the series, though I thought this first outing was a bit "too clever by half" in resolving the coup(s).

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first in Jason Goodwin’s mystery series set in Istanbul in 1836, the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. It features Yashim Togalu, a eunuch in the sultan’s service, who is called upon to solve a series of murders of Army officers, as well as the murder of a harem girl.Very soon, he is drawn into what appears to be a resurgence of the Janissaries. Founded in the 14th century, these elite soldiers had carved out an empire for the Turks. Over time, however, they had fallen into decay, extorting pay from the government and murdering sultans who attempted to reform them, until their brutal suppression in 1826.The mystery component of this book is average. It proceeds in a fairly straight line with only few twists and turns. The real strength of this book lies in the vivid portrayal of life in Istanbul, of the intrigues of Topkapi Palace, of the tensions and fractures as Turkey struggles to become a modern country and stave off the European powers anxious to extend their influence.Goodwin gives us a rich cast of supporting characters. I found myself wanting to know more about some of them and, hopefully, future books in the series will let us see a bit more of them.Those who enjoy historical mysteries will probably enjoy this book.