Synopses & Reviews
From the Edgar(R) Award-winning author of The Janissary Tree comes the fourth and most captivating Investigator Yashim mystery yet It takes a writer of prodigious talents to conjure the Istanbul of the Ottoman Empire in all its
majesty. In three previous novels, Jason Goodwin has taken us on stylish, suspenseful, and vibrant excursions into its exotic territory. Now, in An Evil Eye, the mystery of Istanbul runs deeper than ever before. It's 1839, and the admiral of the Ottoman fleet has defected to the Egyptians. It's up to the intrepid Investigator Yashim to uncover the man's motives. Of course, Fevzi Ahmet is no stranger to Yashim--it was Fevzi who taught the investigator his craft years ago. He's the only man whom Yashim has ever truly feared: ruthless, cruel, and unswervingly loyal to the sultan. So what could have led Yashim's former mentor to betray the Ottoman Empire? Yashim's search draws him into the sultan's seraglio, a well-appointed world with an undercurrent of fear, ambition, and deep-seated superstition. When the women of the sultan's orchestra begin inexplicably to grow ill and die, Yashim discovers that the admiral's defection may be rooted somewhere in the torturous strictures of the sultan's harem. No one knows more about the Ottoman Empire and Istanbul than Jason Goodwin, of whom Janet
Maslin wrote in The New York Times: Mr. Goodwin uses rich historical detail to elevate the books in this series . . . far above the realm of everyday sleuthing.
Review
“When you read a historical mystery by Jason Goodwin, you take a magic-carpet ride to the most exotic place on earth.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“Goodwin is an author of many strengths…[and his books] just keep getting better….The complicated plot that unfolds is deftly controlled throughout….Goodwins prose is sharp and surprising.” —The Washington Post“Exotic…An elegant meditation on the Ottoman psyche. Goodwin is as concerned with capturing the sights, sounds, and recipes as he is with the murders.” —Financial Times (London)
“Goodwin continues to create historical mysteries with an A-quality plot, excellent historical detail, and a strong sense of place….He is still at the top of his game.” —Booklist
“A great addition to a superb series.” —The Globe and Mail (London)
“In Yashims investigations the stakes are high indeed….The bare outlines are enlivened by Goodwins skillful use of color and detail, especially Yashims recipes, which set the reader drooling. As a historian, Goodwin is scrupulous.” —The Independent (London)
Synopsis
Sleuth. Cook. Ottoman. Lover. Have you met Yashim yet? Its Istanbul in 1839, and as the new sultan installs his harem in the palace, the intrepid investigator Yashim is set adrift on the swirling currents of loyalty and betrayal. The dramatic treachery of Fevzi Ahmet, the admiral of the fleet, brings Yashim up against the one man he has ever hated…the only man he has ever feared.
Drawn ever deeper into the closed and mysterious world of the Sultans harem, Yashim must search for a secret that could save a life or destroy an empire. An Evil Eye is a heart-pounding mystery of exotic Istanbul and a riveting journey into a veiled realm.
About the Author
Jason Goodwin is the bestselling author of The Janissary Tree, The Snake Stone, and The Bellini Card, the first three books in his series of novels featuring Yashim. 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 their four children in England.