Arabesk [Paperback]

Barbara Nadel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2001

When the wife of one of Istanbul's best known popular singers is found dead and his baby daughter missing, the newly promoted Inspector Suleyman, scion of one of Turkey's most aristocratic families, finds himself plunged into the magnificently vulgar, overblown world of Arabesk music, dominated by an ageing star, the monstrous chanteuse, Tansu.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nadel's intriguing third procedural to feature Insp. Çetin Ikmen (after 2005's The Ottoman Cage) finds Ikmen suffering from ulcers and on a restricted diet. While he is sidelined, his newly promoted subordinate, Mehmet Suleyman, takes charge of a hot-button murder inquiry. Someone has used cyanide to poison Ruya Urfa, the previously secret wife of the country's Arabesk music star, Erol Urfa. Suspicion centers on the mentally impaired son of the dead woman's neighbors, whose prints are found throughout the crime scene. News that Erol was married comes as a surprise to the public and has a curious effect on his lover, an aging movie star who's resorted to cosmetic surgery to preserve her looks. While some readers will anticipate whodunit, all will appreciate the skill with which Nadel depicts the tensions underlying contemporary Turkish society as well as her ability to make each of her characters fully human. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

'The Istanbul atmosphere is as thick as Turkish coffee, and the novel is crammed with fascinating information' -- Evening Standard 20011210 'The delight of the Nadel book is the sense of being taken beneath the surface of an ancient city which most visitors see for a few days at most' -- Independent 20011210 'Particularly interesting for its discussion of Turkish customs and beliefs' -- Sunday Telegraph 20011210

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Headline Paperbacks (September 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747262195
• ISBN-13: 978-0747262190
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 1 x 7.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,746,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric Istanbul, June 11, 2004

By 

saliero (NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arabesk (Paperback)

Istanbul is as much a character in Ms Nadel's books as any of the humans. Having lived in that exciting city for a while, I think she captures its nuances and everyday life as much as its "exoticism" perfectly. As such, the setting will make this (and the rest of the Cetin Ikmen police procedurals) attractive to many lovers of the crime genre. However, Ms Nadel does not stick just to the exotic image of tourist Istanbul, but takes you down its alleyways and into its darker sides.

Nadel is billed as "the Donna Leon of Istanbul", which tells you which market the publishers are pitching for. This is not without justification, and I think Ms Nadel exceeds in brining her location, and characters to life.

There is a likeable cast of ongoing characters and her mysteries are well plotted and intriguing. Blathazar's Daughter was a fine debut. This is the third (the second is "A Chemical Prison"), and as a crime genre addict I was not disappointed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An author who delivers the goods!, April 22, 2009

By 

Fierce & Fond Reader "rjbrownbooks" (Clallam Bay, WA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Arabesk (Paperback)

I'm so glad I found Barbara Nadel! While I learnt a little about the Ottoman Empire at school & have never been to Turkey, I'm engrossed in the adventurous mysteries of the much-married, chain-smoking, witch's son homicide Inspector Ikmen & his co-workers in modern-day Istanbul.

Each book is rich in atmosphere, culture & history, & not for the faint of heart. If, like me, you want your mysteries to be unusual & adult as well as being packed with characters, drama, humor & surprises, then dive in to Barbara Nadel's series!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Engaging Procedural Set in Modern Turkey, March 19, 2010

By 

zorba (Bala Cynwyd, Pa USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Arabesk: #3 Inspector Ikmen (Inspector Ikmen Mysteries) (Paperback)

Barbara Nadel is not the Donna Leon of Istanbul, but she comes close. This procedural, featuring some well-drawn characters, is interesting but not very exciting. It does a pretty good job of probing the modern Turkish psyche, introduces us to an exotic religion that most people probably don't know even exists and shines a light on a form of popular music that is alien to most western ears. So, Nadel gets four or five stars from me for her "Turkish" offerings. It's the plot, however, that needs work. While interesting enough to keep you reading, it lacks excitement. Fairly early on, the plot becomes predictable. And when we get to the denouement, Nadel just hands it out to us. No suspense or excitement. And the ending does beg one's indulgence; it's a little unrealistic, I feel. Anyhow, the book was an interesting diversion from most other procedurals, mostly because of its setting. I liked it, but didn't love it.