Arabesk (SIGNED) [Hardcover]

Barbara Nadel (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Headine; 1st ed/1st printing edition (2000)
• ASIN: B000GTPQ9U
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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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.