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More copies of this ISBN:The Janissary Treeby Jason Goodwin
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:When Jason Goodwin explored the Ottoman Empire in Lords of the Horizons, the New York Times Book Review hailed it as a work of dazzling beauty...the rare coming together of historical scholarship...with luminous writing. Now he returns to Istanbul, with a delicious mystery — The Janissary Tree.
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. And he introduces us to the Janissaries. For 400 years, they were the empire's elite soldiers, but they grew too powerful, and ten years ago, the Sultan had them crushed. Are the Janissaries staging a brutal comeback? The Janissary Tree is the first in a series featuring the most enchanting detective since Precious Ramotswe of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Splendidly paced and illuminating, it belongs beside Caleb Carr's The Alienist and the historical thrillers of Arturo Perez-Reverte. Review:"Goodwin, the author of a well-received history of the Ottoman Empire, Lords of the Horizons (1999), makes a welcome shift to fiction with this impressive first of a new mystery series set in the empire's declining decades. In 1836, though the corrupt elite troops known as the Janissaries were crushed 10 years earlier, there are ominous signs that their influence still persists in the twisted alleys and secret places of Istanbul. A series of crimes, including the barbaric murders of several soldiers and the theft of some precious jewels, leads eunuch Yashim Togalu to delve into the past in an effort to separate legend from truth. With special access to all areas of the sultan's royal court, Yashim uses his network of contacts to try to solve the crimes. The author, no surprise, does an excellent job of evoking his chosen locale. While his sleuth's character may be less developed than some readers might wish, no doubt Yashim will emerge as a more rounded figure in future entries of what one hopes will be a long-running series." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"As Jake Barnes would say, it's 'a rotten way to be wounded,' and who knows better than Yashim? An intelligence agent plying his wits in the final century of the Ottoman Empire, Yashim is brave, resourceful, handsome and polyglottal, and he cooks a mean kebab. All things considered, he would make any houri a fine husband if he weren't, to use his own mordant terminology, 'unencumbered by the plums... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) Review:"[A] promising new mystery series....[T]he reader is treated to an appropriately exotic tour of a time and a place where intrigue, deceit, and corruption fueled perilous personal and political passions." Booklist Review:"Goodwin has the most tantalizing material to work with...but somehow, what should have been conveyed vividly about this melange of exotica is instead a bit humdrum." Kirkus Reviews Review:"The Janissary Tree...is the perfect escapist mystery..." New York Times Book Review Review:"Everything you could want from a novel — a cracking story, beautifully written, with a wonderful seductive and original detective in the figure of Yashim the Eunuch." Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth Review:"Intelligent, elliptical and beguilingly written, The Janissary Tree is a rare pleasure." The Times (London) Review:"An unusual, exotic historical mystery that reads like literature and moves like a thriller." George Pelecanos, author of Drama City Synopsis: Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel 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, a man both brilliant and near-invisible in this world, an investigator who can walk with ease in the great halls of the empire, in its streets, and even within its harems--because, of course, Yashim is a eunuch. His investigation points to the Janissaries, who, for four hundred years were the empire's elite soldiers. Crushed by the sultan, could they now be staging a brutal comeback? And can they be stopped without throwing Istanbul into political chaos?
This first book in the Investigator Yashim series is a richly entertaining tale, full of exotic history and intrigue. About the AuthorJason Goodwin's previous books include Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire and On Foot to the Golden Horn. He lives in Sussex, England, is married with four children, speaks French and German and once walked from Poland to Istanbul. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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