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 ...
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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?
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Add this copy of The Janissary Tree to cart. $57.86, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hialeah, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Tantor Audio.
Superb historical mystery -thriller which combines historical scholarship with engaging characters, offering rare insight into a vanished world with the ambiance of Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. Goodwin's first novel is brilliant and richly embellished by research for his previous non-fiction books " Lords of the Horizon: A History of the Ottoman Empire," and " On Foot to the Golden Horn: A Walk to Istanbul."
Absolutely a delightful and entertaining work of fiction that will leave you wanting more. This could be a great movie.
Tackitt
Jul 19, 2007
Great 1st in a series
I'm hoping that the author will write additional mysteries in this series. The author suceeds in re-creating a past time and city. I was reminded of Steve Saylor's Roman mystery novel series. If you enjoy Saylor's books, you'll enjoy this book.
